South Korea - The Korea Times

Government expands financial support for multiple births

gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government has decided to expand support for medical expenses and other welfare measures for multiple pregnancies, as the ratio of multiple births has risen recently, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced, Thursday.Currently, the government supports 1 million won ($780) in medical costs for a single pregnancy and 1.4 million won for multiple pregnancies, regardless of twins and other multiples. This will be changed to 1 million won per fetus.“Under this change, 2 million won will be offered for a twin pregnancy, 3 million won for triplets and 4 million won for quadruplets,” First Vice Health Minister Lee Ki-il said during a media briefing.The decision was made in response to the increasing ratio of births of twins and other higher multiples in recent years, as an increasing number of couples have had babies through infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The ministry said more couples have faced infertility recently with the average age of marriage getting higher. Statistically, women who undergo IVF have multipl

Jul 27, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Government expands financial support for multiple births

INTERVIEW Whistleblower recalls price paid for revealing Hwang Woo-suk's scientific misconduct

Ryu Young-joon, a pathologist and professor at Kangwon National University College of Medicine, stands in front of a microscope during a Korea Times interview on Monday in the university's hospital in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulPathologist gears up for another fight against disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-seok, two decades after fabricated stem cell research scandalBy Kang Hyun-kyungChuncheon, Gangwon Province―There is not a single telephone inside the office of Ryu Young-joon, a pathologist and professor at Kangwon National University Hospital located in the eastern city of Chuncheon.Ryu said he had asked the hospital staff to remove the phone from his office, because he was tired of receiving incessant calls from his opponents.He was stalked and harassed for years by a group known as “Hwang-ppa” or Hwang's fanatical followers in English. They are loyal adherents of disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk. Their verbal attacks against Ryu resumed in 2014 after the movie, “The Whistleblower,” which revolves around Hwang's downfall,

Jul 27, 2023By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] Whistleblower recalls price paid for revealing Hwang Woo-suk's scientific misconduct

Korea ranks 2nd-lowest in number of doctors among OECD nations

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hae-rinKorea has the second-lowest number of doctors after Mexico among OCED member nations, the government announced, Tuesday.On the other hand, Korea ranked top among the OECD countries regarding the number of hospital beds and outpatient services per capita, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's analysis of the OECD Health Statistics 2023, which is a comparative analysis of health systems.The study came as the government is pushing to tackle the medical void in the country by increasing the number of doctors, which has remained static for years.According to the study, Korea had 2.6 clinicians, including traditional medicinal practitioners, for every 1,000 people, which is higher than only Mexico's 2.5 clinicians per 1,000 people among the OECD nations and significantly lower than the OECD average of 3.7 clinicians per 1,000 as of 2021. Austria, Norway and Germany topped the list with 5.4, 5.2 and 4.5 clinicians per 1,000, respectively. The country also ranked low in the number of medical school graduates ― 7.3 in every 100,000 people, which is thi

Jul 25, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Korea ranks 2nd-lowest in number of doctors among OECD nations

Health authorities warn of infectious diseases transmitted from overseas

Check-in counters at Incheon International Airport are crowded, June 20. NewsisBy Jun Ji-hyeHealth authorities urged people to guard against infectious diseases transmitted from other countries, as the number of cases of such diseases, including malaria, has risen by more than five times year-on-year amid increasing overseas travel following the easing of many rules and regulations put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Tuesday that the number of cases of seven infectious diseases transmitted from overseas stood at 145 as of July 15, up by 27 from a year earlier. The seven diseases are shigellosis, cholera, measles, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, zika virus disease and malaria. In particular, cases of shigellosis, measles and zika virus disease were zero last year, but rose to 15, four and one this year, respectively.Shigellosis and cholera are water- or food-borne diseases. The KDCA said people should refrain from drinking unsanitary water or eating raw food, and wash hands frequently while traveling. Measles is a resp

Jul 25, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Health authorities warn of infectious diseases transmitted from overseas

Radiation level of seafood, beach within safe range: gov't

Vice Oceans Minister Park Sung-hoon, right, talks during a daily briefing on the Fukushima issue, July 25. YonhapThe radiation level of all seafood imported from Japan this year is within the safe range, the government said Tuesday, amid persistent safety concerns over Tokyo's plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.As part of their routine radioactivity checks, the government has conducted measurements on 5,447 cases of seafood at the production level, and all of them had no traces of radiation, including 3,160 cases of Japanese imports, according to Vice Oceans Minister Park Sung-hoon."(Radiation) tests on 116 out of 127 cases of selected seafood were all within the safe range," Park told a daily briefing on the Fukushma issue. He referred to a random radiation test that was conducted for the first time this year for seafood products at the request of the public.Emergency radiation tests were conducted on the water at 10 out of 20 major beaches ahead of the summer vacation season, and all results showed safe radiation levels. The weekly

Jul 25, 2023

Radiation level of seafood, beach within safe range: gov't

Korea launches 'emergency radiation tests' on seawater amid Fukushima woes

Fishermen stage a maritime parade on the seas to protest against Japan's planned release of radioactive water from its damaged nuclear reactors in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, July 21. YonhapKorea on Monday began "emergency radiation tests" on seawater at 108 maritime points around the Korean Peninsula to ease concerns over Japan's planned release of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, the oceans ministry said.It chose 108 more coastal spots ― 75 spots in the east, west and south of Korea, as well as the waters off the southern island of Jeju, and 33 spots from more distant areas ― to collect samples to check radioactivity levels, Vice Oceans Minister Park Sung-hoon said during a press briefing.Tests will be carried out two or three times per month on each spot, and the government will employ a "rapid analysis method" to draw results in a swift manner, rather than using traditional inspection methods that generally take more than two months.It will take around four days to get the analysis results, and the government plans to announce them when they are

Jul 24, 2023

Korea launches 'emergency radiation tests' on seawater amid Fukushima woes

COVID-19 resurgence poised to grip Korea

A medical worker at a COVID-19 testing center in Daegu puts an ice pack on her neck to cool off, July 6. YonhapGovernment's plan to fully lift indoor mask mandate raises concernsBy Jun Ji-hyeCOVID-19 is showing signs of a resurgence in Korea as the numbers of daily new cases have increased for three consecutive weeks to reach over 30,000. The number of patients who were diagnosed with or suspected of having seasonal influenza has also risen in recent weeks, which is considered unprecedented, given that epidemics of influenza usually break out in winter.Amid the so-called “twindemic” of COVID-19 and the flu, health experts raised concerns over the government's plan to fully lift the remaining indoor mask rules as early as next month. According to the latest data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the number of new COVID-19 patients increased 22.2 percent to 186,953 in the second week of July from the previous week. The daily average of new infections for that week was tallied at 26,708, up from 21,857 the previous week. In particular, the daily ca

Jul 23, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

COVID-19 resurgence poised to grip Korea

Gov't to fully lift remaining COVID-19 mask mandate next month

Students without masks raise their hands in a class at an elementary school in Daejeon, June 1. YonhapThe government will adjust the COVID-19 pandemic's infection classification level to the lowest Class 4 next month from Class 2 and fully lift the remaining mask mandate across the country, government officials said Sunday.The government is expected to classify COVID-19 as an endemic disease, like influenza and hand, foot and mouth disease, next month, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Currently, COVID-19 belongs to the Class 2 infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, measles, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, and leprosy. In early June, the government removed nearly all pandemic-related restrictions, and the mandatory isolation period was also reduced to five days as a recommendation, from the previous seven-day requirement. Still, the mask requirement has remained at general hospitals or other high-risk places, like nursing hospitals. (Yonhap)

Jul 23, 2023

Gov't to fully lift remaining COVID-19 mask mandate next month

Incheon recognizes physician-founded startup for job creation

Chung Jun-won, right, professor of gastroenterology at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, poses with Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, center, after being awarded a plaque from the city government at Incheon City Hall on July 11. The city honored startup CAIMI for its contribution in creating jobs this year. Courtesy of Gachon University Gil Medical CenterBy Jun Ji-hyeA medical instruments startup founded by Chung Jun-won, professor of Gachon University Gil Medical Center, has been selected as this year's excellent company by Incheon Metropolitan City in recognition of its contribution to creating jobs. According to Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Thursday, Chung, professor of the Gastroenterology Division, founded the startup CAIMI, in 2020.CAIMI, which stands for creative artificial intelligence (AI) and medical instruments, specializes in innovative medical equipment incorporating AI technology.The firm is located at the Incheon Startup Park in Songdo where the Incheon Free Economic Zone is located. Chung assumes the CEO post of the company which currently has 10 employees. Ch

Jul 20, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Incheon recognizes physician-founded startup for job creation

Korea ups containment measures against ASF

This Sept. 20, 2022 file photo shows quarantine officials disinfecting a pig farm following the discovery of another case of African swine fever in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. YonhapKorea will spare no efforts to bolster containment measures against the African swine fever (ASF) on growing concerns about the spread of the disease at local farms, the agricultural ministry said Wednesday.So far this year, the country has confirmed nine ASF cases at pig farms, including the latest outbreak from Cheorwon, 85 kilometers north of Seoul, the previous day, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.The ministry said it has sent experts to Cheorwon to cull affected pigs and carry out disinfection measures. Additionally, a 48-hour standstill order has been imposed in nine regions, including neighboring areas of Cheorwon, effective until Thursday midnight. This order prohibits the movement of vehicles and personnel.The disease does not affect humans but is deadly to pigs. There is currently no vaccine or cure for the disease."In order to curb the spread of the virus in th

Jul 19, 2023

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