# Medical dispute statistics by specialty in Korea

> Medical dispute statistics by specialty come from the agency’s yearbook tables and are read together with how many institutions each specialty has.

A specialty that provides more care receives more applications. Korea Patient Rights Guide therefore shows a per-institution figure next to each count.

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

## Which specialties have the most medical dispute filings?

The ranking for the latest year is shown below from the yearbook’s specialty table, next to the number of institutions in each specialty.

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

## Do agreement rates differ by specialty?

The agreement rate for each specialty is calculated from the yearbook counts. Small specialties have few cases, so one case can move their rate a lot.

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

## Why should specialty counts be read with the number of institutions?

Because the number of filings grows with the amount of care. A specialty with many clinics will have more filings even if each clinic is no different.

The number of institutions is only a rough denominator. It does not count patients or procedures, and the yearbook’s specialty categories do not match HIRA’s listed subjects exactly. The per-institution figure is therefore labelled as a reference indicator.

## 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.

The agency records the specialty of the medical service involved in each case. When a case involves more than one specialty, the yearbook notes explain which one is counted. Korea Patient Rights Guide keeps the yearbook’s specialty names.

## 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 per-institution figure is applications divided by the number of institutions of that specialty in the same year, times 1,000.

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.

- A larger count does not mean a specialty is less safe.
- Specialty categories in the yearbook and in HIRA data are not identical.
- Agreement rates for specialties with few cases change sharply from year to year.

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: by specialty | To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | Rates as above; applications per 1,000 institutions |
| HIRA medical institutions by specialty and region | To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | - |

## What else do people ask about medical dispute statistics by specialty?

### Which specialty has the most medical disputes in Korea?

The yearbook’s specialty table shows the ranking. Read it together with the number of institutions, because specialties that provide more care receive more applications.

### Does a high count mean a specialty is dangerous?

No. Korea Patient Rights Guide does not rank specialties by safety. The counts reflect how much care is provided and how disputes are reported.

### Are plastic surgery disputes included?

Yes, when the yearbook reports plastic surgery as a category. The specialty explorer lets you pick it.

### Can I see a particular hospital’s disputes?

No. The yearbook does not publish institution names, and Korea Patient Rights Guide does not either.

### Why are some rates blank?

A rate is left blank when the denominator is zero or was not published. It is never estimated.

## What should you read next?

- [How does medical dispute mediation work in Korea?](https://kpatientrights.org/articles/mediation-procedure)
- [Mediation, arbitration or a lawsuit: what is the difference?](https://kpatientrights.org/articles/mediation-or-lawsuit)
- [Korea medical dispute mediation statistics](https://kpatientrights.org/statistics/annual-overview)
- [Medical dispute agreement rate explorer by specialty](https://kpatientrights.org/tools/specialty-explorer)

## 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
- [Medical institution status (by type, listed subject and region)](https://opendata.hira.or.kr/) - Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA)
- [Act on Remedies for Injuries from Medical Malpractice and Mediation of Medical Disputes](https://www.law.go.kr/법령/의료사고피해구제및의료분쟁조정등에관한법률) - Korea Law Information Center