An increasing number of South Korean doctors are exploring opportunities abroad. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – As tensions between the medical community and the government continue to simmer, an increasing number of South Korean doctors are exploring opportunities abroad, signaling a potential brain drain in the nation’s healthcare sector.
On October 19, a healthcare consulting company held an information session for Tokushukai Group, Japan’s largest medical corporation. The event, which quickly reached its 50-person capacity, attracted significant interest from doctors preparing for the Japanese Medical Licensing Examination (JMLE).
This surge in interest for international opportunities is not limited to Japan. According to industry insiders, there’s a noticeable uptick in South Korean doctors taking licensing exams for countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
Park Geun-tae, president of the Korean Association of Private Practitioners, estimates that “two out of 10 residents who have resigned seem to be preparing to go abroad.” He expressed hope that these doctors might return if the medical field normalizes.
The exodus is not limited to established medical powers. Recently, a significant number of South Korean doctors reportedly applied for a recruitment exam in Vietnam, where foreign doctors can practice more easily with local hospital sponsorship.
Attendees listen to a session on ‘Practicing Medicine in Canada with a Korean Licence’ by Dr Jae Heon Lee of Western University Victoria Hospital in Canada during the Korean Emergency Medical Association (KEMA) congress at the Kim Koo Museum & Library in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on 30 August. (Yonhap)
This trend is partly driven by attractive offers from abroad. In May, Vinmec Hospital, part of Vietnam’s Vin Group, advertised positions for Korean doctors with a 44-hour work week and a monthly salary of 30 million won, terms considered highly favorable.
The interest in overseas practice is particularly pronounced among emergency medicine specialists. At an academic conference in August, the Korean Emergency Medicine Physicians Association featured talks on practicing medicine in Canada and the United States with a Korean license.
Lee Hyung-min, president of the association, explained, “We organized these lectures for young doctors who feel that practicing emergency medicine in Korea is no longer meaningful due to unfair treatment.”
The root causes of this trend are multifaceted. Long-standing issues such as staff shortages and low reimbursement rates have been exacerbated by recent conflicts between the medical community and the government over healthcare reforms.
One doctor lamented, “It’s not just the ‘bad doctors’ that the public dislikes who are leaving. Even beloved primary care physicians are considering going abroad due to the disheartening situation.”
Another resident pointed out the lack of trust in government policies: “The government talks about medical reform, but the fundamental problem is that there’s so little trust in the government that no one believes what they say anymore.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
