South Korea - The Korea Times

Fine dust: leading cause of cardiovascular deaths

By Kim Hyun-binFine dust has been smothering the nation as of late and the government was left with no choice but to issue emergency measures in hopes of reducing the fine dust level.The government's fine dust warnings have become a part of everyday life for most residents of Korea, especially those living in the capital region.Dust is everywhere in the Earth's atmosphere. Small particles of dust are called fine dust or particulate matter (PM). A particle that is smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) is categorized as fine dust, and that smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), as ultrafine dust.Fine dust is caused by fine particulates, which is largely emitted by internal-combustion engines and industrial sites, and is particularly strong during winter, aggravated by yellow dust from the Mongolian desert.Some particles are emitted into the air directly, but others form as a result of complicated chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Particles can travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers downwind, affecting people far from the source.The phenomenon has become a major hazard t

Jan 20, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

Fine dust: leading cause of cardiovascular deaths

Animal activist leader refuses to step down despite euthanasia scandal

Park So-youn, head of animal activist group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), gives her account of the alleged euthanasia of rescued animals without CARE staff's knowledge, at a press conference in southern Seoul, Saturday. / YonhapBy Jung Hae-myoungPark So-youn, the head of animal rights group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), is refusing to resign despite the recent protest from group members and supporters over her euthanasia of hundreds of animals.She made her stance clear at a press conference in southern Seoul, Saturday, her first public appearance since the controversy emerged on Jan. 11. She said she would stay until the group is stabilized and that her mistake had been a lack of communication with staff.After the press conference, the CARE staff who claim they did not know about the mercy killing, again called for Park's resignation, saying she had made arbitrary decisions.“Park is trying to justify her indiscriminate behavior (of administering euthanasia). Instead she is saying she will lead the social discussion on animal euthanasia,” a

Jan 20, 2019

Animal activist leader refuses to step down despite euthanasia scandal

Measles infections spreading; 8 newly test positive

A notice on the entrance of a public health office in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, advises people to inform the staffers in advance of fevers and rashes, as measles infections have been spreading in the region, Jan. 14. / YonhapBy Kim RahnMeasles infections are growing here, putting health authorities on high alert.Five infants aged under four as well as three of their mothers were confirmed to have contracted measles in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday.The infants were attending two daycare centers there. The three mothers tested positive, but they had had vaccinations in the past and their symptoms were not grave, according to the provincial health office. Some of the patients had visited a hospital in the nearby city of Siheung where an eight-month-old infant had been confirmed to have measles earlier on Jan. 11.“We are working out exactly how they contracted it,” an official of Gyeonggi's regional health office said, adding those patients have been hospitalized at quarantined wards.The provincial government had an emergency meeting with officials of th

Jan 20, 2019By Kim Rahn

Measles infections spreading; 8 newly test positive

Nine measles cases in Gyeonggi areas

Korea heading for demographic cliff

Korea's total fertility rate is estimated at 0.96 to 0.97 for 2018, according to the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy. / Korea Times filesBy Kim Jae-heunKorea's fertility rate is estimated to have hit an all-time low last year after falling below the level of 1 for the first time, according to a presidential committee, Friday, raising concerns that the nation is heading for a “demographic cliff” faster than expected.According to the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, the country's total fertility rate is estimated at 0.96 to 0.97 for 2018.According to Statistics Korea, the fertility rate refers to the number of children that one woman is estimated to have in her lifetime. Statistics Korea also predicted last March that the nation's fertility rate would dip below the threshold of 1. “If the fertility rate does not improve and stays at a critical level of 1, we can face the decrease in the country's total population sooner than 2028, the year we predicted such result,” Statistics Korea Commissioner Kang Sh

Jan 18, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Fertility rate dips below 1 in 2018: official

Korea's total fertility rate is estimated at 0.96 to 0.97 for last year. gettyimagesbankSouth Korea's fertility rate probably fell below the critical level of 1 to an all-time low in 2018, an official said Friday.The country's total fertility rate is estimated at 0.96 to 0.97 for last year, said the official at the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy. An estimated 325,000 babies were born in 2018.Last year's total fertility rate marks a fresh record low and is far below the replacement threshold of 2.1. The total fertility rate refers to the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime.In 2017, South Korea's total fertility rate hit an all-time low of 1.05, ranking last among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Gripped by the stubbornly low birthrate, South Korea's population is widely expected to start declining in 2027. Last year's drop in the total fertility rate is feared to accelerate the country's so-called demographic cliff: a major drop in the working population amid lo

Jan 18, 2019

Fertility rate dips below 1 in 2018: official

Economy faces demographic shock amid low birthrate

Over 50% of mothers suffer postpartum depression

By Kim Hyun-binOver 50 percent of mothers suffer from postpartum depression, but many of them are unable to get any help to relieve it, a report showed Thursday. According to the report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare that surveyed 2,911 women who gave birth in 2017, 50.3 percent of them suffered from the condition within six weeks of childbirth. Thirty-three percent continued to suffer from depression until nine to 20 months after delivery.One out of five, or 22 percent, said they were unable to receive help for their condition, with the ratio being higher among young mothers ― 34.7 percent of those under 25 said they had to deal with the depression on their own. Half of the surveyed people said their husbands helped them recover.Seventy-five percent of the women enrolled in a postnatal care center after giving birth for an average of 13.2 days at an average cost of 2.21 million won ($1,970).The main reason for using the centers was to receive care without having to look after their baby because staff members did. They also wanted to get expert help and knowledge about childca

Jan 17, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

Over 50% of mothers suffer postpartum depression

Only 2.9% of unmarried women consider marriage 'necessary'

A ward for newborns at a hospital in Seoul is almost empty in this photo taken in August 2016. Korea Times fileBy Park Si-soo Is this a grim indicator that the already sagging birth rate will sink further? Only three out of 100 unmarried women in Seoul consider marriage necessary and merely 5.8 percent are willing to have children, a Korea Women's Development Institute survey showed. The institute surveyed 411 unmarried women in Seoul and 413 in Beijing for a comparative analysis of the declining birth rates facing the two countries. Among the Chinese women, 19.4 percent said marriage is necessary and 30.3 percent were willing to have children. When those with a “positive” opinion of getting married are added, Seoul's marriage intention ratio jumped to 19.2 percent while Beijing's hit 40.9 percent. South Korea's fertility rate plunged to a record low of 1.05 last year. China's rate is said to be 1.2-1.7, according to the BBC. The top reason for being reluctant to get married was, in both countries, “difficulty in finding a suitable partner” (37.3 percent). In

Jan 16, 2019

Only 2.9% of unmarried women consider marriage 'necessary'

Fine dust ups risk of lung cancer by 20%

By Park Si-soo Airborne fine dust can greatly increase the chance of developing lung cancer, according to a South Korean medical team. The team analyzed the correlation between fine dust and the development of respiratory diseases and concluded that long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer by up to 20 percent. It also increases the chance of developing asthma and cardiovascular diseases, said the team of doctors and medical experts at Seoul National University and the Catholic University of Korea, in a paper published by the Journal of the Korean Medical Association (JKMA). A one microgram per cubic meter (1㎍/m³) increase in fine dust would make children 1.03 times more likely to develop asthma and 1.05 times more likely with a 2㎍/m³ increase. A 10㎍/m³ increase in the short term would make people 1.10 times more likely to have respiratory disease. The team also showed that the intensity of airborne fine dust increases the risk of a stroke. To inhale less dust, experts advise people to install air purifiers and wear a filtering mask when outdoors.

Jan 15, 2019

Fine dust ups risk of lung cancer by 20%

97% of Koreans suffer 'physical or mental' distress due to fine dust: survey

97% of Koreans suffer 'physical or mental' distress due to fine dust: survey

Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, on a clear day and amid the dust.By Park Si-soo Almost all Koreans are suffering from physical or mental distress due to airborne ultrafine dust that has blanketed the nation for days, a survey showed on Tuesday. In an online survey of 731 adults by recruiting website Incruit, 97 percent of them have found it difficult to live in the contaminated air and 93.7 percent called on the government to take a “nationwide countermeasure.” Almost all Koreans are suffering from physical or mental distress due to the dust that has blanketed the nation for days. YonhapNine out of ten said the ongoing air pollution has left them with “physical or mental” distress. The No.1 complaint (16 percent) was eye disease and “fear of ventilation” into their homes. Next were respiratory disease (15 percent), cognitive pressure to wear a mask (13 percent), fear of doing an outdoor activity (9 percent), overall deterioration of health (7 percent), headache (7 percent), vision reduction (5 percent), lung disease (3 percent) and consideratio

Jan 15, 2019

97% of Koreans suffer 'physical or mental' distress due to fine dust: survey

Prominent animal rights activist faces fraud accusation

Members of Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE) call for the resignation of their president, Park So-youn, for euthanizing more than 200 animals without the staff's consent, during a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Saturday./ YonhapBy Jung Hae-myoungPark So-younPark So-youn, the head of Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), may be charged with multiple crimes including habitual fraud, as she allegedly had more than 250 animals euthanized without telling the group staffers and supporters.Kwon Yu-rim, a lawyer at Yuldam Law Office, said Sunday they will file a complaint with the police as early as this week.The move follows a CARE staffer revealing that some 250 healthy animals the group had rescued have been put down upon Park's order between 2015 and 2018 without the knowledge of most of the other CARE members.CARE is one of the nation's largest animal rights organizations, collecting about 1.5 billion won to 2 billion won of donations per year.Kwon said Park could face criminal charges as she has continued doing so without informing staffers

Jan 14, 2019

Prominent animal rights activist faces fraud accusation

A stunning fall from grace for 'animal savior'

Health

Health

Fine dust: leading cause of cardiovascular deaths

Animal activist leader refuses to step down despite euthanasia scandal

Measles infections spreading; 8 newly test positive

Korea heading for demographic cliff

Fertility rate dips below 1 in 2018: official

Over 50% of mothers suffer postpartum depression

Only 2.9% of unmarried women consider marriage 'necessary'

Fine dust ups risk of lung cancer by 20%

97% of Koreans suffer 'physical or mental' distress due to fine dust: survey

Prominent animal rights activist faces fraud accusation

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