Korea needed 119 pediatric residents. Only 2 applied.
In 3 lines
- A second recruitment round for 119 pediatric resident spots drew just 2 applicants (0.02 : 1).
- Even major hospital groups such as Catholic Medical Center and Korea University Medical Center couldn't fill seats.
- Korean netizens are split: "parents' complaints and lawsuits" vs "the pay structure is broken".
Pediatric residency, extra round119 spots
2 applicants0.02 : 1
2 applicants0.02 : 1
Why Koreans care
Parents in Korea already line up before opening hours at pediatric clinics ("open-run"), and night-time children's ERs are scarce. This number suggests the next generation of pediatricians is close to zero.
What netizens are saying
Nobody wants the job because of constant complaints and lawsuits from parents.
It's not only about money — residents should be recruited by specialty.
Expanding medical school quotas means nothing if no one chooses pediatrics.
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Sources
- MBC News Desk (Oct 29, 2026) — original report (Korean)
- theqoo (Oct 29, 10:45, 1,796 views) — original thread (Korean)
- Reactions are paraphrased summaries of comments across several Korean communities; no original text or images are reproduced.
Comments
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