Seoul – The recruitment of resident physicians for the first half of 2025 is facing a severe crisis in South Korea, with securing rates at training hospitals nationwide falling below 10%.

According to data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of February 3, only 1,318 resident doctors were secured out of the 13,531 eligible for appointment. This represents a dismal securing rate of just 9.7%.

The situation is even more dire for interns, with a securing rate of a mere 3.3%. This has raised concerns that the already precarious supply of resident doctors will further deteriorate.

The recruitment crisis is affecting various medical specialties, with radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and rehabilitation medicine reporting the lowest securing rates. Even traditionally popular fields like anesthesiology, dermatology, and internal medicine are struggling to fill their residency positions.

The government has attempted to address the issue by offering training and enlistment privileges to encourage resigned resident doctors to return to work. However, these efforts have yielded minimal results, with most training hospitals receiving only single-digit numbers of applicants.

Despite the government's plan to conduct additional recruitment next week, the ongoing conflict between the medical community and the government casts a shadow over the prospects for resolving the crisis. Experts predict that without a resolution to the conflict, the return of resident doctors remains unlikely.

This shortage of resident doctors is expected to have a significant impact on the quality of healthcare services in South Korea. The government and the medical community are urged to find a swift resolution to this issue to ensure the continued well-being of the nation.

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