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Korea’s Rural Healthcare System on the Brink: A Call for Decentralization and Long-Term Investment
By Dr.Michael Lee,World-Today-News.com – November 8, 2023
Korea’s rapidly aging population and a dwindling healthcare workforce are creating a crisis in local medical care, especially in rural provinces like Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongbuk, and Gangwon-do, where over 20% of the population is now over 65. While the nation as a whole surpassed a 20% elderly demographic last December, these regions are already classified as “ultra-aging” societies. this demographic shift, coupled with a pronounced urban flight of medical professionals – doctors, pharmacists, and emergency medical technicians – threatens the very foundation of healthcare access for millions.
Simply increasing the number of medical school slots, a frequently proposed solution, is a short
