South Korea’s medical radiation use and exposure reached record highs in 2025

South Korea recorded 431.59 million uses of medical radiation in 2025, the highest number in the five years covered by the data.

Average exposure per person reached 3.24 millisieverts, up 22.7% from 2021 and also a record.

Medical radiation is used in procedures such as X-rays and other diagnostic imaging.

In a global comparison for 2009–2018, average exposure per person was about 1.52 millisieverts in South Korea, compared with 0.57 worldwide.

Meanwhile, average exposure among radiation workers, including doctors and radiographers, fell from 0.38 millisieverts in 2021 to a provisional 0.34 in 2025.

Lawmaker Lee So-hee said the key issue is whether guidance for justifying imaging tests is followed in clinics.

She plans to press the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to check how the guidance works in practice and seek ways to reduce unnecessary repeat scans while preserving needed tests.