Types of Korean Medical Specialties and Subspecialties
Struggling to find the right doctor, clinic, or hospital for your medical needs? Understanding the role of specialists in Korean health care may help you get closer to your goal. Keep reading to learn what specialties may exist in the Korean medical system.
- What is a Medical Specialist (의학 전문의, Medical Doctor Specialist)?
- Korean Health Care is Founded on Specialists
- Logic Behind the Structure of Korean Medical Specialties
- Types of Korean Specialties and Subspecialties
- Western Medical Specialties that Don’t Exist in Korea
- Let Us Know What We Can Add or Clarify
What is a Medical Specialist (의학 전문의, Medical Doctor Specialist)?
When navigating healthcare in Korea, it’s important to understand the distinction between medical specialists, allied health professionals, and hospital departments. A medical specialist (전문의) is a fully licensed doctor who has completed medical school, passed national licensing exams, and undergone years of additional residency and fellowship training in a specific field such as cardiology, rheumatology, or dermatology. These specialists hold the legal authority to diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, perform surgeries, and issue official medical documents. They represent the highest level of clinical authority within the system, and their titles are regulated by the Korean Medical Association and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Korean Health Care is Founded on Specialists
Korea’s healthcare system relies heavily on specialists rather than generalists. This is distinct from many Western healthcare systems that prioritize primary care through general practitioners (GPs). In Korea, for example, patients can typically visit specialists directly without needing a referral from a GP. Again, this contrasts heavily with countries like the UK or Canada, where generalists often serve as gatekeepers to more specialized care.
The Korean system is efficient for addressing specific conditions quickly. The system gives patients direct access to specialists, such as orthopedic surgeons or cardiologists, for their medical needs. In short, it speeds up the healthcare process.
Specialists and the Korean National Insurance
The widespread use of specialists in Korea is facilitated by its single-payer healthcare system and the emphasis on hospital-based care. Many large hospitals offer a full range of specialized services. This structure allows patients to access specialized care more rapidly. It also means that you will not find generalist options. Instead, you need to know the exact specialist you require when searching for medical care.
Finding the right specialist in Korea can be frustrating for three reasons: 1) it’s difficult to find the correct Korean term for the specialist, 2) Korean specializations often differ from their Western counterparts, and 3) some Western specialties don’t exist in Korea. That’s why our team created this blog post, along with other posts. You need to understand Korean medical specialties when searching for the right care.
Logic Behind the Structure of Korean Medical Specialties
The foundational logic behind how Korea organizes its medical specialties stems from a combination of its 1)healthcare system’s structure, 2) medical education, and 3) patient care priorities. Korea’s universal healthcare system emphasizes efficiency and cost-effectiveness, which influences how specialties are categorized and delivered.
Healthcare System’s Structure
Instead of focusing on highly specific fields like podiatry or sleep medicine, Korea integrates these services into broader specialties. For example: internal medicine, orthopedics, or rehabilitation medicine. This approach helps streamline healthcare, particularly given the country’s single-payer system. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) reimburses hospitals for treatments, often prioritizing widespread or common specialties that affect large populations. For example: cardiology and oncology.
Medical Education
Additionally, the Korean medical education system shapes specialty distribution. Medical students undergo rigorous training with most opting for broader specialties like internal medicine, psychiatry, or surgery. Such specialties cover a wide array of conditions and can address niche issues within larger categories. For example, neurologists or psychiatrists typically manage sleep disorders rather than through a distinct sleep medicine field. Similarly, foot issues are often handled by orthopedic surgeons or dermatologists rather than podiatrists.
Patient Care Priorities
This system works well in Korea because it aligns with the high demand for care in generalist fields and the need to manage costs within the public health insurance system, which covers most citizens but caps reimbursement rates to control expenses.
For more on this, you can check out resources from the World Health Organization’s review or other analyses of Korea’s healthcare structure.
Types of Korean Specialties and Subspecialties
Here’s a table of common medical specialties in South Korea, what they treat, symptoms that might lead to a visit to these specialists and additional subspecialties.
| Korean Specialty (Hangeul) | Specialty | What They Treat | Common Symptoms/Reasons for Visit (Korean) | Additional Subspecialties (Hangeul) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 내과 (Naegwa) | Internal Medicine | General health, chronic illnesses (e.g., hypertension, diabetes) | 피로 (Fatigue), 지속적인 기침 (Persistent cough), 발열 (Fever), 소화 불량 (Digestive issues), 고혈압 (Hypertension), 당뇨 관리 (Diabetes management) | *소화기내과 (Gastroenterology) *순환기내과 (Cardiology) * 호흡기내과 (Pulmonology) *내분비내과 (Endocrinology) *류마티스내과 (rheumatology internal medicine) |
| 외과 (Oegwa) | General Surgery | Surgical conditions, including trauma and infections | 복통 (Abdominal pain), 부상 (Injuries), 종양 (Lumps or masses), 충수염 (Appendicitis), 탈장 (Hernias), 감염 (Infections needing surgery) | *혈관외과 (Vascular Surgery) *대장항문외과 (Colorectal Surgery) *흉부외과 (Thoracic Surgery) |
| 피부과 (Pibugwa) | Dermatology | Skin, hair, and nail conditions | 여드름 (Acne), 습진 (Eczema), 건선 (Psoriasis), 탈모 (Hair loss), 피부 발진 (Skin rashes), 의심되는 점 (Suspicious moles) | *미용피부과 (Cosmetic Dermatology) *소아피부과 (Pediatric Dermatology), *피부병리과 (Dermatopathology) |
| 정형외과 (Jeonghyeong Oegwa) | Orthopedics | Musculoskeletal system, bones, joints, ligaments | 관절 통증 (Joint pain), 골절 (Fractures), 관절염 (Arthritis), 허리 통증 (Back pain), 스포츠 부상 (Sports injuries) | *스포츠의학 (Sports Medicine) *척추외과 (Spine Surgery) *소아정형외과 (Pediatric Orthopedics) |
| 신경과 (Singyeonggwa) | Neurology | Nervous system disorders, brain and spinal cord diseases | 만성 두통 (Chronic headaches), 발작 (Seizures), 어지럼증 (Dizziness), 무기력증 (Weakness), 기억력 문제 (Memory problems) | *뇌졸중 클리닉 (Stroke Care) *간질 클리닉 (Epilepsy) *신경퇴행성 질환 (Neurodegenerative Diseases) |
| 소아청소년과 (Soa Cheongsonyeon-gwa) | Pediatrics | Children’s health and development | 성장 지연 (Delayed growth), 발열 (Fever), 감기 (Colds), 발진 (Rashes), 소화 불량 (Digestive issues), 예방 접종 (Vaccinations) | *신생아과 (Neonatology) *소아심장과 (Pediatric Cardiology) *소아내분비과 (Pediatric Endocrinology) |
| 산부인과 (Sanbuingwa) | Obstetrics and Gynecology | Female reproductive health, pregnancy care | 생리 불순 (Irregular periods), 임신 관리 (Pregnancy care), 생리통 (Menstrual pain), 골반 통증 (Pelvic pain) | *부인종양학 (Gynecologic Oncology) *생식내분비학 (Reproductive Endocrinology) *모성태아의학 (Maternal-Fetal Medicine) |
| 이비인후과 (Ibinu-gwa) | ENT (Otolaryngology) | Ear, nose, and throat disorders | 청력 손실 (Hearing loss), 코막힘 (Nasal congestion), 인후통 (Sore throat), 어지럼증 (Dizziness), 이명 (Tinnitus) | *코성형과 (Rhinology) *소아 이비인후과 (Pediatric ENT) *두경부외과 (Head and Neck Surgery) |
| 안과 (Angwa) | Ophthalmology | Eye disorders and vision care | 시력 저하 (Vision loss), 눈의 통증 (Eye pain), 눈 건조증 (Dry eyes), 시야 흐림 (Blurry vision), 결막염 (Conjunctivitis) | *망막과 (Retina) *녹내장 (Glaucoma) *소아안과 (Pediatric Ophthalmology) |
| 정신건강의학과 (Jeongsingeongang Uihakgwa) | Psychiatry | Mental health disorders | 우울증 (Depression), 불안 (Anxiety), 수면 문제 (Sleep problems), 집중력 문제 (Attention problems) | *소아정신과 (Child Psychiatry) *중독정신과 (Addiction Psychiatry) *노인정신과 (Geriatric Psychiatry) |
Western Medical Specialties that Don’t Exist in Korea
If you come from countries in the West, you may notice that many common Western medical specialties aren’t included in the above table. This is because Korea’s medical system often integrates care into a broader range of specialties rather than offering narrowly defined fields like rheumatology, podiatry, geriatrics, or sleep medicine. Let’s get into what this means for you when you are looking for care. Especially if you arrive in South Korea with a diagnosis and you need to find treatment.
Just because Korea doesn’t have the same medical specialties, it doesn’t mean hospitals don’t have departments and doctors who treat such diseases. That’s because a “medical specialty” exists as a different concept from a medical department. For example, Korean hospitals have rheumatology departments staffed with the various Korean medical specialists required to treat the associated illnesses. They have the medical department, but they don’t have a Rheumatologist who treats all aspects of the illness in the same way Western medicine does.
We realize the nuance may not feel important now, but it can feel VERY important when trying to coordinate complex care and understanding why experience is so much different from your home country. For example, in Korea, you may need to visit a variety of different medical specialists or allied care providers, but in your country. This can feel frustrating when you used to only have one care provider for the issue. Additionally, you may visit a rheumatology internal medicine (류마티스내과) doctor only to find they can’t treat the issues, your Rheumatologist and you actually needed a different type of specialist.
To better understand how the missing Western specialties integrate into the Korean specialties, read the South of Seoul blog post: Western Medical Specialties That Don’t Exist in Korean Medicine.
Let Us Know What We Can Add or Clarify
Creating blog posts like this is extremely complicated. We know that people from different cultural backgrounds will read this blog post and understand it differently. It’s a work in progress as we attempt to explain a very nuanced topic. Reader feedback has already helped us to improve the explanation with better examples and helped us find new aspects of the hidden culture within the Korean medical system.
Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences.
South of Seoul
Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul's information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Blogs published under the authorship of "South of Seoul" include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences.
