THE IMPACT OF CONFUCIAN VALUES ON MEDICAL EDUCATION AND PHYSICIAN TRAINING IN SOUTH KOREA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/m.2414-5998.2026.1.16040Keywords:
medical education, South Korea, Confucian values, physician training, medical ethics, mentorship, globalization of education, competency-based approach.Abstract
Abstract. The article examines the influence of Confucian values on the system of medical education and the process of physician training in South Korea. The study analyses the role of Confucianism as a cultural and philosophical foundation of the educational tradition, as well as its manifestations in the structure of medical education, the organization of the educational process, and the formation of the professional identity of future physicians. Particular attention is paid to such aspects as the hierarchical nature of educational relationships, the mentorship model, collectivism, academic discipline, and the ethical foundations of the medical profession. The paper outlines the tension between traditional cultural values and contemporary educational approaches in the context of globalization, particularly with regard to the development of critical thinking, gender transformations, and the psycho-emotional well-being of medical students. It is demonstrated that contemporary medical education in South Korea is characterized by an aspiration toward the integration of Confucian heritage with Western educational models and a competency- based approach. The study concludes that Confucian values not only preserve the cultural identity of Korean medical education but also function as a factor enhancing its effectiveness under conditions of global transformation. The findings may be useful for further research in the fields of comparative pedagogy and international medical education.
References
Badanta, B., González-Cano-Caballero, M., Suárez-Reina, P., Lucchetti, G., & de Diego-Cordero, R. (2022). How does Confucianism influence health behaviors, health outcomes and medical decisions? A scoping review. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(4), 2679–2725. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10943-022-01506-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01506-8
Dang, T. K. C., & Yeh, B.-I. (2025). Medical humanities education in Vietnamese medical schools: a comparative perspective from the USA and Republic of Korea. BMC Medical Education, 25, 891. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12909-025-07380-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07380-8
Dittrich, K., & Neuhaus, D. A. (2023). Korea’s ‘education fever’ from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century. History of Education, 52(4), 539–552. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/ 0046760X.2022.2098391 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0046760X.2022.2098391
Gim, G., Yun, J., & Lee, S. H. (2025). Quantifying interdisciplinary synergy in higher STEM education. EPJ Data Science, 14, 56. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00566-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00566-6
Han, S., Kim, H., Lim, J. H., et al. (2016). The past, present, and future of traditional medicine education in Korea. Integrative Medicine Research, 5(2), 73–82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.imr.2016.03.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2016.03.003
Khvalyboha, T. I., Fedchyshyn, N. O. (2025). Development of English communicative competence of future doctors of philosophy in medicine in the context of South Korea’s educational policy. Педагогічна інноватика: сучасніть та перспективи, 10, 151–155. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/ped-uzhnu/2025-10-25
Lee, J.-K. (2002). The role of religion in Korean higher education. Religion & Education, 29(1), 49–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2002.10012295
Levent, F., & Pehlivan, M. (2017). Confucianism’s influence on ethics education in South Korea. Journal of Human Sciences, 14(1), 321–330. 9. Lew, S.-C., Choi, W.-Y., & Wang, H. S. (2011). Confucian ethics and the spirit of capitalism in Korea: The significance of filial piety. Journal of East Asian Studies, 11(2), 171–196. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S1598240800007153 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1598240800007153
Pettid, M. J. (2023). Confucianism in Korea. In J. Oldstone-Moore (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Confucianism (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford Academic. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ oxfordhb/9780190906184.013.11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190906184.013.11
Śleziak, T. (2013). The role of Confucianism in contemporary South Korean society. Rocznik Orientalistyczny, LXVI(1), 27–46.
