South Korea - The Korea Times

Penalties toughened for revealing HIV patients' data

By Jung Min-hoMedical professionals who reveal private information about HIV patients to anyone other than the relevant government health authorities will be punished more harshly, the government said Wednesday.According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a revised law has recently taken effect to protect the rights of people who suffer because of the AIDS-causing virus and prejudice toward people with the disease.The law bans medical professionals from publicly revealing data about HIV patients, including their names and medical records, while they are working as well as after leaving their jobs. Violators could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($27,000). Previously, it was three years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.Also under the law, doctors who fail to report HIV patients to the government could also face one year in prison or a fine of 10 million won.HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus which infects the human immune system. Over time, it may cause AIDS by eventually killing off the white blood cells that fight infect

Apr 26, 2017

Homosexuality = AIDS? Conservative candidate blasted for 'hate speech' against homosexuals

What animal drug got Hong in trouble?

By Kim Se-jeong The veterinary drug which got the conservative presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo in trouble was a stimulant.The main component was yohimbine extracted from a tree found in Central Africa. The extract has been studied for use as a treatment for erectile dysfunction but was not used due to side effects, according to experts.In a memoir published 12 years ago, Hong wrote that together with his 18-year-old friends, he attempted to get the chemical for his roommate who wanted to drug a female student.“One of my boarding house mates asked me and others to buy him an aphrodisiac powder ahead of a school outing. He mixed the powder into a coed’s beer but failed to bring her to bed. Thereafter we argued over the medicinal effects of the powder. I did it for fun at that time, but after becoming a prosecutor, I realized how serious the act was.”It’s unclear how Hong and his friends got the animal drug. “Now, the drug requires a prescription, but back in the 1970s, it was much easier to get,” an anonymous official from the Korean Veteri

Apr 24, 2017

Election 2017 Moon widens gap with Ahn in search trends

Koreans feel 'more miserable' amid rising unemployment, inflation: index

South Koreans are suffering from intensified economic difficulties in recent months due mainly to rising consumer prices and the higher jobless rate, government data showed Monday.The country's so-called misery index, measured by the unemployment rate plus the consumer inflation rate, was 6.4 in the first three months of the year, with the former standing at 4.3 and the latter at 2.1, according to the data by Statistics Korea.It rose sharply from the previous quarter's 4.7, and 3.4 for the July-September period of last year.The 2017 first-quarter index marked the highest figure since the first quarter of 2012 when it hit 6.8.The quarterly misery index had hovered below the 5.0 line for years on a low inflation trend stemming from decreasing oil prices, after peaking at 8.6 in the third quarter of 2008 in the midst of the global financial crisis.Experts said that the economic suffering may intensify further in the coming months due to an upturn in global oil prices and the on-going corporate restructuring.The state-run Korea Development Institute forecast that consumer prices will ris

Apr 24, 2017

Koreans feel 'more miserable' amid rising unemployment, inflation: index

Protesters chant 'hire Koreans over foreigners' in Seoul rally

Egg prices rise again due to bird flu outbreaks in Spain, US

Prices of eggs are on the rise again recently as imports of chickens were halted from the United States and Spain due to outbreaks of bird flu there, industry sources said Thursday.Prices of chickens and eggs surged to the highest level in recent months in three decades as more than 33 million chickens were culled following the nationwide outbreak of avian influenza late last year.The prices had fallen briefly with the import of chickens and eggs from the U.S. and Spain, but began moving up again. The retail price for a carton of 30 eggs rose to 7,696 won (US$6.7) as of Wednesday, up from 7,311 won a month earlier and 5,350 won from a year earlier, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp."Avian influenza has subsided recently but the outbreak of bird flu in the United States and Spain has made it difficult for us to import chickens," an official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said. "Eggs are currently in short supply and it will take considerable time for egg prices to stabilize."It will take at least half a year, an industry source said, n

Apr 20, 2017

Beauty salons required to post services prices from August

By Jung Min-hoAll hair salons in Korea will be required to post their prices so that customers can see them without having to ask about them, the government said Tuesday.To curb price gouging in the hairdressing industry, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to revise the enforcement ordinance by August to require hair salons to show their prices.If they charge customers more than what’s posted on the price list, they have to let customers know before touching their hair.If a hair salon violates the price rule twice, its business will be suspended for five days; if violated four times, it will be shut down permanently.Hairdressers have long been notorious for keeping their prices hidden, which many people have complained about.“We expect the policy to solve this issue, which often causes unnecessary conflicts between hair salon operators and customers,” a ministry official said.

Apr 18, 2017

Rich people smoke less. Data shows why?

High income earners smoke less than those who earn less, a survey showed Monday, as South Korea's smoking trends start to mirror those of more advanced countries where smoking rates continue to fall.There are more smokers among low income earners while those that make more money are less likely to smoke, the Seoul National University Hospital survey said.The survey of 1.59 million people in the country conducted between 2008 and 2014 by professor Kang Young-ho showed such a trend existing among male smokers in 96.3 percent or 236 cities and counties examined out of the 245 places checked.The comparable figure was 97.5 percent or 239 cities and counties for female smokers.By region, the smoking rate among males in the upper 20 percent income bracket was the lowest at 26.4 percent in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, while the comparable number was the highest at 59.8 percent in Taebaek City, Gangwon Province. The average smoking rate for males aged over 19 was 39.3 percent in 2015, according to statistics by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.Jangseong County, South J

Apr 17, 2017

12 cancer-causing substances found in cigarettes

By Lee Kyung-minThe drug ministry said Tuesday that it has found 12 cancer-causing substances classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in cigarettes.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said it found nine harmful substances including some of the 12 carcinogens such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are not currently printed on the cigarette pack label.It tested 2,000 packs of cigarettes sold nationwide between 2015 and 2016, the first government-commissioned study here. The ministry applied the harmful substance analysis method it developed in 2014.The two-year study followed the recommendation by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which took effect in 2005. The treaty requires 180 countries to disclose harmful ingredients and regulate the content and emissions of tobacco products.Of the 12 substances, seven were carcinogenic (group 1) and five were possibly carcinogenic (group 2B), classified under the FCTC.Seven group 1 substances found include formaldehyde, benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, 4-aminobiphenyl, 1-amino naphthalene, 2-amino naphthalene and 1,

Apr 11, 2017

UNICEF to reopen office in Seoul

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will reopen its office in Seoul this week to boost its partnership with South Korea over assistance for children, the foreign ministry here said Monday.The ceremony to mark the opening in central Seoul on Tuesday will be attended by Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Chong-ghee and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.Ahn will deliver a welcoming speech where he plans to commit the South Korean government's continuing contributions to the improvement of children's rights and express hopes for a tighter partnership between South Korea and UNICEF.UNICEF had previously closed its office in Seoul in 1993, which had been established in 1962 with an aim to provide assistance to South Korean children suffering in the aftermath of the devastating Korean War (1950-53).The reopening this time has the completely different purpose of boosting UNICEF's partnership with South Korea, which has been steadily increasing its contributions to global efforts to help children, the ministry noted."This indicates that our countr

Apr 10, 2017

Ministry provides post-settlement aid for marriage immigrants

Marriage immigrants take part in a session offering tips on being a parent of a child in school, at a multiracial family support center in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, in this file photo. / Courtesy of Ministry of Gender Equality and FamilyBy Kim Bo-eunThe number of marriage immigrants in Korea has increased over the years, totaling 238,161 in 2015, according to the interior ministry.By nationality, Vietnamese immigrants took up the largest portion of marriage immigrants (27 percent), followed by Chinese (21 percent) and Korean-Chinese (19.7 percent).Over the years, the government has systematically assisted marriage immigrants, through multiracial family support centers and hotlines, helping them learn Korean and obtain the necessary information on their immediate needs such as acquiring nationality and employment.A 2015 survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family shows 63.9 percent of marriage immigrants and naturalized Koreans are employed, which is higher than the average of Korean nationals.However, the majority of them perform simple labor, followed by service work. L

Apr 9, 2017

Ministry provides post-settlement aid for marriage immigrants

Seoul to re-introduce allowance for young jobseekers

By Kim Bo-eunThe welfare ministry on Friday permitted the city’s disputed plan to financially assist young jobseekers.Under the plan, set to begin in June, the young aspirants will receive support for costs of private classes and test fees to get jobs.The city will provide 5,000 Seoul residents aged 19 to 29 with 500,000 won ($440) in monthly allowance for six months.The welfare ministry, which earlier opposed the project, approved it based on revisions made by the city government.The city has narrowed down the pool of applicants to those in middle- and low-income families. Recipients will need to take part in career exploration and skill training programs, and the financial support will only be provided for job-seeking activities such as tuition for private academies or exam fees. The city also plans to monitor how the financial assistance is being used and achievements made from the support. The monitoring will focus on keeping records of employment rates and how many times the recipients have taken tests and interviews for job openings.In November 2015, the city proposed a p