South Korean Residents Face Intense Workloads Despite Reforms

Recent surveys reveal that medical residents in South Korea continue to work exceptionally long hours, despite ongoing efforts to improve their training environments and limit working hours. A latest report highlights persistent challenges related to workload, training quality, and patient safety concerns.

Persistent Overwork Among Residents

A survey conducted in January 2026 by the Korean Residents’ Association (KRA) found that the average working week for residents is 70.5 hours, with a median of 72 hours. This remains a high level, despite a slight decrease from 77.7 hours in 2022. Notably, 27.1% of respondents reported working more than 80 hours per week on average over the past four weeks. First and second-year residents are particularly affected, with 31.8% and 44.4% respectively, exceeding the legal 80-hour limit.

Limited Protected Training Time

The KRA survey also revealed a significant lack of protected training time, crucial for residents to participate in core educational activities without being burdened by clinical duties. Residents averaged only 4.1 hours (median 2 hours) of protected time per week, with 28.0% reporting no dedicated training time at all. This raises concerns that the current system prioritizes labor over training, necessitating legislative action to establish minimum standards for protected learning hours.

Challenges with Specialist Supervision

Direct education from supervising specialists averaged 4.5 hours per week (median 2 hours). However, limitations within the specialist supervision system were frequently cited. Over half (53.8%) of residents reported that specialist designations were merely formal, lacking actual training and guidance. 43.1% indicated insufficient training time due to the supervising specialists’ own heavy clinical workloads, and 25.4% noted a lack of feedback and evaluation.

Impact on Well-being and Patient Safety

The demanding workload is taking a toll on residents’ well-being. A substantial 77.2% reported a deterioration in their health due to work. 32.7% indicated that colleagues taking maternity leave increased their work burden. Alarmingly, 12.2% of residents reported incidents that harmed patients during their training, and 4.2% experienced medical accidents or disputes. Concerns about potential medical-legal issues are widespread, with 76.4% feeling anxious about being embroiled in disputes and 78.1% admitting to practicing defensive medicine, potentially impacting clinical decision-making. A significant 75.4% stated that these concerns influence their choice of medical specialty or future career plans.

Legislative Efforts to Address Work Hours

Recent legislative changes have attempted to address the issue of long working hours for medical residents. In 2025, a law passed the National Assembly limiting medical residents to a maximum of 80 hours per week, with continuous working hours capped at 36 hours [1]. However, the KRA argues that further improvements are needed to address the structural problems contributing to overwork.

Future Directions

KRA Chairman Han Seong-john emphasized the require for policy discussions to improve the training environment, including shortening working hours, establishing a replacement manpower system, strengthening the specialist supervision system, and providing enhanced mental health support for residents. These changes are crucial to ensure the well-being of future physicians and maintain the quality of patient care in South Korea.