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Korea ranks second in OECD for antibiotic consumption, raising health concerns

Published: 13 Oct. 2025, 16:46

Shopping cart with drug prescriptions from a pharmacy. Image is unrelated to the story. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

Korea’s antibiotic consumption ranks as the second highest among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), raising serious concerns over the potential health risks posed by the overuse of such medications.

Korea’s antibiotic use in 2023 stood at 31.8 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID), according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and OECD health statistics. This marked a sharp increase from 25.7 DID in 2022, pushing Korea up to second place among countries that publicly released data. At the time, Korea had ranked fourth, with consumption at 1.36 times the OECD average of 18.9 DID.

The global rise of antimicrobial resistance has long been considered a major health crisis. In 2019, the World Health Organization listed it among the top 10 threats to global health. Infections caused by resistant bacteria are difficult to treat, often leading to longer hospital stays and increased medical costs. They pose an especially serious threat to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children with weak immune systems.

In response, the KDCA launched a pilot program for an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) in November last year. The ASP is designed to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions by stationing trained professionals at hospitals to evaluate whether antibiotics are needed and being used appropriately. The program aims to systematically manage the type, dosage and duration of antibiotics to curb the spread of resistant bacteria and improve treatment outcomes.

A survey conducted by Hanyang University’s Industry-University Cooperation Foundation at the request of the KDCA showed that hospitals participating in the ASP saw notable improvements.

A customer browses a warehouse-style drugstore in Gwangju on Sept. 30. [YONHAP]

All participating hospitals, or 100 percent, implemented a “restricted antibiotics program,” which limits the use of certain antibiotics, compared to only 56.6 percent of non-participating hospitals. The rate of hospitals that conducted “interventions” — recommending changes in prescriptions based on microbial test results — was also significantly higher at 59.2 percent, while fewer than 10 percent of non-participating institutions carried out such activities.

However, a shortage of specialized personnel remains a critical barrier. More than half, or 53.6 percent, of hospitals with 300 or more beds cited a lack of dedicated staff as the main reason they could not participate in the program.

Building on the success of the first year, the KDCA plans to expand the pilot project by recruiting additional institutions.

“Using antibiotics properly is key to protecting the lives of vulnerable groups like the elderly and children,” said KDCA commissioner Lim Seung-kwan. “We will continue to support the expansion of the ASP to small and mid-sized hospitals and long-term care facilities so it becomes embedded in our medical culture.”

The government also plans to partner with academia to develop training programs for antibiotic stewardship specialists and establish standardized clinical guidelines that can be implemented in medical settings.

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 JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]