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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.

Priority seats for pregnant women: Complaint-rich territory on subway

By Chyung Eun-juPriority seats for pregnant women were introduced in 2013. / YonhapComplaints about other passengers using priority seats for pregnant women soared to nearly 6,000 in November, Seoul Metro said. This compares with 183 reports, on average, a month from Jan. to Oct. The steep rise came after feminist online community, Womad, started a campaign to draw attention to the problems pregnant women have getting a seat.The site, which has more than 200,000 members, uploaded a post, “Let’s actively complain,” along with Seoul Metro’s call-center number.“I received several notifications per minute, which made it difficult to focus on driving,” a metro driver said.There are two seats allocated for pregnant women in each carriage. Previously, women had to use priority seats for the disabled, children and the elderly. The change came in 2013 after women in the early stages of pregnancy complained of the difficulties they had getting a general priority seat. The government also made the move to encourage women to have more babies to incre

Dec 6, 2017
Priority seats for pregnant women: Complaint-rich territory on subway
  • Generation discord deepening on subway

Dispute growing over OTC drug sales

Pharmacists oppose increasing the list of over-the-counter drugs at convenience stores, saying it would pose a risk to public health. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Bo-eunA controversy has been growing over sales of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs at convenience stores, as pharmacists intensify their opposition to the sales.They say increasing the list of medicines available at 24-hour retail outlets would pose a risk to public health. A member of the pharmacist association disrupted a public hearing organized by the health ministry, Monday, when he attempted to stab himself in the stomach with a knife.A committee comprised of medical experts, civic group members and a convenience store representative had planned on voting on a plan to add two new drugs _ an antacid and antidiarrheal _ to the existing list of OTC medications.However, the meeting was adjourned after the representative of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) pulled out the knife.The plan to add new medicines to the existing list was based on public demand. Apart from demand for particular drugs, data also shows there is

Dec 5, 2017
Dispute growing over OTC drug sales

Flu season hits Korea early

By Jung Min-hoThe government will send health inspectors to elementary and middle schools in response to an increasing number of suspected flu cases.According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Monday, officials will visit three schools ― in Sejong, and Gangwon and North Chungcheong provinces ― Thursday to investigate the origins of the flu and the pattern of its spread.The infection rates in the schools are thought to be 200 times higher than the average of others across the country, which is 8.7 cases per 100,000 people.The flu season is off to an early start this year. The KCDC issued a flu warning Nov. 1, one week earlier than last year. It is the earliest since 2010, when the KCDC issued the warning on Oct. 10.The centers’ sample study conducted in the fourth week of last month showed that the number of suspected flu cases was 7.7 per 1,000 people who visited hospitals during that period. Children are especially vulnerable. Among those aged from seven to 12, the rate is 15.1, compared with only 7.6 among people aged 19 to 49.Based on the in

Dec 5, 2017
Flu season hits Korea early

Catholics, women's groups clash over abortion ban

Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, third from left, signs a petition against the decriminalization of abortion at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, Sunday. / YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunThe Catholic Church on Sunday began a movement to collect 1 million supporters for a petition to prevent the decriminalization of abortion.The Seoul National University parish became the first to join the movement, with Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung signing the petition at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul.The cardinal also reportedly spoke of his concerns on efforts to legalize abortion during a mass held before the signing.“The life that we should have protected with priority is a life that does not have the power to protect itself,” he said.“Abortion is an act of violence and a type of murder of lives that have not yet been born.”The Catholic Church said it will expand the petition-signing movement to nonbelievers.Members of women’s groups take part in a protest against the law banning abortion at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, Saturday. / YonhapMeanwhile, around 500 women clad in black

Dec 3, 2017
Catholics, women's groups clash over abortion ban

Gov't to scrap high school vocational training programs

Rep. Yoo Seong-min, chairman of the Bareun Party, pays his respects at Lee Min-ho’s funeral in Jeju City, Nov. 24. Lee died after an accident at a beverage factory he worked at as a part of a vocational training program. / YonhapBy You Soo-sunThe government will scrap on-site high school vocational training programs after numerous accidents and labor abuses, including the death of student trainee Lee Min-ho, 17.Education Minister Kim Sang-kon on Friday discussed ways to move the program away from “labor” towards “education.”To do so, the ministry will limit the specialized high schools from operating training programs dubbed “early employment field training.” These are usually geared toward helping students find jobs immediately on graduation.Students during their last semester often participate in the programs, during which they receive hands-on training at places such as factories, railway stations and call centers.But the system has been criticized for meager wages, poor supervision and the physical and emotional toll on the students.Lee,

Dec 1, 2017
Gov't to scrap high school vocational training programs

Only one family member allowed in ER

By Kim Se-jeongOnly one family member per patient will be allowed in the hospital emergency room (ER) beginning Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.The ministry changed the regulation earlier this week. It also requires medical institutes keep the profiles of visitors for a year after their first visit, including their name, contact information, whether they have a fever or cough and their arrival and departure time. The change also restricts a patient’s stay in the ER to no more than 24 hours, in an effort to make room for other patients entering the ER.This announcement comes almost two years after the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in May 2015. This raised the importance of restricting hospital visitors. The virus spread quickly because visiting family members got the virus and infected others outside the hospital.

Dec 1, 2017

'Gov't distorted pope's abortion stance'

Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, answers a public petition to decriminalize abortion Sunday, in this photo captured from a YouTube video. Cho said the government will resume a survey next year on abortion and start discussions based on the results. YonhapKorean Catholic leaders condemn Blue HouseBy Jung Min-hoKorean Catholic leaders have criticized the government for “distorting Pope Francis’ stance on abortion” as a reference to back its move to review the legitimacy of the country’s anti-abortion law.Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, claimed Sunday that the pope said “we need to find a new balance” on the issue implying that the Catholic Church has changed its long-standing stance on abortion.“Cho very skillfully glossed over the truth,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK) said in a statement Monday. “We strongly condemn his false claim and urge Cheong Wa Dae to correct it.”“The Catholic Church believes abortion is the same as killing a baby. The dig

Nov 28, 2017
'Gov't distorted pope's abortion stance'

Getting rid of anti-abortion law gains momentum

By Kim Se-jeong Cheong Wa Dae has provided new momentum to the debate as to whether the nation should abolish or revise the law criminalizing abortion.Responding to a public petition to legalize abortion, Cheong Wa Dae didn’t take a clear stance on the issue Sunday, but offered ample indications that it doesn’t favor the current law. “The current law only holds women accountable, excluding men who are also responsible. The abortion discussion should encompass women’s rights to life and health,” said Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.Under the current law, abortion is allowed only under two conditions _ when the fetus has a genetic defect or when the pregnancy is a result of rape.Cho cited three examples to make the case against the law.“What if the father is your ex-boyfriend? What if he is your ex-husband? What if the woman is alone and has no means of earning a living whatsoever? The law as it stands now makes these women criminals if they choose to have an abortion.”In principle, the thinking of the presidential offi

Nov 27, 2017
Getting rid of anti-abortion law gains momentum
  • Gov't to review legitimacy of abortion, reigniting pro-life vs. pro-choice debate
  • 168,000 vs 500,000: credibility of abortion stats in doubt

Rights commission begins clampdown on sexual harassment

By You Soo-sunThe National Human Rights Commission will look into sexual harassment allegations surrounding a public corporation, the Korea Land and Geospatial Information Corporation (LX), the commission announced Monday. This is part of the commission’s drive to combat sexual harassment involving abuse of power, an issue that has been gaining attention in Korea and abroad as more victims began speaking out about their experiences. Earlier this month, media reports claimed officials at the organization sexually assaulted female employees and college student interns; the corporation later tried to cover this up, stoking public fury. “The commission decided to carry out an inspection of LX, as media outlets reported on the severe extent of the problem; further investigation also revealed female workers have been subject to sexual harassment due to the pervasive masculine work culture of the organization, calling for an overall assessment,” the commission said. Earlier this month, the commission announced its plans to address systematic sexual offenses at various work

Nov 27, 2017
Rights commission begins clampdown on sexual harassment

Green Cross to supply immunoglobulin drug to Brazil

Green Cross Corp. has won a contract to supply its immunoglobulin drug worth $42.9 million to Brazil next year, the company said last week. The deal is the largest for the company’s export of IVIG-SN, a plasma derivative drug that treats primary immunodeficiency disorders that weaken or destroy the immune system’s ability to fight infectious diseases. The deal is a 67 percent increase from last year’s exports of IVIG-SN to Brazil, which totaled $25.7 million. The IVIG-SN immunoglobulin drug / Courtesy of Green Cross Corp.“The successful bid will provide new momentum for Green Cross to increase its exports of the immunoglobulin drug and other plasma derivative products,” a company spokesman said. IVIG-SN is the Korean pharmaceutical firm’s signature plasma derivative product. Seventy percent of its sales come from exports. The injection drug is sold in more than 30 countries in Asia, the Middle East and South America.

Nov 26, 2017
Green Cross to supply immunoglobulin drug to Brazil
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