While the number of nurses in Korea continues to grow, only about half of licensed nurses are actually working in medical settings, data showed. According to the Korean Nurses Association's analysis of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's "National Nurse Status (2025)" report released Tuesday, approximately 550,000 people held nursing licenses as of last year, but only around 290,000 were actively working at medical institutions, representing just over 50%.
While the issue appears on the surface to be a workforce shortage, experts point out that the bigger problem lies in the "participation rate" rather than the absolute number. A significant portion of licensed nurses leave the field, creating structural and recurring staffing shortages at hospitals.
"Seoul and Major Hospitals Crowded"...Gap of Up to 140 Times
An even more serious issue is the regional disparity. The average number of active nurses per 1,000 people stood at 5.84, but the figure varied from around 0.3 to more than 40 depending on the region — a 140-fold gap.
Urban areas where large tertiary general hospitals are concentrated saw nursing staff heavily clustered. Busan's Seo-gu (47.11), Seoul's Jongno-gu (39.96), Gwangju's Dong-gu (28.79), and Daegu's Jung-gu (25.86) recorded the highest levels in the country. In contrast, in medically underserved areas such as Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province (0.33), Inje County (0.65) and Goseong County (0.82) in Gangwon Province, the number of nurses per 1,000 people was less than one.
Disparities were also evident within the Seoul metropolitan area. Some districts including Seoul's Mapo-gu (1.43) and Gwanak-gu (2.17) fell below the national average.
"The policy paradigm must shift from expanding the number of licensed nurses to settling active personnel in local regions," a Korean Nurses Association official said, urging the government to draw up practical measures.
Regional Doctor System Launches...490 to Be Selected Next Year
Separately, the government has decided to roll out a "regional doctor system" in earnest to address imbalances in medical workforce supply between regions. Starting from the 2027 academic year, 490 students will be selected from 32 medical schools outside Seoul, with the number expanding annually to train nearly 3,000 regional doctors in total by 2031.
Selected students will receive full support for tuition and living expenses, but in exchange must serve for 10 years in designated regions after obtaining their medical licenses. In particular, the system is designed so that training in essential specialties such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics completed in regional areas will be recognized in full as part of the mandatory service period.
The tragedy of a mother in labor who wandered the roads for four hours — why are hospitals trapped in the prison of "defensive medicine"?
