April 2, 2025
SEOUL – South Koreans on average visit local medical clinics 18 times a year, far exceeding those in other similar countries, a recent report showed.
The report on South Koreans’ health care usage found that the average number of annual outpatient visits per capita reached 18 in 2023. This figure is almost three times the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average of 6.4 in 2022.
While outpatient visits included consultations for traditional Korean medicine, it excluded dental visits, according to the Health Ministry.
Split by gender, men had 17.4 outpatient care visits per year, while women had 21.9.
The report also revealed that the number of visits generally increased with age. Those aged 20 to 24 had single-digit outpatient visits of 8.9 on average, while those in the 75-79 age group recorded an average 40.9 visits per year.
Health researchers explained that outpatient care among older people is expected to increase further, as the country has already started to transition into a superaged society.
Based on the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases, musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, which include arthritis and osteoporosis, were the biggest reasons for Koreans visiting the local hospitals.
In 2023, the average number of dental outpatient treatments per capita reached 1.7. This is also higher than the 2022 OECD average of 1, according to the ministry’s report.
Despite the increase in outpatient visits, patients’ satisfaction level slightly decreased from 83.4 percent in 2023 to 82.5 percent last year.
Major reasons behind such disappointment were insufficient consultation time, limited opportunity to voice concerns and difficulties in understanding the doctor’s explanations.
The proportion of patients who felt they were treated with respect declined from 95.5 percent in 2023 to 93.4 percent in 2024.
Meanwhile, the percentage of patients who canceled medical appointments due to financial concerns increased from 1.5 percent to 2.7 percent.
The proportion of medical appointment cancellations among people from the low-income bracket rose from 3.1 percent in 2023 to 6 percent last year.
Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service officials stressed the importance for continuous monitoring to prevent growing inequalities in health care accessibility.