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Regional disparities in essential medical specialists by province. / Source: Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs

The gap in essential medical specialists between the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions has reached nearly fourfold, according to new research.

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) on August 21 found that the capital region averages 1.86 essential medical specialists per 1,000 people, compared with just 0.46 in non-capital regions.

The survey covered eight core specialties: internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, neurology, and neurosurgery. The shortage is attributed to low financial compensation, high workloads, and greater medical liability risks, which have discouraged doctors from pursuing these fields.

By city and province, Seoul had the highest ratio with 3.02 doctors per 1,000 people, followed by Gyeonggi (2.42), Busan (0.81), Daegu (0.59), Incheon (0.55), and South Gyeongsang (0.53). At the bottom were Sejong (0.06), Jeju (0.12), and Ulsan (0.18).

“Despite higher wages offered in regional areas, poor living conditions continue to drive doctors to the capital region,” KIHASA warned, adding that without reforms to the compensation system, the imbalance will worsen.

The institute also warned that maintaining the current medical school enrollment quota of 3,058 students would leave Korea unable to meet growing demand caused by aging and chronic illnesses. “National research institutions project a shortage of about 10,000 doctors by 2035. Expanding the quota is inevitable,” the report said, while stressing that the scale and method of expansion should be negotiated gradually with the medical community.

Currently, Korea has 2.6 clinical doctors (including traditional medicine practitioners) per 1,000 people, well below the OECD average of 3.7. Excluding traditional medicine practitioners, the figure drops to about 2.1—the lowest among OECD countries.