Home > National > Social Affairs

Emergency rooms overwhelmed with mild cases during Chuseok holiday

Published: 10 Oct. 2025, 12:59

An ambulance is seen outside a university hospital emergency room on April 17. [KIM SUNG-TAE]

During the Chuseok holiday, top-tier emergency rooms across Korea were swamped with patients suffering from mild ailments like colds and nosebleeds, as many clinics remained closed — forcing doctors to spend precious time treating nonurgent cases while critical patients waited.

“It doesn’t itch, but I wondered if it might be an allergic reaction,” said a man in his 70s as he entered a regional emergency medical center at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the sixth day of the Chuseok holiday. The regional emergency medical center in the Seoul metropolitan area was classified as a “top-tier emergency room.”

Facing a doctor of emergency medicine, the man began describing his symptoms.

He explained that he had undergone an MRI a week earlier, on Oct. 1, and came to the ER suspecting an allergic reaction to the contrast agent. The concern was a pair of brown spots that had appeared on both of his arms.

The doctor asked if he was experiencing any hives or itching. “No,” the patient replied.

His wife, who accompanied him, added, “We couldn’t find any clinics open during the holiday, and we didn’t want to wait until Friday, when everything reopens.”

“If there was no abnormal reaction at the time of the MRI, it’s not related to the contrast agent,” the doctor responded. “Since there’s no itching or emergency symptoms, I can’t prescribe any medication. You should visit a dermatologist on Friday.”

The consultation took over 10 minutes — a long stretch in an emergency room where every second counts.

Ambulances are parked outside a university hospital emergency room on Feb. 4. [KIM SUNG-TAE]

Throughout the afternoon, the ER was crowded with patients suffering from relatively mild symptoms. The government had advised the public to visit local clinics or smaller emergency facilities during the holiday, noting that around 8,800 hospitals and clinics were open each day during the break. Still, many patients showed up at large university hospital emergency rooms.

“When mild cases flood in, it delays care for patients with real emergencies,” said the doctor.

Between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., the same doctor treated 25 patients. Aside from one patient brought in by the 119 emergency service, most walked in on their own with symptoms such as diarrhea or the common cold. None fell into level 1 or 2 of the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale, which covers resuscitation and urgent cases.

“There are fewer open clinics during the holidays, so the number of mild cases increases even more than usual,” the doctor said.

At 2:27 p.m., a woman in her 60s arrived complaining that her nosebleed would not stop. Worried it might be linked to high blood pressure, she came to the ER.

“Nosebleeds aren’t caused by high blood pressure,” the doctor explained after conducting first aid on the patient. “It’s probably due to dryness.”

At 3:25 p.m., a woman in her 20s came in with cold symptoms, including a runny nose and vomiting. The doctor prescribed an IV drip. Patients continued to stream in, complaining of symptoms like pelvic pain, diarrhea and severe discomfort.

An ambulance is seen outside a university hospital emergency room on March 17. [KIM SUNG-TAE]

Twenty-two of the thirty seats in the waiting room outside the consultation area were occupied. Nurses triaged patients based on symptoms and preexisting conditions before reporting to the doctor.

Even with signs warning of long wait times, the line didn’t get any shorter.

One woman in her 60s who came in with coughing and phlegm waited two and a half hours before being seen around 5:35 p.m. The doctor didn’t even have time for a bathroom break.

There were also critical patients. One man in his 50s arrived unconscious via ambulance and was immediately moved to the high-acuity area. Suspected of having sepsis, he received emergency treatment from a five-person team including a resident doctor and nurses who performed intubation and central venous catheterization.

“The degree of ER crowding depends on how many severe cases come in,” the doctor said. “To ensure we can care for those patients, I hope people will consider other options like local primary or secondary hospitals instead of heading straight to large emergency rooms.”

Because patients essentially have the freedom to choose where they go, the doctor emphasized the need for the public to understand the specific role of emergency rooms.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHAE HYE-SEON [[email protected]]