South Korea will reduce the maximum consecutive working hours for medical residents from 36 to 24 hours under a revised law taking effect this week.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Monday that the new limits will be enforced starting May 21, with training hospitals facing fines of 5 million won ($3,600) for violations. Emergency situations will allow extended shifts of up to 28 consecutive hours.
The change follows the December 30 amendment to the Act on the Improvement of Training Conditions and Status of Medical Residents.
The revised law also aligns overtime, night and holiday work rules with the Labor Standards Act. Female residents are now guaranteed maternity leave before and after childbirth, as well as miscarriage leave. Residents returning from parental, medical, or military leave are guaranteed training continuity at their original hospitals in the same specialty.
The government is also recruiting medical institutions through May 27 for a pilot program to reduce weekly working hours from 80 to 72. An additional 8 hours per week will be permitted for emergencies, educational purposes, or patient handovers.
Working conditions have gradually improved since the Resident Physician Act took effect in 2017, but hours remain longer than in advanced economies, the ministry said. Residents averaged 77.7 hours per week according to a 2022 survey by the Korean Intern Resident Association.
The ministry plans to issue training guidelines to hospitals covering weekly and consecutive training hour limits, average weekly on-call days, and measures to ensure training continuity. A comprehensive plan for improving resident status will be established every five years.