National university hospital bed occupancy stuck at 56.4%, surgeries still below 2023
Version 2: Two more business outlets, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo, have now reported the same health ministry data, adding 2021 and 2022 surgery totals and a slightly different rounding of the average occupancy drop; no already-reported fact changed.
In short
Average bed occupancy at South Korea's nine national university hospitals was 56.4% in both 2024 and last year, down from 73.6% in 2023, according to data Rep. Seo Mi-hwa obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Surgeries at ten national university hospitals including Seoul National University Hospital fell 33.6% in 2024 and were still 24.5% below 2023 last year. Chungbuk National University Hospital recorded the largest occupancy drop, 29.8 percentage points, to 47.4%.
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Bed occupancy at South Korea's nine national university hospitals remained more than 17 percentage points below its 2023 level, according to data Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Mi-hwa of the National Assembly health and welfare committee obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The average rate fell from 73.6% in 2023 to 56.4% in 2024 and stayed at 56.4% last year, the reports said — meaning more than four in ten beds were empty. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Chungbuk National University Hospital recorded the largest fall among the nine, from 77.2% in 2023 to 47.4%, a drop of 29.8 percentage points. Gyeongsang National University Hospital fell 22.5 percentage points to 52.9%, Kyungpook National University Hospital 20.4 percentage points to 53.5%, Chonnam National University Hospital 19.3 percentage points and Kangwon National University Hospital 17.0 percentage points. Jeju National University Hospital was the only one still above 70%, going from 80.7% in 2023 to 72.2% in 2024 and 72.0% last year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Surgery volumes fell as well. At ten national university hospitals including Seoul National University Hospital, operations dropped from 193,213 in 2023 to 128,231 in 2024, a 33.6% decline, and stood at 145,810 last year, still 24.5% below 2023. Through the end of June this year the total was 89,804. Newsis added that the hospitals performed 194,896 operations in 2021 and 189,317 in 2022. Busan National University Hospital had the steepest fall, 37.6%, from 22,417 operations in 2023 to 13,991 last year, followed by Chungbuk National University Hospital at 37.4%, Kyungpook at 32.6%, Chonnam at 30.1% and Kangwon at 27.4%. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Yonhap, reporting from Cheongju, also put Chungbuk National University Hospital's occupancy rate at 47.4%, down 29.8 percentage points from 77.2% in 2023 and the biggest drop among the nine hospitals. It reported the hospital's surgery counts as 13,368 in 2023, 8,027 in 2024 and 8,373 last year. [ 2 ]
Seo said the hospitals' treatment capacity, weakened by the medical-political conflict and gaps in regional care, must be restored quickly. “The health ministry should strengthen practical support measures, including expanding staffing and the clinical base, so that national university hospitals can fully play their role as core public medical institutions responsible for severe, emergency and essential care in their regions,” she said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
National university hospitals are the main public providers of severe, emergency and essential care outside the capital region, and the reports noted concerns that shrinking admissions and operations could weaken regional essential-care capacity even as the dispute moves toward resolution. The reports added that the hospitals' own emergency-management measures have not been enough to restore volumes. Oversight of the hospitals moved from the education ministry to the health ministry in August, after the health ministry announced a plan in June to strengthen their treatment, research, education and public-policy functions. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
National university hospitals are the main public providers of severe, emergency and essential care outside the capital region, so a prolonged drop in admissions and operations affects access to treatment regionally. Oversight of the hospitals moved from the education ministry to the health ministry in August, after the health ministry announced a plan in June to strengthen their treatment, research, education and public-policy functions, making their recovery a stated task for the ministry.
Key facts
- The average bed occupancy rate at nine national university hospitals fell from 73.6% in 2023 to 56.4% in 2024 and stayed at 56.4% last year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Chungbuk National University Hospital's occupancy rate dropped 29.8 percentage points, from 77.2% in 2023 to 47.4%, the largest fall among the nine hospitals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Surgery counts at ten national university hospitals including Seoul National University Hospital fell from 193,213 in 2023 to 128,231 in 2024, a 33.6% decline, and stood at 145,810 last year, 24.5% below 2023. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Through the end of June this year, surgery counts at the ten hospitals totalled 89,804. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Busan National University Hospital had the largest surgery decline, 37.6%, from 22,417 operations in 2023 to 13,991 last year. [ 1 ]
- The figures come from data Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Mi-hwa of the National Assembly health and welfare committee obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Seo called for restoring the hospitals' treatment capacity and for the ministry to expand staffing and clinical infrastructure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Oversight of national university hospitals moved from the education ministry to the health ministry in August, after the health ministry announced a support plan for them in June. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The average bed occupancy rate at nine national university hospitals fell from 73.6% in 2023 to 56.4% in 2024 and remained at 56.4% last year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Chungbuk National University Hospital's occupancy rate fell 29.8 percentage points, from 77.2% in 2023 to 47.4%, the largest drop among the nine hospitals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Surgery counts at ten national university hospitals including Seoul National University Hospital fell from 193,213 in 2023 to 128,231 in 2024, a 33.6% decline, and were 145,810 last year, 24.5% below 2023. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The data was obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Mi-hwa from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Seo said the hospitals' treatment capacity must be restored and that the health ministry should expand staffing and clinical infrastructure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Jeju National University Hospital was the only one of the nine with occupancy above 70%, at 72.0% last year, down from 80.7% in 2023. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the average occupancy rate fell 17.3 or 17.2 percentage points between 2023 and 2024. Asia Economy puts the two-year drop at 17.3 percentage points while Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo report 17.2 percentage points; the underlying rates are the same in all three.
- How much of the decline in admissions and surgeries is attributable specifically to the medical-political conflict. The documents attribute the drop to the conflict but give no breakdown or causal data and examine no other factors.
- Whether the health ministry's June support plan has been funded or implemented. Only one document mentions the plan and the August transfer of oversight, without budget, measures in force or implementation dates.
- Whether treatment volumes will recover this year. Surgery figures are reported only through the end of June and no target or forecast is given.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes the national data on bed occupancy and surgery counts at national university hospitals. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports from Cheongju that Chungbuk National University Hospital's occupancy rate fell to 47.4%, the largest drop among the nine hospitals. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports the same health ministry data, adding 2021 and 2022 surgery totals for the ten hospitals. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the data, leading with the national occupancy and surgery declines. [ 4 ]