DMAT Activity Allowance Doubled for the First Time in 12 Years

40,000 Won for Doctors, 30,000 Won for Nurses
Improved Compensation in Response to Increased Workload

The activity allowance for the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), which is dispatched to disaster sites, will be doubled for the first time in 12 years.

On February 1, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it will increase the activity allowance for DMAT members by 100% compared to the current level. DMAT members are tasked with highly specialized and risky missions at disaster sites. This measure aims to adjust the compensation, which has been frozen since the introduction of the allowance system in 2014, in order to boost the morale of medical personnel and encourage active participation in the event of a disaster.

The DMAT is organized as a team consisting of one doctor, two nurses or paramedics, and one administrative staff member, who are rapidly dispatched to the scene when a disaster occurs. The team plays a key role in triaging patients and providing emergency care and transportation on site.

However, the allowance paid to DMAT members has been lower than the compensation for similar public activities by professionals with the same qualifications. In particular, over the past three years, the average on-site activity time for DMAT has increased significantly, from 69 minutes in 2023 to 188 minutes in 2024 and 213 minutes in 2025-nearly tripling in three years. As the workload continues to grow, there have been calls to improve the compensation system.

In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to raise the activity allowance for each job category by 100%: for doctors, from 200,000 won to 400,000 won; for nurses and paramedics, from 150,000 won to 300,000 won; and for administrative and driving staff, from 100,000 won to 200,000 won.

The Ministry will immediately revise the "Guidelines for Payment of Allowances to On-Site Emergency Medical Support Personnel for Disaster Response" and apply the changes on site without delay.

Lee Joongyu, Director of Public Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "We hope that this increase in the activity allowance will provide meaningful compensation to DMAT personnel who are dedicated to their work in the field and serve as an opportunity for them to take pride in their mission. We will continue to improve the working conditions for disaster medical response personnel so that they can do their best at disaster sites."