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Testing out 'sokgunghap' before starting relationship

This is a poster for the 2005 Korean movie “Love in Magic” which is based on lovemaking between couples. Young Koreans have become less hesitant in sharing their views on sex and sexual compatibility than their parents’ generation. / Korea Times fileMore people take ‘sex first, commit later’ attitudeBy Yoon Sung-won, Park Jin-hai, Kwon Ji-younIt used to be commitment first and sex later.Young Koreans have become more apt to think that sexual compatibility is important for romance and is no longer just a post-marital matter, while some continue to caution against putting too much significance on it.In a recently aired episode of MBC’s talk show “Radio Star,” host Kyu-hyun, who is also a member of idol group Super Junior, startled others in the studio saying that, “Some young couples test out ‘sokgunghap’ before starting a romance.”Gunghap refers to the marital compatibility of a couple predicted by fortunetellers. In terms of fortunetelling, sokgunghap is a part of gunghap that is inferred with two persons&rs

Feb 4, 2014
Testing out 'sokgunghap' before starting relationship

Bye bye baldness? Hair regrown using skin cells

Could the cure for baldness be found within our own skin?For the first time, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania were successfully able to take human skin cells and transform them into hair-follicle-generating stem cells.These cells were then transplanted onto mice, and turned into human-like skin and hair follicles. The mice eventually grew tiny hair shafts. The study was published Jan. 28 in Nature Communications.The researchers began by using a type of skin cell known as dermal fibroblasts. They added three genes in order to transform them into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These stem cells have the ability to transform into other cells found throughout the body.Specifically, the iPSCs in this study were made into epithelial cells, which make up connective, muscle and nerve tissue. These cells are normally found at the bulb-like ends of hair follicles.The team was able to accomplish this by controlling the cells' growth time, and managed to turn 25 percent of the iPSCs into epithelial stem

Jan 30, 2014
Bye bye baldness? Hair regrown using skin cells

Regular alcohol can raise risk of skin cancer by 55%

Regular drinking could increase by up to half the risk of developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer which affects many young people, the Daily Mail reported.Those who had less than one drink a day had a 10 per cent increased risk of melanoma compared with non-drinkers or those who only drink occasionally, experts found.Moderate drinkers, who consumed two drinks a day, had an 18 per cent higher chance of melanoma.Heavy drinkers _ consuming at least four drinks a day _ were at 55 percent extra risk, according to estimates by an international team of researchers.One drink was defined as 12.5 grams of alcohol, which is the equivalent of 1.56 units, a glass of wine or half a pint of strong beer.The extra cancer risk may be the result of alcohol making people more reckless about protecting themselves against the sun.But the scientists say alcohol causes biological changes that makes skin more sensitive to light and may aggravate the impact of exposure to ultraviolet light.Exactly how alcohol consumption increases chances of developing melanoma is not fully understood, but th

Jan 30, 2014
Regular alcohol can raise risk of skin cancer by 55%

First graders in fierce competition

Children, who will become first-graders in March, pose with their mothers in a classroom at Donggyo Elementary School in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Jan.15./ Korea Times by Bae Woo-hanPrerequisite learning may hinder children’s creativityBy Baek Byung-yeul, Nam Hyun-woo, Park Ji-wonKim Jumg-mi, a 38-year-old office worker living in Seoul, experienced a bitter moment after attending her kid’s elementary school orientation a few weeks ago.“At the orientation, I found a group of mothers checking with each other on how many prerequisites they had enrolled their children in,” Kim said.“Also, they were all sharing information about which hagwon (cram school) has better English teaching programs and which one has better math instructors. I, who only could teach my kid how to write Hangeul (Korean alphabet) as I had to go to work, was so embarrassed,” she added.In fact, prerequisite learning is a rather outdated subject in Korea where many parents’ education “fever” remains exceedingly high compared to that in other countries.Many parents in

Jan 29, 2014
First graders in fierce competition

Panic disorder patients aren't fainthearted

Panic disorder patients experience sudden and extreme fear in safe circumstances, which come with symptoms such as an increase in heartbeat, blood pressure and respiration, along with feelings of suffocation, chest pain, and dizziness. / Korea Times filesBy Yoon Ja-young There is increasing awareness of panic disorder these days, following confessions by a number of celebrities that they have suffered from symptoms.However, some people still think that patients suffer from the condition because they are feeble-minded.However, Prof. Yu Bum-hee at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul says that patients shouldn’t be blamed because the attacks are caused by problems in the brain circuitry.In a lecture on panic attacks, the psychiatrist said that one must first learn about anxiety disorder in order to understand panic disorder.Everybody gets anxious when stressed, and this anxiety is accompanied by physical symptoms. “Anybody can experience normal anxiety. It even helps our daily lives because it protects us by making us more alert and prepare

Jan 24, 2014By Yoon Ja-young
Panic disorder patients aren't fainthearted

Traditional games for healthy holidays

By Song Sang-ho We are getting close to the Lunar New Year’s holiday, when people will gather for large family reunions to share good wishes and traditional food.Although it is a time for the family and relatives to gather from all over the country, many of us do not know how to make our time together enjoyable. For instance, adults often watch TV and children spend hours playing games on computers or their mobile phones. In the end, these long family gatherings can sometimes grow tiresome.If you would like something different to do this time, I would suggest you play some “traditional” games. This will remind many adults of their childhood, and children can learn about traditions. Above all, playing many of the folk games is one great way to check your joints. Let me explain.Let’s start with Yut Nori, one of the most popular folk games. Yut Nori is helpful in keeping your back (spine) healthy. When you cast the four yuts (sticks) or move your mal (tokens) on the board, you need to sit up straight or stand up; this activity will prevent a stiff back.

Jan 24, 2014
Traditional games for healthy holidays

Super-foods for preventing cerebrovascular diseases

By Cho Ae-kyung  This week, Seoul was hit by the coldest weather of the year so far, with morning temperatures dropping down to around minus 10 degrees Celsius. Due to such bitter cold in the winter, the blood vessels in the body temporarily contract, and this can lead to unexpected health problems. It is required that people pay particular attention to managing their health during this season.In winter, we should be especially mindful of cerebrovascular disease. The vast temperature differences between outdoors and indoors stress the blood vessels in the brain. As the blood vessels contract and the blood supply tends to be reduced in winter, the heart beats faster to maintain the proper body temperature. This strains the heart, increasing the possibility of people with hypertension having a brain hemorrhage. According to various studies, the number of patients visiting hospitals due to complications with blood vessels in the brain increased by 42 percent in the past five years, with the number of such patients peaking in the period from December to February.As the disease

Jan 24, 2014
Super-foods for preventing cerebrovascular diseases

Drinking, smoking aggravating hair loss

 By Yoon Ja-youngFor people concerned with hair loss, quitting smoking may help. According to a research team at Chung-Ang University Hospital, smoking and drinking seem to aggravate hair loss.“Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss mediated by systemic androgens and genetic factors,” notes the research team led by Prof. Hong Chang-kwon. “Various clinical studies suggest that a predisposition to androgenetic alopecia may be inherited from the paternal or maternal sides, or from both ...... A strong genetic basis has long been identified, although little is known of its non-genetic causes. However, recent research has shown that environmental factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of the condition. In a large population-based cross-sectional study, smoking was a statistically significant factor for androgenetic alopecia,” the research paper explains.To evaluate its association with environmental factors, the researchers at Chung-Ang examined 3,114 Koreans with androgenetic alopecia who attended dermatology clinics between March 201

Jan 24, 2014By Yoon Ja-young
Drinking, smoking aggravating hair loss

Three-lows in recipes

/ Courtesy of And BooksBburichaeso Deopbab- Rice topped with root vegetables Ingredients (to serve four people)                 You will need 300 grams of beef for Bulgogi, like sirloin; six centimeters of “yeongeun,” or lotus root; one eighth of a regular-sized carrot; half an onion; and four bowls of cooked rice.Optionally, you will need one third of, or 100 grams of broccoli; a five centimeters by five centimeters sheet of “dashima,” or kelp; and a half cup of katsuobushi.You will also need two tablespoons of “cheongju,” or rice wine; 0.2 spoonfuls of salt; one spoonful of vinegar; and some sesame. For seasoning, you will need 1.5 tablespoons of sugar; three spoonfuls of soy sauce; a spoonful of “matsul,” or cooking wine; a half spoonful of minced garlic; and some black pepper. Step by step      1. Slice beef and sprinkle with cheongju. Leave on kitchen paper to get rid of the blood. 2. Slice lotus root an

Jan 24, 2014By Yoon Ja-young
Three-lows in recipes
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