Only 113 Pediatric Residents Nationwide: 80% in Seoul, Regional Areas Virtually Empty

Assemblyman Soh Byung-hoon: Number Drops 81% in 5 Years, from 593 in 2021
Zero Pediatric Residents in Six Regions, Including Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Gangwon, Sejong, Jeonnam
52 Out of 61 Training Hospitals Failed to Recruit First-Year Residents La

There are only about 110 pediatric residents working in training hospitals nationwide, and nearly 80% of them are concentrated in Seoul—prompting concerns that the regional pediatric medical workforce has all but collapsed.

According to data titled "Pediatric Resident and Training Status," submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Assemblyman So Byung-hoon of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly on September 29, there are currently 35 first-year, 33 second-year, 35 third-year, and 10 fourth-year pediatric residents working at training hospitals nationwide, totaling 113 residents as of September.

This represents a decrease of 81.0% (or 480 people) over five years, compared to the 593 newly appointed residents in 2021.

Of the total 113 pediatric residents, 89 were undergoing training in Seoul, accounting for 78.8%. Gyeonggi-do had just 2, while Chungnam, Chungbuk, and Jeonbuk each had 1. Ulsan and Jeju each had 2, Daegu had 3, and Gwangju, Daejeon, and Busan each had only 4. Five regions—Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, and Sejong—did not have a single pediatric resident.

Pediatric residents leaving their positions was especially notable during the 2024 medical workforce dispute, which led to a significant medical staffing shortage. At the time, out of 236 pediatric residents nationwide, 194 resigned, resulting in a resignation rate of 82.2%. The breakdown by year was: 59 first-years, 40 second-years, 44 third-years, and 51 fourth-years resigning.

Since then, almost no new residents have entered the field; last year, 52 out of 61 training hospitals nationwide (85.0%) failed to recruit even a single first-year pediatric resident.

In particular, Kyungpook National University Hospital—a major regional national university hospital—had a pediatric resident quota of 3 but received no applicants. Busan National University Hospital (4 positions), Yangsan Busan National University Hospital (6 positions), Jeonbuk National University Hospital (4 positions), Chungbuk National University Hospital (4 positions), Kangwon National University Hospital (2 positions), and Jeju National University Hospital (1 position) also failed to secure any new first-year residents. In contrast, recruitment for new pediatric residents was focused on major hospitals in the metropolitan area, with 10 at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, 8 at Seoul National University Hospital, and 2 at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul.

Problems have also emerged in the government's management system for pediatric specialists—a nationally essential medical field. When Assemblyman So's office requested data on the recruitment and placement of pediatric subspecialty fellows, the Ministry of Health and Welfare replied, "Subspecialty certificates are managed as private credentials by the Korean Medical Association, and we do not possess data on the hiring status of hospitals."

Assemblyman So stated, "Having only 113 pediatric residents nationwide, with 85% of training hospitals unable to recruit even a single new resident, represents not just the collapse of regional pediatric health safety nets but is a national disaster." He emphasized, "It is necessary to implement effective measures, such as providing government funding for pediatric resident training costs and direct fiscal support to maintain employment of pediatric subspecialists."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.