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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Concerns raised over hydrofluoric acid

By Yoon Ja-youngA series of deadly chemical leaks at Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province, Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, and most recently, Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, is increasing people’s concerns on hydrofluoric acid. The chemical, which is very useful in industry, is deadly to humans.Hydrofluoric acid is highly corrosive, even corroding glass. It has diverse uses, including getting rid of impurities on stainless steel and wafers in the semiconductor industry. However, the high corrosiveness makes it deadly even when exposure is minimal.When the solution of hydrofluoric acid leaked at Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor plant in Hwaseong on Monday, the workers who were exposed to the deadly material were taken to Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital nearby and got emergency treatment.However, one worker who was severely exposed went into cardiac arrest after arriving at the emergency center. He was resuscitated immediately, but remained in a coma. He was transferred to Hallym University Hangang Sacred

Feb 1, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

Ceragem Medisys welcomed at Arab health fair

By Yoon Ja-youngCeragem Medisys, the blood glucose monitor manufacturer under the Ceragem Group, has brightened its business prospects in the Middle East, attracting hundreds of buyers at the Arab Health Fair 2013.The company participated in the biggest health fair in the Middle East and Africa, held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, from Jan. 28 to 31, presenting its blood glucose monitors as well as hemoglobin tester. It had around 500 buyers visiting the booth during the fair, according to the company.“Health equipment imports in the Middle East and Africa has been expanding by an annual 15 percent, on average. Due to the climate and culture, lack of physical exercise and obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have been rising as a national health problem there,” explained a spokeswoman for the company.On top of catering to the needs of the potential diabetes patients, the company is planning on promoting CERA-CHEK Hb Plus, a portable hemoglobin checker currently exported to 15 countries after conforming to European standards.Ceragem Medisys is expecting to ex

Feb 1, 2013By Yoon Ja-young

Will I lose all of my hair?

             Prof. Kwon Oh-sang                                             Prof. Kim Jong-il SNU researchers discover genes causing alopecia totalis in AsiansBy Yoon Ja-youngAlopecia is a big concern for many people. It often starts as alopecia areata, round patches of hair loss, but this sometimes progresses into alopecial totalis, which affects the whole scalp, and sometimes the whole body. Seoul National University announced that a research team led by dermatology professor Kwon Oh-sang and biochemistry professor Kim Jong-il has identified the genes that cause alopecia areata to progress into alopecia totalis in Asians. Alopecia areata, left, sometimes progresses into alopecia totalis, right, which affects the whole scalp.Alopecia areata is a form of autoimmune disorder. The T lymphocytes in the blood attack the hair because they fail to recognize it as part of the body, resulting in hair loss. This is relatively common, with a

Feb 1, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Will I lose all of my hair?

(222) Samjae, three ill-fated years

 Chinese characters on a door signal the arrival of spring, “ipchun.”  Janet ShinBy Janet ShinMany people have their fortune read in the New Year to see if good or bad luck is predicted. Whereas Jan. 1 is the solar New Year’s Day and the lunar New Year’s Day falls on Feb. 10 this year, the commencement of a new year by the saju calendar is “ipchun.”Ipchun is one of 24 seasonal divisions by solar terms and falls on Feb. 4 this year. “Ip” stands for entrance and “chun” means spring. So it literally represents the onset of spring. Likewise there is “ipha,” for the onset of summer, “ipchu,” for fall and “ipdong,” for winter. Among them, ipchun accounts for the most significant division along with “dongji,” the winter solstice, which usually falls on Dec. 21. It is because dongji denotes a great transition and ipchun, the beginning of a year. Consequently, if we are to read New Year’s fortunes, it should be based on ipchun, with a perceptional preparation at don

Jan 31, 2013
(222) Samjae, three ill-fated years

Vanity conquers all

A woman holding a designer handbag crosses a street in this undated file photo. Many Korean female consumers crave designer bags with the belief that the high-end accessories, fake or genuine, make them appear richer than they actually are.                                                                         / Korea Times  By Jun Ji-hye, Baek Byung-yeul, Rachel LeeMany Korean women have red hot love affairs with designer label handbags. Regardless of their income levels, they crave high-end luxury bags in order to satisfy their obsessive vanity and make a social statement.Sensitive about how they appear to others, they want to decorate themselves with expensive accessories. The mocking moniker of “three second bag” for Louis Vuitton, one of the most popular designer bags here, reflects the fixation for luxury bags ― it’s called a “three-second bag" because it c

Jan 29, 2013
Vanity conquers all

Schizophrenia

Hi! Dr. P,Doctor, I am a 41-year-old Korean man. I have been admitted to mental hospitals several times, and have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have problems planning my life because of my ambivalent attitudes, emotions and behavior.I saw your column about schizophrenia in the previous Q&A, and I must admit that I am not very different from the case example. Even though I admit to this diagnosis, it is not easy to accept the reality, because I have already lost many things. What can I do about my future? Could you give me some advice? Dear Sender,You say that your future is dark and frustrating, but I see a lot of hope in your writing. If you were a pessimistic schizophrenic patient, you would not have the courage to ask me this question.There is a proverb “better late than never” — I think you are not late if you start getting professional treatment and rehabilitation therapy now. It seems that you may have good enough English skills to understand the previous question and you can concentrate effectively.When someone is diagnosed with schizophrenia,

Jan 25, 2013
Schizophrenia

Korean postpartum care is special

By Lee Hye-junIn western countries, women take a shower immediately after childbirth. They have a regular diet, start walking around, and go out in the cold weather. On the other hand, Korean women are advised not to take a shower for a week or more. They are not allowed to put their hands in cold water. For the first three weeks after childbirth, getting out of the house is strictly forbidden unless you dare to sneak out and not get caught by your own mother. Last but not least, seaweed soup will show up on the table of every meal for months.When women are pregnant, the pelvic bones loosen up to make space for babies to grow in. This does not happen overnight. Such changes are gradually made over nine months as babies grow bigger. In labor, the pelvic bones extend at maximum so the babies can make their way down the birth canal. After babies abruptly leave, pelvic bones need some time to shrink to its pre-pregnancy size and adapt to the new bony structure. That is why “Saam(three)-chil(seven)-il(days),” the first three weeks after delivery are strongly emphasized in Kore

Jan 25, 2013
Korean postpartum care is special

Prerequisite for exercise

By Song Sang-hoJanuary usually starts with feelings of a new beginning. It may be because of this excitement that we can put into practice our new resolutions during this month. The commonest resolutions are about quitting smoking, going on diets, establishing exercise routines and other health related issues.Regardless of age, health is top of the agenda for all. But it is pitiful to see that so few people are interested in the health of their joints, one of the most important parts of the human body. Joints are where bones meet and almost all parts of our body including the knees, ankles, fingers and shoulders have joints. However, many people do not pay much attention to slight pains in particular areas, maybe because they too frequently feel discomfort in these joints.I’m talking about joints because they are deeply related to exercise. Women in their 50s or over, in particular, are prone to abdominal obesity as they approach menopause due to hormonal changes. If they don’t exercise enough during this period and fail to stay fit, excessive weight will strain their kne

Jan 25, 2013
Prerequisite for exercise

Slow but steady is best way to diet

By Yoon Ja-youngNo matter how full you are, it is difficult to reject a piece of cake that looks delicious. We are eating not only because of hunger but also for diverse reasons, such as habit, stress, boredom or for taste. Meanwhile, humans have evolved in a way where fat is stored in the body to prepare for the time when food will not be available.Kim Hyung-mi, director at the department of dietetics at Severance Hospital, points out that the success of the diet lies in not only howSome of the popular diet methods may do more harm than good, according to nutritionists.much kilos you shed, but for how long you maintain the lowered weight. You may lose weight by simply reducing food, but it means the body will lack essential nutrients — our instinct will make us eventually eat more food, and the lowered basal metabolism will make us easily gain weight even with a smaller amount of food.“500 calories diet,” coauthored by Kim and CJ Freshway and published by Cypress, is designed to provide the essential nutrients while minimizing stresses from diet. It aims at reducin

Jan 25, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Slow but steady is best way to diet

Osteoporosis ― hidden risk to elderly

A middle aged woman falls on the ice in this file photo. Those with osteoporosis are at higher risk of suffering fractures.              / Korea Times fileBy Yoon Ja-youngKim Su-ja, a housewife who just had her 60th birthday party, fell on the slippery entrance of the hairdresser’s salon near her home in Seoul last month. As she felt severe pain, she phoned her husband and asked him to come to her aid. She went to a nearby orthopedics hospital in a taxi, where on examination, they found out that her hip bone was broken.Senior citizens are increasingly suffering from osteoporosis, where weak bones make them vulnerable to fracture. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of patients who were diagnosed with osteoporosis recorded 773,000 in 2011, up 44 percent from 2007 when there were 535,000 patients. The treatment cost totaled 77.2 billion won in 2011, increasing 35 percent from 2007.The data showed that osteoporosis is mostly a “female” disease. In 2011, females took over 92 percent of the

Jan 25, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Osteoporosis ― hidden risk to elderly
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