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Myopia in South Korea

MT
MyopiaTracker Clinical Team
Reviewed by Dr. Balamurali Vasudevan, BSOptom, PhD, FAAO, MBA  ·  Updated April 2026
⚠ Measurement methodology note: Unless otherwise stated, prevalence figures on this page use non-cycloplegic screening methods (visual acuity or non-cycloplegic autorefraction). Cycloplegic refraction — the clinical gold standard — typically identifies 10–20 percentage points higher prevalence in school-age children. Figures across countries are not directly comparable due to differing age groups, measurement methods, and study populations. See individual citations for full methodology.

South Korea's myopia figures are among the most cited — and the most frequently misapplied — in global epidemiology. A 2012 study of 19-year-old male military conscripts in Seoul found myopia prevalence of 96.5%, a figure that has become synonymous with the Korean myopia epidemic. Understanding this number requires understanding its methodology: it was measured by distance visual acuity screening, not cycloplegic refraction, in a single sex, single age, urban cohort.

96.5%
Myopia in 19-year-old male Seoul military conscripts (2012)
Jung SK et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012
80%+
High school students estimated to be myopic nationally
Multiple Korean cohort studies
~21%
High myopia (≥−6D) among Korean conscripts — major long-term concern
Jung SK et al. 2012
Methodology caveat: The 96.5% figure uses distance visual acuity screening (not cycloplegic refraction), applies only to 19-year-old males in Seoul, and includes non-refractive causes of reduced VA. It is widely cited as a national average, which it is not. General population prevalence across all ages and sexes is substantially lower.

The clinical picture

South Korea has one of the world's most intense academic environments, with extreme near-work demands and some of the lowest outdoor time among school-age children globally. Korean school schedules leave minimal time for protective outdoor activity. Despite this, Korea has also developed strong myopia management infrastructure — orthokeratology is widely used, and awareness of myopia progression risk is high among clinicians and parents compared to many other countries.

Prevalence by group

PopulationPrevalenceMethod
19yr male conscripts, Seoul (2012)96.5%Distance VA screening
High school students (national est.)80%+Multiple cohorts, mixed methods
High myopia (≥−6D) in conscripts~21%VA screening; refraction subset
General adult populationEst. 50–65%Modelled; limited cycloplegic data

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Related resources

China — 52.7% paediatric prevalence → United States — MiSight FDA-approved → Global myopia data with methodology labels → Will myopia cause blindness? Structural risk by axial length → Best myopia treatments ranked by efficacy →
Primary sources:
Jung SK et al. Prevalence of myopia and its association with body stature in South Korean military conscripts. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(9):5579–5583. doi:10.1167/iovs.12-10009
National Academies of Sciences: Myopia: Seeing the Big Picture. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK550906

This page presents published epidemiological data — not primary measurements by MyopiaTracker. Figures carry the uncertainty of their source studies. This page does not constitute medical advice. MyopiaTracker is a decision-support tool — not a diagnostic device.

Related Resources
→Myopia in China → →Myopia in Japan → →Global myopia data → →Calculator →