Antibiotic use in humans in Korea in 2023 was 1.6 times the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, data showed. Antibiotics are used to treat infectious diseases. If antibiotic resistance develops, treatment can fail or deaths can increase. The government plans to manage the misuse and overuse of antibiotics not only in people but also across the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on the 25th that, together with seven ministries including the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, it established the Third National Antibiotic Resistance Management Plan for 2026–2030. Under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, the government draws up an antibiotic resistance management plan every five years.
The more antibiotics are used, the more resistance develops. As of 2023, human antibiotic use in Korea was 31.8 DID (defined daily dose per 1,000 inhabitants per day). The OECD average was 19.5 DID. Korea's antibiotic use rate was the second highest among OECD countries after Greece.
For methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a major antibiotic-resistant bacterium, the resistance rate in 2023 was 45.2%. That is higher than the global average of 27.1%. In the livestock sector as well, Korea's antibiotic sales and resistance are relatively high.
To prevent misuse and overuse, the government plans to expand the antibiotic stewardship program (ASP). In ASP, infectious disease specialists and pharmacists form teams to monitor and intervene in patients' antibiotic prescriptions. It is currently being piloted at some medical institutions, will be expanded to all general hospitals by 2027, and the system will be established around 2028.
In addition, vaccinations and other measures will reduce the incidence of infectious diseases, lowering the need to use antibiotics. To curb the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, known as superbugs, local governments will lead the operation of an infection control response system.
All antibiotics will be usable only through prescriptions by veterinarians and aquatic animal disease control specialists, with the system to be adjusted accordingly. Guidance on vaccine use for infectious diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea will be provided to reduce farms' reliance on antibiotics.
To strengthen the capacity to respond to antibiotic resistance, research and development (R&D) for diagnostics and therapeutics will be supported. The disease agency said it will manage antibiotic resistance based on inter-ministerial cooperation and public participation.