Cancer is the No. 1 cause of death among South Koreans, the Korean Medical Association's institute said Thursday, citing data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Research Institute for Healthcare Policy said in a report that for every 100,000 South Koreans, 193.7 died from cancer in 2010. This is less than the 211.6 cancer deaths on average among the 34 member states of the OECD.

South Korea ranked as the fifth-lowest country in terms of the cancer mortality rate among the organization that includes the world's most advanced nations as well as emerging countries, the institute said in the report.

The report said that for every 100,000 South Koreans, 43.5 died from lung cancer in 2010, compared with an OECD average of 41.1 deaths from the same disease.

The World Health Organization said on its Web site that 7.6 million people worldwide died from cancer in 2008, the latest year for which data is available, accounting for 13 percent of all deaths that year.

The report said disease of the circulatory system, which includes coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, is the No. 2 cause of death for South Koreans.

It showed that for every 100,000 South Koreans, 185.8 died from a circulatory system disease in 2010, compared with 331.2 on average among OECD nations.

Respiratory system diseases were the third leading cause of death among South Koreans in 2010, according to the data.

The report also showed diseases of the respiratory system, including pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, killed 67.5 for every 100,000 South Koreans in 2010, which is on par with the OECD average.

The report showed that 33.5 people for every 100,000 South Koreans took their own lives in 2010, compared with 13.3 on average among OECD nations.

Meanwhile, the report said that for every 1,000 South Koreans, there were only two practicing physicians in South Korea in 2012, compared with 3.1 on average among OECD nations. (Yonhap News)