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Foreign virus patients required to foot own medical bills

Inspectors from Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention watch body temperature of people arriving at Incheon International Airport, June 28. Korea Times fileForeign new coronavirus patients are required to share the costs of their treatment here from Monday, with those who violate local rules being obligated to fully pay the bill.Health authorities said they will request foreign COVID-19 patients to pay the costs for their medical services if they are found to have violated quarantine rules.From Aug. 24, the country will charge foreigners a different amount by considering the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations, according to the authorities.South Korea has been providing free medical services to all COVID-19 patients reported here, including foreigners.There have been growing calls for foreign patients to share the burden, as the prolonged virus pandemic is poised to further burden taxpayers.South Korea has been cautious about changing its free-of-charge treatment policy due to diplomatic issues.South Korea, however, will still exempt all costs for foreigners wh

Aug 17, 2020
Foreign virus patients required to foot own medical bills

S. Korea reports 197 new cases of coronavirus infection

- S. Korea reports 197 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 15,515- No additional coronavirus death, death toll at 305- 7 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 13,917South Korea reported 197 more cases of the new coronavirus on Monday as it battles sporadic outbreaks in Seoul and its neighboring area amid growing fears of resurgence in the greater Seoul area.The additional COVID-19 cases, including 188 local infections, raised the country's total caseload to 15,515, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Of the new cases, 188 were local transmissions.Monday's figure came a day after the nation reported 279 new daily infections, marking the first time since early March that the new daily infections surpassed 200.Although the number of new cases declined from a day earlier, it marked a three-digit number for the fourth straight day, following 166 infections Saturday and 103 Friday.Of the newly identified local infections, a total of 89 cases was reported in the capital city of Seoul, and 67 were from the surrounding Gy

Aug 17, 2020
S. Korea reports 197 new cases of coronavirus infection

South Korea fears nationwide surge in coronavirus cases

Quarantine officials carry out disinfection against the novel coronavirus around the Sarang Jeil Church building in Seongbuk-gu, northeastern Seoul, Sunday. YonhapGov't, Seoul City to file complaints against conservative pastor JunBy Bahk Eun-jiThe Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday it plans to file a complaint against Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, a conservative pastor who led mass demonstration in downtown Seoul, Saturday, for allegedly obstructing the government's efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.The government's move came as dozens of people who have been infected with the virus were believed to have been connected to Jun's church, Sarang Jeil Church. On Saturday, more than 10,000 people participated in an anti-government demonstration in Gwanghwamun Square, which was led by far-right and Christian groups, including Jun's church, despite the city government banning mass gatherings over coronavirus concerns. The health ministry's move came three hours after President Moon Jae-in warned of strict responses to such unlawful acts by some church members who have hampered the c

Aug 16, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
South Korea fears nationwide surge in coronavirus cases

State-run healthcare struggling under Moon administration

By Bahk Eun-jiThe prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is causing an unexpectedly large health insurance deficit this year. Critics were quick to blame the deficit on President Moon Jae-in's policy, dubbed “Mooncare,” which plans to expand the coverage of the state-run health insurance to 70 percent by 2023, and warned of its failure. But experts and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) view it's too early to worry.According to data from NHIS, the health insurance deficit reached 943.5 billion won in the first half of the year, up 548.9 billion won from a year earlier, as the country has suffered from financial difficulties due to the unprecedented pandemic.The deficit marked the third year in a row that the health insurance balance has been in the red. In 2019 the current account deficit stood at 3.2 trillion won and in 2018 it was at 177.8 billion won after running a surplus for seven straight years. The administration vowed to continue expanding NHIS coverage, especially for those in the low-income brackets, children and elderly, but Mooncare is facing strong protest fr

Aug 16, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
State-run healthcare struggling under Moon administration

'Dog dewormer is not a cure all': experts warn of cancer treatment myth

By Bahk Eun-jiThe buying up of cheap dog deworming medicine has been continuing despite strong warnings by doctors and the government regarding potential side-effects of taking it as an anticancer drug.Following the controversy over the claimed anticancer effects of fenbendazole, a drug used by veterinarians to protect against gastrointestinal parasites in dogs, cats, horses and cattle, after an online video claimed that the medicine could cure cancer went viral last year, another rumor about albendazole, which has a similar chemical structure to fenbendazole has spread online with similar claims that it can be used as a treatment for allergic rhinitis.In early April, pharmacists here warned the public against taking Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug which had been rumored to be effective in treating COVID-19. Various media outlets reported on Ivermectin's possible use as a COVID-19 treatment after reading a collaborative study on the drug led by the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. The Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) said however, it has no

Aug 16, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
'Dog dewormer is not a cure all': experts warn of cancer treatment myth

S. Korea reports 279 new cases of coronavirus; highest in 5 months

- S. Korea reports 279 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 15,318- No additional coronavirus death, death toll at 305- 9 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 13,910South Korea reported more than 200 new coronavirus cases for the first time in five months Sunday due mainly to a spike in infections in the greater Seoul area.The country added 279 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total caseload to 15,318, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).It marks the first time since early March that the new daily infections surpassed 200. The country reported more than 200 new daily infections for days after the number peaked at 909 on Feb. 29 with Daegu and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province at the center of the mass outbreak.The number of new cases is the most since March 8 when the country reported 367 cases. It also marked a three-digit number for the third straight day, following 166 infections on Saturday and 103 on Friday.Of the 279 new cases, 267 were local transmissions, also the most since 366 on March 8. The

Aug 16, 2020
S. Korea reports 279 new cases of coronavirus; highest in 5 months

People in greater Seoul advised not to travel to other areas for 2 weeks

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during an emergency COVID-19 meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at Seoul Government Complex in Jongno District, Saturday. YonhapThe South Korean government on Saturday advised people in the greater Seoul area to refrain from traveling to other areas for the next two weeks in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The recommendation came shortly after the government placed stricter social distancing guidelines on the greater Seoul area, as daily new COVID-19 cases in the country reached a five-month high of 166, with the highly infectious disease spreading at an alarming rate. The decision to raise the social distancing scheme in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi region up one notch to Level 2 was reached at a pan-governmental COVID-19 meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, chaired by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.The heightened guidelines for Seoul and Gyeonggi Province will take effect Sunday and continue for two weeks.Unless there are signs of a fall in the number o

Aug 15, 2020
People in greater Seoul advised not to travel to other areas for 2 weeks

South Korea reports 166 new virus cases as transmissions spread in greater Seoul area

Health inspectors fumigate surroundings of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul's Seongbuk-gu District, Friday, which the Seoul city government shut down after cluster infection of COVID-19 took place there. Yonhap South Korea saw new daily COVID-19 virus cases reach triple digits for the second day in a row Saturday, as sporadic local infections in the greater Seoul area jumped ahead of the three-day holiday weekend. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 166 infections as of midnight Friday, raising the total caseload to 15,039. Of these 155 were locally transmitted. This is the second straight day for new infections to top 100, following 138, reported Friday. The number of cases was the largest since March 11, when the country reported 242.There has been a dramatic increase in infections during the week, with new daily confirmed cases nearly doubling from 28, Monday, to 54, Wednesday, with people testing positive for the virus reaching triple

Aug 15, 2020By Ko Dong-hwan
South Korea reports 166 new virus cases as transmissions spread in greater Seoul area

Shincheonji Church leader indicted on charges of obstructing COVID-19 response

Shincheonji Church leader Lee Man-hee / Korea Times fileThe leader of a minor religious sect at the center of the early coronavirus outbreak in South Korea was indicted Friday for allegedly obstructing the government's efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic.Prosecutors in Suwon, south of Seoul, indicted Lee Man-hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, and 11 other sect officials. Lee, 89, is accused of submitting false documents to health authorities on the locations and number of participants at Shincheonji's gatherings in February when the sect was blamed for spikes in the COVID-19's spread in the country.He is also accused of embezzling 5.6 billion won (US$4.68 million) from church funds and holding unauthorized religious events from 2015-19. Lee was arrested on Aug. 1.Some 4,000 followers, most of whom were from its branch in the southeastern city of Daegu, were infected with the COVID-19 virus.Eleven Shincheonji officials were also indicted Friday on charges of destroying evidence or forging documents for construction permits. They have not been detained.On Jul

Aug 14, 2020
Shincheonji Church leader indicted on charges of obstructing COVID-19 response

Doctors' nationwide strike inconveniences citizens

Doctors hold a nationwide strike on Yeouido in Seoul, Friday, in protest of the government's plan to increase admission quotas at medical schools. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeKim Jeong-eun, a 36-year-old office worker in Seoul, visited a clinic near her office during her lunch break on Friday as she was suffering from indigestion. But she could not receive treatment as the clinic was closed.She later realized that the doctor of the clinic had been participating in the nationwide doctors' strike. “I did not know about the walkout. As I had no time to go to a bigger hospital, I just went to a nearby pharmacy to get medicine,” she wrote on Facebook.The doctors' one-day strike disrupted medical services across the country as expected, as the participants of the walkout included practitioners at small clinics as well as some trainee doctors such as interns and residents at general hospitals. Some people such as Kim could not get timely treatment, while others who visited clinics and hospitals where staff did not participate in the strike had to wait longer than usual. A notice announ

Aug 14, 2020
Doctors' nationwide strike inconveniences citizens
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