Healthcare in South Korea - statistics & facts
In 2022, the life expectancy of South Koreans stood at an average of 82.7 years, which is one of the highest among OECD member countries. The number of patients dying from circulatory diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke has been lower than the OECD average. Despite this, the percentage of Koreans who considered themselves healthy was the lowest among OECD countries. South Koreans visited medical institutions around 21 times per year prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19), due to which this number has decreased slightly. The cost of health care and medical purchases have both increased steadily over the last decade.
Universal healthcare, known as National Health Insurance (NHI), has been available in South Korea since 1989, and is one of the social insurance systems. South Korean National Health Insurance is one of the leading social security system models in the world; contributing to the country’s reputation as having the most accessible and satisfying healthcare system. In South Korea, medical fees are set by law and must be paid to medical institutions directly. The value of medical costs depends on the type of diseases and which medical institution the patient is treated in. However, many Koreans pay for additional private health insurance for more comprehensive coverage.
As of 2021, the number of hospital beds in South Korean hospitals stood at 12.77 per 1,000 population, the second largest after Japan. The number of doctors and nurses nationwide is steadily increasing, but the number of patients per doctor and nurse is still lower than in other OECD countries. Doctors are paid high salaries in Korea, earning about five times more than regular workers. However, the working environment of Korean medical staff is poor, and some doctors work more than 100 hours per week.
After being allowed to attract international patients in 2009, the number of foreign patients in South Korea has risen sharply, exceeding the cumulative number of 3.8 million patients in 2023. Most foreign patients traveling to South Korea come from surrounding countries or the United States. The South Korean government plans to provide institutional support and has a great interest on attracting foreign patients as this will ultimately lead to overseas expansion of domestic medical institutions as well as the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.
Universal healthcare, known as National Health Insurance (NHI), has been available in South Korea since 1989, and is one of the social insurance systems. South Korean National Health Insurance is one of the leading social security system models in the world; contributing to the country’s reputation as having the most accessible and satisfying healthcare system. In South Korea, medical fees are set by law and must be paid to medical institutions directly. The value of medical costs depends on the type of diseases and which medical institution the patient is treated in. However, many Koreans pay for additional private health insurance for more comprehensive coverage.
As of 2021, the number of hospital beds in South Korean hospitals stood at 12.77 per 1,000 population, the second largest after Japan. The number of doctors and nurses nationwide is steadily increasing, but the number of patients per doctor and nurse is still lower than in other OECD countries. Doctors are paid high salaries in Korea, earning about five times more than regular workers. However, the working environment of Korean medical staff is poor, and some doctors work more than 100 hours per week.
After being allowed to attract international patients in 2009, the number of foreign patients in South Korea has risen sharply, exceeding the cumulative number of 3.8 million patients in 2023. Most foreign patients traveling to South Korea come from surrounding countries or the United States. The South Korean government plans to provide institutional support and has a great interest on attracting foreign patients as this will ultimately lead to overseas expansion of domestic medical institutions as well as the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.
