Health in South Korea

The cancer treatment in South Korea is regarded to be one of the best in the world with South Korea also having the highest cancer survival rate.[7][8]

Suicide in South Korea is a serious and widespread problem. The suicide rate was the highest in the OECD in 2012 (29.1 deaths per 100,000 people).[9] Lithuania is ranked first, but is not an OECD member state as of September 2016.[10]

According to the WHO in 2015, the age standardized prevalence of tobacco smoking in the Republic of South Korea is 49.8%.[11] Starting on January 1, 2015, the Ministry of Health banned smoking in cafés, restaurants, and bars.[12] Facilities, such as government offices, public institutions, public transport facilities and schools have become smoke-free zones.[12] In 1986, the Republic of Korea mandated tobacco manufactures to include warnings on cigarette packages.[12] The violation against the smoke policy include a fine, which is less than 100 thousand won.[13]

South Korea is No. 1 in hard liquor consumption in the world

According to the World Health Organization, South Koreans rank No. 28 in alcohol consumption over all (2015) and No. 22 in the OECD (2013).[14][15] According to Euromonitor data, it is number 1 in hard-liquor consumption (2013).[16][17][18] Age-standardized death rate of liver cirrhosis for male in South Korea is 20.6% of which 70.5% is attributed to alcohol.[19] Prevalence of alcohol use disorders (including alcohol dependence and harmful use of alcohol) is 10.3% of male in South Korea, more than twice of 4.6% of Western Pacific Region.[19]

An outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) occurred in South Korea in May 2015 by a Korean who visited the Middle East and carried the MERS virus to Korea. Seven months later, the government officially declared that the outbreak was over.[20]

South Korea near bottom of world survey of air quality

   Very Unhealthy

   Unhealthy

   Unhealthy for sensitive groups

   Moderate

  Good

According to the Environmental Performance Index 2016, South Korea ranked 173rd out of 180 countries in terms of air quality. More than 50 percent of the populations in South Korea exposed to dangerous levels of fine dust.[21]

South Korea ranks last place among OECD countries for tuberculosis. Its three major indexes: incidence rate, prevalence rate and death rate are the worst among the OECD countries since 1996 when South Korea became a member of OECD.[22]

2014 Tuberculosis statistics - OECD (per 100,000 person) [22]

Rank	Incidence rate		Prevalence rate		Death rate
	Country	Value	Country	Value	Country	Value
1	South Korea	86.0	South Korea	101.0	South Korea	3.8
2	Portugal	25.0	Portugal	29.0	Estonia	2.1
3	Mexico  Poland	21.0	Mexico	27.0	Japan	1.8
	Average	12.0	Average	14.8	Average	0.7

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, chronic illness account for the majority of diseases in South Korea, a condition exacerbated by the health care system’s focus on treatment rather than prevention. The incidence of chronic disease in South Korea hovers around 24 percent. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) rate of prevalence at the end of 2003 was less than 0.1 percent. In 2001 central government expenditures on health care accounted for about 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).[23] South Korea is experiencing a growing elderly population, which leads to an increase in chronic degenerative diseases. The proportion of the population over 65 is expected to rise from 13% in 2014 to 38% in 2050. Majority of health care professionals treat patients on curative, rather than preventive treatments, because of the lack of financial incentives for preventive treatments.[24]

There are regional disparities between urban and rural areas for health professionals. The number of primary care doctors in cities is 37.3% higher than in rural areas, and the problem is growing because younger physicians are choosing to practice in the cities.[25]