SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of cancer surgeries decreased significantly in the first five months after a junior doctors’ strike began in February, data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) showed Monday. Between February and June, the number of patients who underwent cancer surgeries at upper-class general hospitals nationwide [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — President Yoon Suk Yeol is open to readjusting the country’s medical school admission quota for 2026 and would welcome it if a negotiating panel is formed between the rival parties, the government and the medical community to discuss the issue, an official said Friday. The position raises hope for [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – A fierce “recruitment war” is unfolding across South Korea as hospitals scramble to staff their emergency rooms, highlighting a growing crisis in the country’s healthcare system. Some hospitals are offering annual salaries of up to 400 million won for emergency medicine specialists, yet still struggle to fill positions. The situation [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – The health ministry on Wednesday began deploying military doctors and public physicians to hospital emergency rooms suffering from staff shortages, but concerns about further disruptions to the health care system have grown, officials said. The government deployed 15 military doctors to assist in emergency rooms of five hospitals, including [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — In a move that has been hailed as historic by some and met with apprehension by others, South Korea’s National Assembly passed a new nursing law on August 28, ending a 19-year wait for legislation specifically governing the nursing profession. The law, which is set to take effect within nine [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — In a stark contradiction to government assurances, a coalition of medical school professors in South Korea has painted a grim picture of the nation’s healthcare system, claiming that many emergency rooms are already unable to provide normal care. The group asserts that punishing those responsible for the healthcare breakdown and [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Monday tried to soothe concerns about hospital emergency rooms, as some doctors have warned of a potential disruption of emergency care due to a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. “Although there are some difficulties, we believe that emergency rooms are capable of maintaining operations,” [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — With a protracted dispute between the medical community and the government continuing to strain South Korea’s healthcare system, emergency physicians are increasingly looking abroad for better working conditions and professional opportunities. At a recent academic conference held by the Korean Emergency Physicians Association (KEPA) in Seoul, sessions on practicing medicine [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – The resignation rate among resident physicians in South Korea has surged to 73% in just over a month, according to recent data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This dramatic increase highlights the escalating tension in the country’s healthcare sector, with certain specialties experiencing even higher rates of attrition. [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – As South Korea’s healthcare system grapples with a six-month-long medical vacuum, emergency rooms are preparing for a potential overflow during the upcoming Chuseok holiday. The convergence of COVID-19 cases, heat-related illnesses, and the traditional holiday rush is raising concerns about the capacity of already strained emergency services. The Ministry of [...]