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2 clusters · 5 sources · 2 days · First seen · Last updated

South Korea maternal and pediatric healthcare crisis

Overview

South Korea is experiencing a significant decline in essential maternal and pediatric healthcare infrastructure and personnel. Data indicates a collapse in maternity services, with 31.4% of local municipalities lacking maternity wards as of 2024. This shortage is most severe in regional areas such as Gyeongsangbuk-do and Jeollanam-do, where the decline in local clinics has reached 48% since 2018.

Parallel to the loss of facilities, there is a critical shortage of medical specialists. The number of pediatric residents has dropped by approximately 81% over a five-year period, falling from 593 in 2021 to 113 in 2024. This workforce crisis is characterized by a heavy concentration of staff in Seoul, leaving several provinces with zero pediatric residents. Factors cited for this decline include high workloads, low compensation, legal risks, and an ongoing medical standoff between the government and doctors.

Entities

Seoul National University Hospital · Ministry of Health and Welfare · Sobyeong-hun · Asan Medical Center · South Korea

Timeline

  1. about 8 hours ago

    [HEALTH] 4 sources
    South Korea pediatric resident numbers drop 81% in five years

    South Korea faces a pediatric medical crisis as resident numbers have dropped 81% in five years, with nearly 79% concentrated in Seoul and several provinces reporting zero pediatric residents.

  2. 2 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    South Korea maternity ward shortage hits regional areas

    Over 31% of South Korean municipalities lack maternity wards, with local clinics seeing a 48% decline since 2018, prompting calls for urgent national medical infrastructure support.

Sources

bokuennews.com · hidomin.com · jnilbo.com · kyeonggi.com · namdonews.com