Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Contraception controversy

Government’s plan to reclassify birth-control pills gets pushed back By Chung Hee-hyung The government is considering reclassifying non-emergency oral contraceptive pills as prescription drugs, requiring doctors’ written instructions before they are taken prior to sexual intercourse. Conversely, emergency contraceptives – taken after unprotected sex - will be sold as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and would no longer need prescriptions for purchase. The Korean Food and Drug Administration’s (KFDA) proposed change is part of the agency’s move to reclassify all medications sold in the country. All drugs are subject to reclassification review, but the sensitivity of pregnancy and birth control has drawn disproportionate attention on contraceptive pills. Physicians, pharmacists and civil advocate groups are all voicing different opinions, forcing the government to postpone finalizing the reclassification plan. “The government will make a careful decision after weighing all options available, and we are open to any proposals,” said Rim Che-min, the minister of Health and

Aug 17, 2012

How to best guard against strokes

By Kelly Frances For many of us, the prospect of having a stroke conjures up images of ‘much older folks’ with protruding bellies. Seldom do we think of such things in our 20s and 30s; after all, Koreans famously soldier through intense workdays, followed by after-work drinking and dining (hoesik), yet still make it to work on time. What Korean-American lecturer Michael Hurt, 40, came to realize, is that the choices we make during our youth matter. Having recently survived a hemorrhagic stroke, Hurt is swift to warn others about being nonchalant about health. “Waking up with my entire left side paralyzed would be the stand-out moment for me," he recalled. “Not being able to go to the bathroom like a normal person, or even alone, or even shower - this will put Old Testament fear into anyone.” “My thing is now that I am so happy to be alive that I don't see any reason why someone would do something that they may find themselves regretting in a hospital bed, similar to me, later in life.” Officially, the cause of Hurt’s stroke was traced to undiagnosed high blood p

Aug 17, 2012

Coping with Korean culture

Dear Dr. P, I am an American with Mexican culture, and I recently asked my Korean Girlfriend to marry me, to which she replied yes. The problem is that we initially agreed to tell her parents of our engagement while we were both present. Well, before we were able to do that my girl friend told her parents alone, and later told me of what she said. Her mother didn’t seem surprised, telling her she already knew about the engagement. But her father shouted “you didn’t even bother to talk to me first,” after which he stormed out of the kitchen and when to his room. Now, I am afraid I looked so coward that was unable to stand up to their parents and deliver the message straight in their face, however uncomfortable that might be. My girl friend says I should type a letter, maybe in Korean that states my intentions and how I feel about their daughter. I am open to your suggestion, and I want to do what would be culturally acceptable to my girlfriend’s parents. Dear Anonymous, After finding out about your girlfriend’s parents getting very angry, you are in quite a dilemma as t

Aug 17, 2012

Wide awake on hazardous overdose of energy drinks

By Bahk Eun-ji, Jung Min-ho, Kim Bo-eun At around 7:15 a.m. every school day, Kim Kyu-dong, a 17-year-old high school senior at Gyeonggi Province, drops by a convenience store to buy two tins of Hot 6, an energy drink with high amounts of caffeine and taurine. Kim drinks one of them right before the first class starts in order not to doze off. At 12:45 p.m. after having lunch, Kim drinks the second tin. This keeps him from feeling drowsy after eating, and helps him concentrate during afternoon classes. As he can’t buy energy drinks at the school cafeteria, he buys them before school. At 11:00 p.m. after school, Kim heads to a private study close to his home. He usually stays up until 1:00 a.m. studying before going home. It is hard to stay awake, so he gets another Hot 6 from the vending machine in the reading room’s lounge. The strength of caffeine gets much higher, when midterm or final exams. He cooks a mixed drink, better known here as a “Boong-boong drink.” It is a cocktail mixed with one or two tins of energy drinks and sports drinks, and a little amount of powder

Aug 15, 2012

Turtle marathon returns to Mt. Nam on Sunday

Join the 421st Turtle Marathon on Sunday for a stroll around Mt. Nam and enjoy the gentle breeze. The monthly event has drawn more than 120,000 people since 1978. The Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, is hosting in conjunction with the Namyangju city government to celebrate the city’s 2012 slow food festival. Its mayor, Lee Seok-woo, will lead the walkathon. Winners of the 2012 Miss Korea beauty pageant will also participate. Upon finishing the walk, TV presenter Lee Sang-yong will emcee a prize draw with local specialties from the Namyangju region, beverages from Nongshim, running shoes from FILA, tickets to Drumcat’s “The Festival” and more. Middle and high school students who assist with the cleanup afterwards will receive certification for two hours of volunteer work. There is no cost to participate. For more information, visit turtle.hankooki.com. When: Aug. 19. Meet at 6:40 a.m. and the walk begins at 7 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 Engli

Aug 15, 2012

Cheongsimwon ― must-have drug for travelers

By Yi Whan-woo The summer vacation season is at its peak, and holidaymakers are rushing to the countryside to climb the hills and mountains or to relax by the sea, or even traveling overseas. While packing some people may forget to include first-aid items. Medical experts recommend vacationers take “uhwang cheongsimwon,” a traditional Korean herbal medicine, to better cope with unexpected situations. It is an over-the-counter remedy and the anxiolytic pill is comprised of ox bezoar, civet, and herbal ingredients. The pill is effective when people panic and need to return to a calmer state, according to Ryu Jong-hoon, a professor at the college of pharmacy at Kyung Hee University. “The study suggests that uhwang cheongsimwon is a good anxiolytic medicine without generally stimulating locomotor activity due to exposure to a new, strange environment,” Ryu stated in his study on the medicine in 2009. It was originally made by Heo Jun, a royal physician and the author of an encyclopedic medical book written in the 17th century during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

Aug 10, 2012

Weapons with pinpoint accuracy?

Once hailed as magic bullet, targeted drug therapies have limitations as well By Chung Hee-hyung A new class of “targeted” drug therapies was once praised as a physicians’ dream come true – medicine that only attacks cancerous cells without causing collateral damage to healthy tissues. When Gleevec was introduced in 2001, it was dubbed the “magic bullet” to combat leukemia by TIME magazine, and has prompted a steady stream of targeted cancer drugs. These brand-new drugs have revolutionized cancer treatment by enabling physicians for the first time to attack cancerous cells with precise surgical strikes. But much of the initial enthusiasm has since abated and scientists caution that it would take an arduous path of trial and error before the full potential of these drugs can be exploited. Cancer comes in countless forms, but it is essentially an uncontrolled growth of cells that spreads malignant tumors to other parts of the body until the person afflicted dies. Traditionally, when a cancer patient’s tumor has grown too large to be removed by surgery, chemotherapy

Aug 10, 2012

Finding ways to overcome cultural differences

Dear Dr. P, I'm single and have been living with a Korean man for the last 5 years. He has a wife and children in Korea. His marriage was arranged by the man’s family, which means it is a family issue and he cannot divorce of his own free will. He doesn't love his wife, but he can’t part from her because Korean society generally frowns upon divorce. He has stopped having sexual relations with his wife. He visits his family 4 or 5 times a year for a week and talks on the phone to them quite often. Is it possible for him to remain married but otherwise have no relationship? Can his Korean wife accept that he has a relationship with another woman as long as she is receiving financial support? If they divorce, will his children suffer for the rest of their lives? When I think of his wife and kids, I would rather stop my relationship with him. Even when he was in Korea after he married, he used to sleep with hookers. Now, since he met me, he has changed...it's over, he says. And he wants me to be his second wife. But I'm not sure. Can I trust him and support him to take respons

Aug 10, 2012

(199) Face tells one’s aptitude

By Janet Shin There are various ways to analyze physical fitness by scrutinizing the musculoskeletal system, body strength, flexibility and so on. Some say it can also be read by faces, one of the Oriental ways of fortune telling. We may find some interesting clues just by reviewing basic theories. One of the rudiments is to divide one’s face into three parts. The first part is from the upper forehead to eyebrows, which tells one’s inborn fortune or reputation and intelligence. (0-34 years old) The second is the eyes, nose and cheekbones. These parts tell one’s ambition, health, power and love life during the major years of adulthood. (35-50) The third includes the mouth and a chin. These represent the latter years to tell how one manages people and assets. (51 and older) These three parts are symbolized as heaven, human and earth, in that order. Because the first part suggests a given destiny from heaven, the second is constructed by human activity and efforts and the third, portrayed by how people handle their property, which is mostly represented by earth from

Aug 9, 2012

Just too many coffee shops around

By Kim Bo-eun, Bahk Eun-ji Coffee shops are mushrooming to provide Koreans who crave caffeine with their daily fix. New cafes pop up every day in nooks and crannies of cities across the nation. It’s not surprising at all that South Korea is sometimes called the “Republic of coffee.” You can come across a coffee shop every 50 meters as you walk along any street on which office buildings are located in Seoul. To stay afloat in this red ocean in which competition is getting fiercer amid dwindling profit margins, the owners of coffee shops ― especially those running small ones ― are struggling to come up with various strategies to attract customers, offering them discounts or free coupons. Simply too many “I started this business because it was something that I had always wanted to try,” said Park in his 30s who runs a 15-square-meter coffee shop located inside a company building in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul. “But circumstances have not always been as favorable as I had hoped, with more coffee shops sprouting nearby,” he said. There were several owners before him

Aug 8, 2012

Others

Others

Contraception controversy

How to best guard against strokes

Coping with Korean culture

Wide awake on hazardous overdose of energy drinks

Turtle marathon returns to Mt. Nam on Sunday

Cheongsimwon ― must-have drug for travelers

Weapons with pinpoint accuracy?

Finding ways to overcome cultural differences

(199) Face tells one’s aptitude

Just too many coffee shops around

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