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This study examines the impact of South Korea's health care system response during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the role of public hospitals.

Privatized Health Care System in Times of Crisis: South Korea's Health Care System Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Qualitative study reveals South Korea successfully managed COVID-19 with public hospital repurposing, despite privatization.

This study examines the impact of South Korea's health care system response during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the role of public hospitals.
Conducted in-depth interviews with public hospital staff and community activists
Analyzed publicly available government reports and administrative data
Explored the centralized process of repurposing public hospitals for COVID-19 treatment
South Korea maintained one of the world's lowest excess mortality rates during the pandemic.
Public hospitals were repurposed with minimal coordination and legal safeguards, leading to short-term gains.
Long-term effects included reduced patient trust, financial instability, and staffing exodus in the public health sector.

Lee et al. (2026) studied this question.

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