Members of the Korean Society of Sleep Medicine, the Korean Academy of Sleep Medicine, and JW Pharma staff campaign to raise awareness on narcolepsy that can result in car accidents at Myeong-dong, Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Medical associations held an awareness campaign for narcolepsy in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Thursday.

The Korean Society of Sleep Medicine and the Korean Academy of Sleep Medicine organized the event titled “Narcolepsy is an illness that requires prompt treatment” to draw attention to the sleep disorder that can lead to drowsiness while driving.

According to research by the Korea Expressway Corporation, this was the cause of up to 30% of automobile accidents that resulted in death in 2011. The symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis and distorted perception.

More than 20,000 people are affected by narcolepsy, but only 2,000 seek treatment, said Shin Ro-min from JW Pharma. Staff from the pharmaceutical company staged performances that started at 10:30 a.m. in front of Noon Square.