The government’s efforts to add more qualified physicians to the system are being opposed by the medical community.
The government of South Korea seeks to increase the number of medical school placements because the country has one of the lowest doy
However, the present ratio of doctors per 1,000 population is just 2.5, which is second lowest among OECD member countries only to Mexico.
Prof. Kwon Soon-man, a public health specialist at Seoul National University, stated, “More doctors mean more competition and reduced income for them… that is why they are against the proposal to increase physician supply.”
The nation is severely short-staffed with physicians in rural areas and in specialties like obstetrics and pediatrics, which are viewed as less lucrative than specialties like dermatology and plastic surgery.
According to the nation’s health ministry, about 6,500 interns and residents—roughly half of the young doctor workforce—tender letters of resignation on Monday.
