# Korea medical dispute mediation statistics

> Korea’s medical dispute mediation statistics come from the yearbook of the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency, which counts applications, commenced cases and outcomes each year.

Korea Patient Rights Guide shows the yearly counts with the edition and reference date once they are confirmed, and labels every rate it calculates.

Written by the Korea Patient Rights Guide editorial team on October 22, 2026. Canonical address: https://kpatientrights.org/statistics/annual-overview.

## How many medical dispute mediations are filed in Korea each year?

The yearly count is published in the agency’s statistical yearbook and appears in the table below once the edition is confirmed.

An application is counted in the year it is received. A case that was received in December and commenced in January therefore appears in two different years depending on which column you read.

(Data table: to be filled after the reference date is confirmed)

## What share of medical dispute mediations end in agreement?

The agreement rate is the number of concluded cases divided by the number of cases that actually went through mediation, calculated by Korea Patient Rights Guide.

Some yearbooks also publish their own agreement rate with a different denominator. When the two differ, both are shown and the denominator of each is written in the caption.

(Data table: to be filled after the reference date is confirmed)

## How does mediation compare with the other medical dispute routes?

Mediation is one of several routes. The table compares who runs each route, whether both sides must agree and what the result means legally.

**Medical dispute routes in Korea compared (law in force on 22 October 2026)**

| Route | Run by | How it starts | Legal time frame | Effect of the result |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mediation | Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency | Respondent agrees within 14 days, or automatic start for death, coma or severe disability | Decision within 90 days of commencement, extendable once by 30 days | If both sides accept: same effect as a court settlement (Medical Dispute Mediation Act, Art. 36) |
| Arbitration | Same agency (mediation panel) | Both sides agree in writing to follow the panel’s final decision; can be requested during mediation | Set by the act and the Arbitration Act | Award has the same effect as a final court judgment (Art. 44) |
| Consumer damage relief | Korea Consumer Agency and its Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee | Damage relief application by the consumer | Referred to the committee if no agreement within 30 days (medical cases can be extended up to 60 days); committee decides within 30 days | If both sides accept the committee’s mediation: same effect as a court settlement (Framework Act on Consumers, Art. 67) |
| Civil lawsuit | Court | Filing a claim; mediation is not required first (Art. 40) | No time frame set by the mediation act | Final judgment |

## How are medical dispute statistics collected?

The numbers come from the public body’s own case records; Korea Patient Rights Guide only downloads, standardises and tabulates them.

Each application is registered by the agency when it is received, and its stage and outcome are recorded as the case moves on. The yearbook publishes the totals. Korea Patient Rights Guide downloads the yearbook tables, keeps the agency’s own category names and stores a dated snapshot.

## How has the number of medical dispute mediations changed?

The trend is shown once the time series is filled in. Changes in the law and in how the agency counts cases both move the line, so years are compared with the yearbook notes at hand.

## How does Korea Patient Rights Guide calculate rates?

Rates and shares are calculated by Korea Patient Rights Guide from the published counts; the published counts are never edited.

The commencement rate is commenced cases divided by applications received in the same year. The agreement rate is concluded cases divided by commenced cases.

Every calculated column is labelled “site calculation” in the table caption. Rounding is applied only on screen, so a rate in the downloadable snapshot can differ from the rounded figure by one unit in the last digit.

## What can medical dispute statistics not tell you?

They count applications and how they ended. They cannot tell you whether a particular treatment was negligent or how your own case will end.

- Applications are not the same as medical accidents; most disputes never reach the agency.
- A case received in one year may end in the next, so yearly counts of applications and outcomes do not match one to one.
- The statistics say nothing about the quality of any institution or doctor.

Reference information only. Korea Patient Rights Guide is not a law firm and does not assess individual cases. Whether a case can be mediated, which deadline applies and what it may cost should be confirmed with the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency or a qualified lawyer.

## What basis are these numbers on?

| Data | Reference date | Site calculation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KMDRA yearbook: applications and outcomes | To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | Commencement rate = commenced ÷ received; agreement rate = concluded ÷ commenced |

## What else do people ask about medical dispute mediation statistics?

### How many medical dispute mediations are filed in Korea each year?

The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency publishes the yearly count in its statistical yearbook. Korea Patient Rights Guide shows it with the edition and reference date once confirmed.

### Does a high number of applications mean Korean hospitals are unsafe?

No. Applications depend on how much care is provided, how well people know the agency and changes in the law. They are not a measure of safety.

### What is the difference between commenced and received?

A case is received when the application is filed. It is commenced when mediation actually starts, which usually needs the other side to take part.

### Where can I download the original yearbook?

From the agency’s website. The link is in the sources section of this page.

### When is the next yearbook published?

The agency publishes its yearbook once a year. Korea Patient Rights Guide updates this page when a new edition is released.

## What should you read next?

- [How does medical dispute mediation work in Korea?](https://kpatientrights.org/articles/mediation-procedure)
- [Can medical dispute mediation start if the hospital refuses?](https://kpatientrights.org/articles/hospital-refuses)
- [Medical dispute statistics by specialty in Korea](https://kpatientrights.org/statistics/by-specialty)
- [Medical dispute mediation timeline and fee calculator](https://kpatientrights.org/tools/dispute-timeline)

## Where do these numbers come from?

- [Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Statistical Yearbook (periodicals list)](https://www.k-medi.or.kr/web/lay1/bbs/S1T27C96/A/25/list.do) - Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency
- [Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency (official site)](https://www.k-medi.or.kr/web/index.do) - Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency
- [Act on Remedies for Injuries from Medical Malpractice and Mediation of Medical Disputes](https://www.law.go.kr/법령/의료사고피해구제및의료분쟁조정등에관한법률) - Korea Law Information Center