South Korea pediatric palliative care lacks coverage in 10 provinces

Data submitted to the National Assembly reveals a significant regional disparity in pediatric palliative care services in South Korea. According to Representative Seo Young-seok of the Health and Welfare Committee, 10 out of 16 provinces and cities (62.5%) currently have no institutions participating in the pediatric palliative care support project.

As of July 2026, service providers are limited to Seoul, Gyeonggi, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Jeonnam. The remaining regions, including Incheon, Ulsan, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeju, and Sejong, lack any participating institutions. Furthermore, the concentration of services is heavily skewed toward the capital, with 7 of the 12 total participating institutions located in Seoul.

While the government’s ‘2nd Hospice and Life-Sustaining Treatment Comprehensive Plan (2024–2028)’ aims to expand these services, the number of participating institutions has remained stagnant at 12 since 2024. This shortage affects children with terminal or rare incurable diseases and their families. Broader hospice service gaps were also noted, with 67.3% of the country's 226 municipalities lacking any form of hospice service provider.