South Korean city of nearly 100,000 closes its last delivery room amid aging population, doctor shortage
Miryang Jeil Hospital, the only place in the South Gyeongsang city where women could give birth, will treat its last patients on Aug. 31 and close the next day, leaving nearly 100,000 residents without a delivery room.
Miryan, a South Korean city of around 100,000 residents, is set to close its last delivery room due to an aging population and a shortage of doctors. The city's obstetric service has been operating with only two doctors, a director in his 70s and a specialist in his 60s. When the specialist decided to resign, the director could not continue due to his age, leading to the hospital's closure.
The hospital, opened in 1986, was one of the largest in the area, with 79 beds and departments in various medical fields. It has handled over 20,000 deliveries, but the number has been declining, falling from around 400 in 2024 to 108 in 2025. Currently, there are only about 58 deliveries per month, with an average of eight or nine per month.
The city's population has fallen below 100,000 for the first time since 1966, attributed to deaths being about five times the births. Expectant mothers will now have to travel to neighboring cities for their deliveries, with the city providing support for emergency cases. This closure is part of a broader trend, with 84 out of 252 cities, counties and districts having no delivery facility.
The Ministry of Data and Statistics recorded 254,500 births in 2025, a 6.8% increase from the previous year.
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