my timesThe Korea Times
South Korea

Health

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.

Abortion ban ruled unconstitutional; what should revisions be?

Anti-abortion ban activists celebrate outside of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, April 11, after the court ruled against the ban. / YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiAfter the Constitutional Court ruled last week that the country's 66-year-old abortion ban must be lifted, politicians face one of their toughest tasks in revising the relevant law: the legal limitations.In its ruling, the court said banning abortion in the early stages of pregnancy was “an unconstitutional restriction that violates a woman's right to make her own decisions on personal matters.” But it left it to the National Assembly to decide whether to restrict abortions in the late stages of a pregnancy, and when exactly would be too late. In line with the ruling, the Assembly needs to amend the law by December 2020, and if it fails to do so, the law will become null and void and abortion will be permitted at any time during the pregnancy.Justice Party head Rep. Lee Jeong-mi was the first to submit a revision bill on April 15, which was aimed at allowing all abortions within 14 weeks of pregnancy. Rep. Lee Jeong-mi,

Apr 21, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Abortion ban ruled unconstitutional; what should revisions be?

Gov't to more actively engage in treating people with mental disorders

Forensic science officers prepare to inspect the scene of an arson and knife attack by a reportedly schizophrenic man at an apartment building in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. /YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe government will be more actively engaged in treating psychiatric patients who are highly likely to commit acts of violence against others or themselves, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday.The move comes after an arson and stabbing attack Wednesday by a man who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He killed five people and injured 13 at an apartment complex in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. It also follows the death of renowned psychiatrist Lim Se-won at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul last year who was stabbed by one of his patients suffering from bipolar disorder. After the psychiatrist's death, calls grew for the government to more intensively look into the system of management for patients with serious mental health problems, particularly for those who refuse to get outpatient treatment after leaving hospital, which was the case in the Jinju arson an

Apr 19, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Gov't to more actively engage in treating people with mental disorders

Counseling centers to help migrant women suffering domestic, sexual violence open

A participant sheds tears during a memorial event in front of Deoksu Palace in Seoul for marriage migrant women who were killed by their husbands, in this 2012 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kim RahnSupport centers will open to provide counseling, medical and legal support and temporary shelter for migrant women who have suffered domestic violence or sexual assault, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Friday.The ministry said it recently selected three institutes ― the Daegu and North Chungcheong provincial branches of the Woman Migrants Human Rights Center and Incheon Woman Line ― to offer aid to marriage migrant women or female migrant workers who are victims of violence.“So far, counseling services have been available for violence victims at Danuri Helpline, the ministry-run call center for migrant women, as well as at domestic violence counseling centers,” a ministry official said. “But those channels did not have enough professionals to deal with the violence issues. We hope the newly designated counseling centers will help the migrant women s

Apr 19, 2019By Kim Rahn
Counseling centers to help migrant women suffering domestic, sexual violence open

Korea climbs again in press-freedom index

South Korea's press freedom has risen for two years straight to rank 41st in the latest index, a press advocacy group said Thursday. The 2019 World Press Freedom Index compiled by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders showed that the country climbed two places from the previous year's list due to positive changes brought about in the industry following the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in, a former human rights activist. It is the second consecutive year that South Korea's ranking has risen, after dropping to 70th place in 2016. Some 180 nations were judged on their level of media freedom.The agency also said the Korean media played a role in the 2014-2016 period in opposing then President Park Geun-hye and revealing corruption scandals surrounding her that led to her impeachment.North Korea, which was the country with the least press freedom in the world last year, climbed a notch to 179th thanks to its gestures of opening up, including last year's summit with the United States.China and Vietnam fell one rank to 177th and 176th, respectively, while Taiwan was 42nd and Japan

Apr 18, 2019
Korea climbs again in press-freedom index

Jeju revokes license of country's 1st for-profit hospital

Aerial photo of the Greenland International Medical Center on Jeju Island. It would have been the country's first for-profit hospital. / Courtesy of the Greenland International Medical CenterBy Kim Hyun-binJeju provincial government has revoked the business license of what would have been the country's first for-profit hospital, as it failed to meet the deadline to launch operations “without clear reasons.” The revocation follows public hearings held last month after Greenland International Medical Center, invested in by the Shanghai-based Greenland Group, missed the deadline for opening and filed a lawsuit against the local government's ban on providing medical services to Korean patients. “The regional government decided to revoke the approval of the medical center after reviewing the results of a public hearing over the issue,” Won Hee-ryong, governor of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government, said during a press conference Wednesday.“Without proper cause, the hospital neither opened within the three months since its license was approve

Apr 17, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin
Jeju revokes license of country's 1st for-profit hospital

Inbound foreign patients increase in 2018

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 378,967 foreigners came to Korea for treatment in 2018. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooThe number of foreigners who visited Korea last year for medical treatment reached almost 380,000, with the cumulative tally for the last decade topping 2 million, the health ministry said Wednesday.According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 378,967 foreigners came to Korea for treatment in 2018, up 17.8 percent from the previous year's 321,574. The 2018 figure was the highest recorded so far.The number has been steadily increasing ― by an annual 22.7 percent on average since 2009 ― when local hospitals were first allowed to treat “medical tourists.” In 2015, Korea saw the cumulative number of non-resident patients reach 1 million, and hit the 2 million mark in 2018. In 2009, patients from 139 countries came to Korea, but this increased to 190 in 2018. By nationality, Chinese patients ranked first with 118,310 in 2018, accounting for 31.2 percent, followed by Americans at 11.9 percent; Japanese, 11.2 perce

Apr 17, 2019By Kang Seung-woo
Inbound foreign patients increase in 2018

Historic ruling sparks debate over abortion pills

By Bahk Eun-jiFollowing the recent historic Constitutional Court decision against the nation's 66-year-old abortion ban, calls are rising on the government to legalize the sale of abortive drugs, such as a well-known one, Mifegyne.A pharmacists' group calls for government's approval for Mifegyene, an abortion drug, following the Constitutional Court's decision to lift the abortion ban, while a doctors' group raises concerns over possible side effects. /Korea Times fileBut some others express a more cautious approach for the sales permission, because misuse or abuse of the drugs without proper medical consultation could damage women's health.On Friday, a day after the court ruling, a group of pharmacists issued a statement urging the government to legalize the use of Mifegyne.Mifegyne, first approved in France in 1998, is a typical form of abortion pill. It is said to be 95 percent effective when used within the first 49 days of pregnancy.The Association of Pharmacists for Healthy Society (APHS) said the ruling is still insufficient for women who want to have safe abortions, requestin

Apr 14, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Historic ruling sparks debate over abortion pills
  • 'Pro-choice!': Constitutional Court rules against abortion ban
  • Long road lies ahead of legal abortion

Gov't expands support for couples with fertility problems

A doctor examines a pregnant woman using an ultrasound scan. /Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-jiA 38-year-old office worker Cho Yu-ri, who has been married for nine years, has spent more than 35 million won ($30,720) since 2016 when she first decided to try artificial insemination to overcome her fertility problems. She had the fifth trial last month but all have failed. Cho said she plans to quit the job she's had for 11 years, in order to focus on the treatments.Lee Woo-jung, a 36-year-old accountant who has been married for six years, said she can never get used to the feeling of injecting herself with hormones in a restroom in her office building before undergoing her in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.“My doctor said I have to get the shots at the appointed time every day. So I visited several clinics around my office to ask if they could give me the injections, but all of them refused,” Lee said. Lee said the doctors she had visited said they felt pressure about possible side effects caused by the injections because the body of a woman who is treated for fertility p

Apr 14, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Gov't expands support for couples with fertility problems

Long road lies ahead of legal abortion

Protesters urge the Constitutional Court to rule against abortion ban in front of the top court in Jongno, Seoul, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunAlthough the Constitutional Court ruled against the country's 66-year-old abortion ban, Thursday, there still seems to be a long way to go before a law revision is made by next year.The top court ordered the National Assembly to amend related laws by Dec. 31, 2020, but many possible issues are emerging such as how many weeks into pregnancy abortion will be allowed and whether the national health insurance will cover it. For the next 20 months, terminating a pregnancy is still illegal and people can be punished for having the procedure. Prosecutors will postpone their investigations and indictments over abortion charges and the courts will delay rulings to wait for the law revision. Above all, the biggest controversy will be up to how late into a pregnancy abortions will be allowed. France and Germany allow abortion until 12 weeks, Australia 20 weeks and England 24 weeks.However, medical professionals warns that fixing a certain number of w

Apr 12, 2019By Kim Jae-heun
Long road lies ahead of legal abortion
  • Historic ruling sparks debate over abortion pills

Korean society shows mixed reactions to court's pro-abortion ruling

Proponents for the abortion ban rally outside the Constitutional Court in central Seoul, Thursday, ahead of its ruling on the issue. YonhapVarious circles of South Korean society showed conflicting responses to the Constitutional Court's ruling in favor of abortion rights on Thursday, depending on their political and religious orientations.In a landmark ruling, the Constitutional Court ruled an outright ban on abortion is unconstitutional and called for a legislative change to partially allow the termination in the early stage of pregnancy.Liberal civic activists and doctors welcomed the top court's ruling, whereas conservatives and religious groups expressed strong dismay at its decision to ease the abortion ban.The domestic medical community welcomed the top court's pro-choice ruling, saying it is based on reality and will help protect the health of pregnant women.Medical circles have long protested against criminal punishment of doctors accused of performing abortions and women accused of terminating a pregnancy. Aborting a fetus is punishable by a prison term of up to one year or

Apr 11, 2019
Korean society shows mixed reactions to court's pro-abortion ruling
  • 'Pro-choice!': Constitutional Court rules against abortion ban
previous page
457458459460461
next page

Most Read in South Korea