Medical graduates per 100,000 population, 2021: 7.3
Nursing graduates per 100,000 population, 2021: 105.2
Source: OECD (2023), Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/7a7afb35-en.
Annual Tuition Fees for a Graduate Degree in Medicine in South Korean Won: KRW 9,843,400
Source: Study Expenses In Korea. National Institute for International Education, Korean Ministry of Education. Last accessed April 9, 2025.
Graduate Tuition Fee Per Semester, Professional Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul National University (2015): 5,340,000 Korean Won ($3,828.81 USD at rate of 0.0007 RKW per USD accessed Sept. 14, 2022).
Source: Seoul National University. Academic Resources: Registration. Last accessed Sept. 14, 2022.
“There are 40 medical colleges or schools in the Republic of Korea. Medical students have to fulfill four years of medical education on top of either a two-year premedical course or a four-year bachelor’s degree. The quality of medical education is assured by the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation (KIMEE). After obtaining a license to practice as a doctor, almost all new doctors start further training to be a medical specialist. To apply for the qualification test for medical specialists, a one-year internship and four-year residency in a specialty (three years for family doctors) are required.
“The hospitals or institutes for further medical training are designated by the Minister of Health and Welfare. Following recent advancements in medical knowledge, many associations of specialist doctors offer certifications of subspecialties to qualified specialists. The certification of subspecialty is valid for five years and subject to revalidation to ensure medical competency.”
Source: World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Western Pacific. (2015). Republic of Korea health system review. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
“To become a nurse, nursing students have to fulfill either three or four yours of nursing education. Recently, some nursing departments that once provided three-year nursing education have upgraded themselves to provide four-year nursing education. The quality of nursing education is assessed by the Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education (KABONE).
“KABONE also designates and evaluates educational institutes for nursing specialists and manages their qualification test. Nurses who have practice experience of at least three years and who have completed a designated education programme for nursing specialists are eligible for the test. The nursing specialist system was first introduced in 2002 with specialties in anaesthetic, public health, home health-care and mental health nursing. Seven specialties including infection control, hospice, and oncology nursing were added to the first batch of nursing specializations in 2006. As of 2012, about 12,800 nurses were qualified as nursing specialists in 13 specialties.”
Source: World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Western Pacific. (2015). Republic of Korea health system review. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
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Page last updated April 9, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.