South Korea - The Korea Times

New general hospital to open in northwestern Seoul

Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital / Courtesy of Catholic University of KoreaEunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital said Tuesday that it will open next month, marking the first general hospital in Seoul's northwestern region.The 300-bed hospital, under the Catholic University of Korea, will officially open Monday with 39 medical departments under its arm, ranging from cardiology to neurology.When it is fully open, the hospital will significantly bump up the total number of beds to over 800."Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital is the first general hospital in this part of the capital city," professor Kwon Soon-yong told reporters, adding that the people in the region will be able to receive high quality professional medical care.The hospital is within walking distance of major residential areas in the Eunpyeong and Seodaemun wards, and only 37 kilometers away from North Korea's industrial city of Kaesong.The hospital said it aims to serve a role in inter-Korean relations as the two Koreas move to expand cooperation in the health and medical sectors."Our hospital is a cutting-edge general hospital that al

Mar 26, 2019

New general hospital to open in northwestern Seoul

Children easily exposed to cigarette ads near school

Children are easily exposed to cigarette commercials, according to government data, Monday. / GettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiChildren are still exposed to cigarette advertisements, with a recent study showing some areas have around seven stores within 200 meters of a school displaying them.According to 2018 data published Monday by the Korea Health Promotion Institute, seven stores on average sold tobacco products within a 200 meters radius of the surveyed schools in Seoul.Of 1,011 retail stores surveyed, 91 percent had some form of advertising for cigarettes such as stickers, flashing lights and small posters. According to the institute's definitions, 502 (49.7 percent) were convenience stores, 368 were supermarkets, while 11 were stationary and book stores.These outlets had an average of 22.3 pieces of promotional material, an increase of 7.6 from 2017; and some could be seen from outside the stores, a violation of laws governing the advertising of tobacco products.In many stores, the material is displayed close to candy and chocolates, favored by children.Ninety-five percent of 916

Mar 25, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji

Children easily exposed to cigarette ads near school

Korea moving to advance 'death with dignity'

A nurse takes care of patient in an intensive care unit at Yonsei University Severance Hospital in this March 21, 2018 file photo. /Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-ji Sixty-five-year-old housewife Lee Sun-hwa recently filled out an advanced directive refusing life-sustaining treatment in the event she falls terminally ill.She did so after watching her friend's death and the trouble it caused between the two sons. Lee's friend suffered from pancreatic cancer, and ended up lying in a coma kept alive by a life support system. Her children began to argue about whether they should continue treatment or not mainly due to financial reasons.“It was truly hard for me to observe their agony to decide whether they would keep going or help her to be relieved. The most difficult part was they didn't know their mother's intention,” Lee said.Lee said she wants to use her own wishes to end her life, if she faces a similar situation to her friend.“This decision is for myself of course, but at the same time it's for my children because I don't want them to get involved in unnecessary tro

Mar 25, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji

Monthly allowance to be given for children under six

The government will give a monthly allowance of 100,000 won to parents with children under six years old irrespective of family income from April. gettyimagesbankBy Kang Seung-wooStarting April, parents will receive a monthly allowance of 100,000 won ($88) for each child under six years old irrespective of family income, the government said, Tuesday.Plus, the benefit will be extended to those under the age of seven in September.The payment has become possible after the National Assembly revised a relevant law to remove the income eligibility standards, and the government endorsed a relevant ordinance at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day.So far, households in the top 10 percent income bracket have not been entitled to the benefit. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, new beneficiaries must apply at community service centers or the ministry's website, and the allowance for the first three months of this year will be paid retroactively. The benefit is in line with President Moon Jae-in's childcare policy pledges. During the 2017 election campaign, Moon stressed a greater

Mar 19, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Monthly allowance to be given for children under six

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical wins iF Design Award 2019

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, one of Korea's major drug and beverage manufacturers, has won an iF Design Award 2019, a company spokesman said Tuesday.He said Kwangdong has grabbed the world-renowned design award in recognition of its design excellence in two categories ― easy check medication and eco easy cap. Easy check medication                                               /Kwangdong PharmaceuticalThe company already won the easy check medication award from two other world design awards ― the Red Dot Design (Reddot) Award and the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA).The spokesman said the company's easy check medication package is designed to prevent doctors from making incorrect prescriptions or providing the wrong medication which may arise from similar package designs of different drug products.Kwangdong's package takes advantage of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system so that it can help medical professionals easily tell what the c

Mar 19, 2019

Human rights watchdog claims anti-abortion law 'unconstitutional'

An activist holds an "Abolish anti-abortion law" sign during a rally in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul in this May 2018 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Hyun-binThe nation's human rights watchdog has voiced its opposition to the country's anti-abortion law, saying it violates women's basic rights and thus is unconstitutional.This marks the first time the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has called the law unconstitutional officially and submitted a written opinion against it. While the Constitutional Court is scheduled to make a ruling about the law as early as April, it remains to be seen if the commission's opinion would affect the court's decision.In Korea, abortion is an illegal practice, allowed only in very limited cases such as life-threatening circumstances, rape and incest. A woman who has an abortion can face up to one year in prison or 2 million won ($1,850) in fines, and a doctor who performs an abortion, up to two years in prison.According to the commission, Monday, the court asked the commission to give its opinion on the issue for a review a

Mar 18, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

Human rights watchdog claims anti-abortion law 'unconstitutional'

Constitutional Court to rule on anti-abortion law (ruling from 2 p.m.)

Herbal medicine found to prevent lung damage from fine dust

A research paper about Kwangdong Pharmaceutical's drug, Kyung-Ok-Ko (KOK), that prevents pulmonary damage from fine dust inhalation has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research, the company said Tuesday.KOK is a traditional herbal medicine that has long been used in Oriental medicine as a tonic for age-related diseases.In the study, researchers investigated the beneficial effect of KOK on fine particular matter-induced lung endothelial cell (EC) barrier disruption and pulmonary inflammation through tests on mice, according to the company.The researchers induced lung injury in the mice with particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, or PM2.5. Divided into two groups, one was given KOK and the other group was not.While the mice had abnormally high levels of vasopermeability after being exposed to PM2.5, the levels of the group given KOK became significantly lower. The levels of their reactive oxygen species in the endotheliocyte of the lung also decreased 58 percent compared with the group that did not have KOK.“This test

Mar 17, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji

Expats to face stricter health insurance rules

All foreigners must enroll in health insurance after six-month stayBy Lee Suh-yoonStricter terms will be applied to foreign residents to prevent possible abuse of the national health insurance system, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced, Sunday.According to the changes, effective from July, all foreigners who have continuously resided in the country for at least six months must subscribe to the state healthcare program through a non-employer-sponsored plan and pay monthly premiums. Previously, mandatory registration was only applied to salaried workers, leading to cases where foreigners who needed high-cost medical procedures signed up for the program because those covered by the insurance get around 62 percent of essential medical costs reimbursed.Such cases of opportunism ― mostly found in temporary visitors rather than settled residents ― led the ministry to raise the minimum period of residency to make one eligible for the state insurance from three months to six months last December. Those who leave Korea for 30 continuous days are dropped from the system but they can r

Mar 17, 2019

Expats to face stricter health insurance rules

Law revision urged for better protection of abandoned animals

Park So-youn, head of Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), enters Jongno Police Station in central Seoul, Thursday, to be questioned over her alleged euthanizing of some 250 animals secretly. / YonhapBy Kim RahnThe National Assembly Research Service has advised law revisions to better protect and manage animals at privately run shelters, according to its report, Sunday.The advice comes after an allegation that Park So-youn, the head of animal rights group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), euthanized hundreds of rescued dogs secretly due to a lack of space at the group's shelters.According to the report, the number of private shelters is estimated at 150 nationwide, and the Animal Protection Act is not applied to them unlike facilities run by local governments.So these shelters do not have regulations about euthanasia unlike the public ones where only vets administer it under strict rules and leave records.“Rescue activity can become animal hoarding,” the report said. “Keeping animals indiscriminately may lead to mass animal abuse.”The repo

Mar 17, 2019By Kim Rahn

Law revision urged for better protection of abandoned animals

Stress relief: schools build special zone to reduce student anxiety

"Stess-Free Zone" built in Chang-shin Elementary School in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Bahk Eun-jiThe growing prevalence of psychiatric problems in children is becoming a public health issue that cannot be ignored. Stress has become part of student life due to various high expectations placed on them including the pressure to be admitted to one of a 'few prestigious universities.According to data collected by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in 2016, more than 170,000 students in middle and high schools sought counseling programs run by the ministry and local youth centers, especially about difficulty with not only personal relations but also with high academic pressure. Of these, 19,872 students received counselling regarding suicide attempts and serious depression, up from 2013's figure of 15,757 students.More and more, young people struggle with dealing with mental stress, but few know how to deal with it. As a part of efforts to help overburdened children, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) opened “Stress-Free Zone”s in six schoo