Girl Dies After 3 Hospitals Turn Her Away Amid South Korea's Deepening Doctor Shortage
- A 17-year-old girl died in March 2023 after 3 hospitals turned away her ambulance due to doctor shortages, one of over 3,750 such deaths since 2017
- South Korea has among the fewest doctors per capita globally and the aging population is exacerbating shortages
- President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed increasing medical school enrollment by 2,000 annually to address the crisis, but doctors oppose it
- There's a major disparity in doctor pay and infrastructure between Seoul and other areas, causing shortages outside the capital
- With doctors on strike, wait times for care have worsened, though nearly 80% of Koreans support expanding medical school spots
