🇰🇷 South Korea · Specialist Physician
From KRW 174M / yr (≈$120K USD) by industry
Mean salary — KRW 174M / yr (≈$120K USD).
KRW 174M / yr (≈$120K USD)
💰 Pay spread — by industry / specialty
The mean is the headline; the spread is what matters.
350,000,000 KRW
Plastic Surgery (Gangnam private clinic)
Gangnam non-insured care — wide variance
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
240,000,000 KRW
Orthopedics (Spine)
High share of non-insured procedures
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
220,000,000 KRW
Ophthalmology (LASIK)
LASIK / cataract non-insured
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
170,000,000 KRW
Internal Medicine (Univ. hospital)
Professor track
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
🗺️ The path — stage by stage
- 1. Pre-med + Med school (6 yr) — Top 1% CSAT entry
- 2. KMLE (Medical Licensing Exam) (— yr) — Taken in 4th year
- 3. Internship (1 yr) — 1 year at training hospital
- 4. Residency (4 yr) — Specialty choice — popular vs avoided
- 5. Board certification (— yr) — Pass specialist board exam
- 6. Employed / private practice (— yr) — Hospital employment vs private practice
📝 Licensing exam
KMLE + Specialist Board Exam
KMLE in 4th year → 1-yr Internship → 4-yr Residency → Specialist Board.
🏛️ Top schools
| School | Location | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul National University Medical School | Jongno-gu, Seoul | Top clinical + research in Korea |
| Yonsei Medical School (Severance) | Seodaemun-gu, Seoul | Top private |
| Sungkyunkwan Medical School (Samsung) | Gangnam-gu, Seoul | Samsung Seoul Medical Center |
| Ulsan Medical School (Asan) | Songpa-gu, Seoul | Asan Medical Center |
| Catholic University Medical School | Seocho-gu, Seoul | Catholic Medical Center |
🟠 Tier 3 — context only
🩺 Apprenticeship / Residency
Internship + Residency (4-5 yr)
1-yr Internship + 3-4-yr Residency at training hospitals. 80-hr/week cap (post-reform).
💵 Specialties — same title, different number
| Specialty / Industry | Mean / yr | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic Surgery (Gangnam private clinic) | 350,000,000 KRW | Gangnam non-insured care — wide variance |
| Orthopedics (Spine) | 240,000,000 KRW | High share of non-insured procedures |
| Ophthalmology (LASIK) | 220,000,000 KRW | LASIK / cataract non-insured |
| Internal Medicine (Univ. hospital) | 170,000,000 KRW | Professor track |
| Pediatrics | 110,000,000 KRW | Reimbursement uplift planned |
🏢 Employer types — base vs total comp
Private clinic owner
High income variance — business risk
Hospital-employed physician
Stable salary + incentives
University hospital professor
Lower salary + research/teaching
📈 Income across years
Resident — Year 1
50,000,000 KRW
1 yr
Resident — Year 4
70,000,000 KRW
4 yr
Specialist (employed)
150,000,000 KRW
5+ yr
5 yr after opening clinic
220,000,000 KRW
10+ yr
📚 Go deeper
Four sub-pages — gift, vision, path, history.