# Medical dispute agreement rate explorer by specialty

> The specialty explorer combines the yearbook’s specialty tables with HIRA institution counts and calculates rates in your browser.

It shows only published cells and leaves missing years blank instead of estimating them.

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

## How does the specialty explorer calculate medical dispute rates?

Commencement rate is commenced ÷ received, agreement rate is concluded ÷ commenced, and the reference figure is received ÷ institutions × 1,000.

A rate is left blank when its denominator is zero or missing. The per-institution figure uses a different source as its denominator, so it is labelled as a reference indicator only.

## What do typical specialty explorer queries return?

Three fixed cases with made-up test data are checked on every build.

**Fixed test cases checked on every build**

| Selection | What the tool shows |
| --- | --- |
| Plastic surgery · 2019–2023 · agreement rate | One rate per year; years with no published table or no commenced cases are blank |
| All · latest year · applications | Specialties ranked by applications, without the total row |
| Dentistry · 2015–2023 · average settled amount | Nine years, with values only where the yearbook published them |

## Who is the medical dispute specialty explorer for?

Researchers and reporters who need sourced figures by specialty. It is not a guide to which specialty or clinic to avoid.

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 rate by specialty?

### Why are some years blank?

The yearbook did not publish that cell, or the denominator was zero. The tool does not estimate.

### Is my selection stored?

No. Everything runs in your browser.

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

No. Specialties that provide more care receive more applications.

### Can I see individual hospitals?

No. Institution names are not published.

### Where do the institution counts come from?

From HIRA’s medical institution status data, matched to the yearbook’s specialty names where possible.

## 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 statistics by specialty in Korea](https://kpatientrights.org/statistics/by-specialty)

## 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)