A pediatric clinic in Seoul is crowded with patients (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s healthcare landscape is growing increasingly polarized as profit-driven clinics such as cosmetic surgery and dermatology offices multiply, while essential medical services like pediatrics and obstetrics continue to decline.
According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service obtained by Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, the number of plastic surgery clinics rose 20.6 percent over the past five years, from 991 in 2019 to 1,195 in 2024.
Dermatology clinics climbed 11.8 percent, and anesthesiology and pain medicine clinics surged 20.4 percent during the same period — all specialties associated with high-margin elective or non-insured treatments.
By contrast, pediatric clinics — critical for child healthcare — fell from 2,227 to 2,187, a 1.8 percent drop. Obstetrics and gynecology clinics grew only marginally, from 1,311 to 1,321, up just 0.8 percent. The downward trend persisted into this year, with pediatric clinics slipping further to 2,175 by August.
The number of doctors working in plastic surgery clinics has nearly doubled over the past decade as of 2024.
The imbalance is even more evident in new openings. Among 1,996 new clinics opened last year, cosmetic, dermatology, and pain clinics accounted for 12.1 percent (242 clinics), while pediatrics and obstetrics combined made up only 5.9 percent (118 clinics).
After accounting for closures, dermatology clinics saw a net gain of 45, and pain clinics 43 — compared with just five for pediatrics and nine for obstetrics. From January to August this year, pediatric offices recorded a net decline of 15.
“New medical practices are increasingly concentrated in elective-care fields,” Rep. Kim said. “The continued decline of pediatrics and stagnation of obstetrics under conditions of low birthrates and aging pose a direct threat to public health and safety.”
Experts warn that if the trend continues, Korea could face “pediatric open runs,” where parents line up at dawn to secure scarce appointments, along with a collapse of maternity infrastructure — especially in rural and vulnerable regions.
“To create an environment where people feel confident having and raising children, the government must urgently address the shortage of pediatric and obstetric care,” Kim added, calling for reforms in workforce distribution and medical fee structures to sustain essential healthcare.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
