Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Turtle marathon on Sunday

The readers of The Korea Times are encouraged to come to Mt. Nam in downtown Seoul for a stroll this Sunday and participate in the 430th Turtle Marathon. The monthly event organized by the Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, has drawn more than 120,000 people since 1978.Shin Ho-hyun, chairman of the Korea Special Sales Financial Cooperative Association, will lead the walkathon and winners of the 2012 Miss Korea beauty pageant will also participate.Upon finishing the walk, there will be a prize draw with an iPad Mini, health foods and more up for grabs.Middle and high school students who participate in the cleanup afterwards will receive certification for three hours of volunteer work. Admission is free. For more information, visit turtle.hankooki.com.When: May 19, meet at 7:40 a.m. and the walk begins at 8 a.m.Where: Outdoor plaza of the National Theater of Korea, near Dongguk University Station on subway line 3, exit 2 or 6. Inquiries in English: (02) 724-2354Inquiries in Korean: (02) 724-2611-7Hosted by: The Hankook IlboSponsored by: The Korea Times, Sports Hankook, Se

May 15, 2013

With no due respect

Younger generation becomes aggressive toward teachersBy Kwon Ji-youn, Yoon Sung-won, Park Jin-haiEvery time Sun Ye-won, a high-school teacher, turns her back to write on the chalkboard, she hears a ruffle of papers and a series of whispers. Then she takes a big breath and swings back around, only to see her students either sleeping or observing their pores in hand-held mirrors. As Teachers’ Day approaches, attention has turned to the relationship between students and teachers. On this day, students usually give their teachers small gifts or carnations as signs of respect and gratitude. However, schools these days have often been tainted with the impertinent way in which students regard their teachers. They seemingly have increasingly become aggressive toward them. If the older generation treated their teachers as venerable educators, it is as though the younger generation not only disrespects their teachers but also treats them belligerently, even violently.In other words, the concept of teacher’s authority has steadily been eroded. According to the Ministry of Education,

May 14, 2013

Nhat Hanh shares secrets to peaceful mind

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, right, talks with Ven. Hyemin, a Korean Buddhist monk and bestselling author, during a televised show at the BTN studio in Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Yun Suh-youngMost of the sufferings people experience in relationships are not really caused by others but themselves, says Vietnam’s celebrated Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. His visit garnered rapt attention in a country where “healing” has become a buzzword as people look for ways to make their overstressed lives healthier.“Listening to and understanding our inner sufferings will resolve most of the problems we encounter,” said Nhat Hanh during a three-hour talk held at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, Monday evening, under the theme “Stop and Heal.”Nhat Hanh, who arrived in Seoul on May 1 as part of a global trip to celebrate Buddha’s birthday which falls on May 17, will be finishing off his official schedule in Korea today.“In order to heal others, we first need to heal ourselves. And to heal ourselves, we need to know how to

May 14, 2013

Nhat Hanh shares secrets to peaceful mind

Psychiatrist or preacher?

Dear Dr. P,In reading a response you made to an individual who was asking for your help and requesting an appointment with you, part of your reply was, “Jesus Christ also said: For this reason I say to you, etc.”Why would you preach about Jesus to someone who may not believe in, nor want to hear about Jesus? Aren’t you assuming this person is a Christian when he or she may not be? I would find that to be a total turn-off if I were looking for a psychiatrist, as, if I wanted to hear about Jesus I would go to a preacher and not a doctor.Thank you.Bette Dear Bette,It seems that you felt uncomfortable when you read the column in which I quoted a parable from the Bible, as if you were forced to listen to the sermon of a preacher.But I am not a Christian and I didn’t force for the readers to believe certain religion. The reason I quoted the passages from the Bible is not because it is teaching from Jesus but because it is a helpful passages for the readers.As a psychiatrist, I have been studying various religions to understand human beings more deeply. There ar

May 10, 2013

Safety tips for pregnant travelers

By Lee Hye-junSpring is finally here after teasing us with moments of sunshine, but mostly gusty wind for the past few weeks. One of my friends said it was a “sin” not to go outside in this beautiful weather. Pregnant women are not an exception. Lately there have been many pregnant women asking for my “permission” to go on a long trip. Now it has become a new trend to take prenatal trips to Guam and Southeast Asia, although it is often frowned upon by the elderly.In general, it is safe for pregnant women to travel via airplane as long as they do not have special medical complications. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists states that women with healthy, single pregnancies can fly safely for up to 36 weeks into pregnancy when labor pain is unlikely to begin. Pregnant women need to take the same precautions as the general population, such as walking around hourly and mobilizing their legs frequently to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT), also known as "economy class syndrome.” This is a condition in which the blood pools in the lower legs fr

May 10, 2013

Doctors don't get surgery

Kim Hyon-jeong, an orthopedist at Seoul Metropolitan Dong-bu Hospital, says in her book “Doctors don’t get surgery” that people shouldn’t rely on hospitals too much.By Yoon Ja-youngTo stay healthy, it’s good to have checkups as often as possible. If problems are found in a person’s joints, artificial implants can be a practical solution. The same applies to teeth. These are readily accepted solutions for Koreans who currently enjoy access to the most developed medical services in the country’s history. Doctors, who are equipped with the latest medical knowledge, however, don’t have frequent health checkups, don’t undergo surgery often, and a smaller portion of them choose chemotherapy compared to other groups if they develop cancer. Why are doctors so reluctant to enjoy the full benefits of available medical services? Kim Hyon-jeong, an orthopedist at Seoul Metropolitan Dong-bu Hospital, says that it’s because they know both the positive and negative effects of medical treatments.“Everything has light and shadow.

May 10, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

Check joints of your parents

By Song Sang-hoParent’s Day has just gone by and it was reported that travel agencies were busy answering inquiries about tour packages for parents from “good sons and daughters.” However, these efforts are useless if parents refuse to accept the heartfelt gift, saying they would rather stay home than get exhausted in a big crowd. If you want to know why your parents keep avoiding outdoor activities, I suggest you take a look at their joints.In particular, if both you and your spouse are working and your parents are taking care of your children, you should take them to a clinic to have their joints examined. Their joints, having already degenerated and become fragile due to their age, are very much likely to be damaged more rapidly while they look after their grandchildren.Taking care of an infant, often described as a “battle,” is considered one of the severest physical labors in the world. You have to hug a baby, change diapers and wash the baby, and while you do all those things, your joints suffer from pressure. As you bend and stretch your legs cont

May 10, 2013

Foreign kids regain health after surgery in Korea

Vadim in his father’s arms, poses with doctors of the Severance Hospital. Prof. Choi Jin-sub, left, took part of a liver from Vadim’s mother, fourth from left; Prof. Kim Myong-soo, fifth from left, transplanted it into him; and Prof. Koh Hong, right, was in charge of post-operative care. / Courtesy of Severance HospitalBy Yoon Ja-youngAs Korea continues to gain recognition for its advanced medical services, more patients from overseas are coming here for treatment and surgical procedures. Among them are a child from Mongolia and an infant from Russia, who became healthy after successful operations in Korea.The parents of Damdin Jiguur, a 12-year-old from Mongolia, first thought he was simply gaining weight when he started turning puffy four years ago. As time went by, however, there was obviously serious problem. After visiting a number of hospitals in Mongolia, his parents took him to Beijing last year, where he was diagnosed with chronic renal failure. As his kidney function was already seriously damaged, the boy had to undergo hemodialysis

May 10, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

Foreign kids regain health after surgery in Korea

Sexual boost tablets traded online harmful to health

Some of the sexual boost tablets, diet supplements and muscle builders sold online turned out to contain harmful components. The government blocked access to Websites overseas where these products are sold and advised consumers to buy officially imported health supplements instead.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Wednesday that it detected ingredients that are banned for food in 13 out of 37 products sold in overseas Websites it examined. Among the 13, nine claim to be sexual enhancers, two were listed diet supplements, and two as muscle builders.Those claiming to boost sexual function, however, contained Sildenafil, Tadalafil and Icarrin, which are banned for such products. Sildenafil and Tadalafil are used in erectile dysfunction medication such as Viagra, but they should be used only with doctor’s prescriptions. The ministry warned that these ingredients can cause heart attacks when taken by people with cardiovascular problems. Icarrin is found in “Eumyanggwak,” herb used in Oriental medicine, but it is banned for use in food. “As it has a strong m

May 10, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

Healthline

Class on Parkinson’s disease plannedSoonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul is holding a class on Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to difficulties in daily activities.Professors Ahn Moo-young and Kim Ji-sun at the hospital will give a lecture on symptoms and treatments. There will also be free examination for tremors and Parkinson’s disease.The class will be on the first floor of the New Building at the hospital, at 2 p.m., May 14, and is open to anybody interested in the disease. For more information, contact the Department of Neurology at the hospital at (02) 709-9224. Emotional treatment for child patients Seoul National University Hospital announced that it has opened an “Emotion Center” for children at the children’s hospital building in its complex in Seoul last week.The center aims to provide emotional support for child patients at the hospital and their families. They can receive counseling from psychiatrists, enjoy play therapy to reduce stress and anxiety, and have consultations on education

May 10, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

Others

Others

Turtle marathon on Sunday

With no due respect

Nhat Hanh shares secrets to peaceful mind

Psychiatrist or preacher?

Safety tips for pregnant travelers

Doctors don't get surgery

Check joints of your parents

Foreign kids regain health after surgery in Korea

Sexual boost tablets traded online harmful to health

Healthline

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