Licenses Expire for 1,489 Long-Term Care Facilities

The government has allowed the operating licenses of 1,489 out of 15,386 long-term care facilities to expire following the first-ever review under the designation renewal system, implemented in December 2025. This affects facilities that failed to apply for renewal or were disqualified during the review, meaning their care services may be suspended.

The long-term care facility designation renewal system was introduced to manage the quality of long-term care services provided to seniors. It addresses the previous difficulty in removing poorly operating institutions by requiring an operational review and license renewal every six years after the initial designation.

Of the 15,386 facilities subject to review, 14,060 (91.4%) applied for renewal. A total of 1,326 facilities (8.6%) did not apply, citing reasons such as planned closure. Among the applicants, 13,897 facilities were deemed compliant, achieving a compliance rate of 98.8%. By type, 3,519 out of 3,546 facility care providers (99.2%) and 10,378 out of 10,514 home care providers (98.7%) were found compliant.

Including facilities that did not apply, 1,359 out of 11,737 home care providers (11.6%) were subject to restructuring, while 130 out of 3,649 facility care providers (3.6%) were restructured, indicating a relatively higher restructuring rate in the home care sector. Key reasons for disqualification included low scores on Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service evaluations, inadequate operational plans and self-assessments, poor management committee operations, and failing to meet face-to-face evaluation score criteria. Measures to protect beneficiaries were completed for 54 disqualified facilities that had clients.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to develop additional review items, supplement evaluation indicators, establish a system for in-depth review of facilities suspected of mismanagement, and strengthen protective measures for beneficiaries of disqualified institutions. It will also support the review process for 1,546 facilities whose licenses expire in 2026. Lim Ki-taek, Director-General of the Elderly Policy Bureau, stated that the designation renewal system has enhanced the service quality and operational accountability of long-term care facilities, and that the system will be continuously improved to ensure beneficiaries can use services with peace of mind.