South Korea - The Korea Times

Doctors, medical workers launch collective action against Nursing Act

Park Myung-ha, right, a senior member of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), speaks during a news conference in front of the KMA building in Yongsan District, Tuesday, announcing plans made by a coalition of 13 medical workers' organizations to protest against the controversial passage of the Nursing Act. YonhapCoalition threatens general strike May 17 if president does not veto billBy Jun Ji-hyeA group of doctors and other medical workers ― except professional nurses ― will begin a collective action on Wednesday in protest of the controversial introduction last Thursday of the Nursing Act by the National Assembly controlled by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. A coalition of 13 medical workers' organizations including the Korea Medical Association (KMA) and the Korean Licensed Practical Nurses Association announced Tuesday that its collective actions will begin with shortening consultation and practicing hours, and holding rallies across the country. In Seoul, a rally will be held at 5:30 p.m. near the National Assembly. The coalition led by the KMA ― comprised of doct

May 2, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Doctors, medical workers launch collective action against Nursing Act

Korea reports 5 more mpox infections

This July 11, 2022 file photo shows a notice on mpox at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. YonhapKorea confirmed six more case of mpox Monday, bringing the country's total to 47, health authorities said.Three patients are from Seoul, and the other two from South Chungcheong Province and Busan, respectively, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. None of them traveled abroad, it added.Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is traditionally confined to regions in Central and West Africa and can cause fever, chills, rashes and lesions, among other symptoms.Korea reported the first case of mpox on June 22 last year and four more cases through March. The first five cases were linked to overseas travel.But most of the recent infections that began April 7 were believed to be locally transmitted, with no overseas travel history. (Yonhap)

May 1, 2023

Yoon calls for synergy between Korea's manufacturing capabilities, US tech

President Yoon Suk Yeol applauds during a Korea-U.S. Cluster Roundtable at a hotel in Boston, Friday (local time). YonhapPresident meets MIT experts on digital, bio convergence By Nam Hyun-wooBOSTON ― President Yoon Suk Yeol called for synergy between Korea's capabilities in manufacturing and the U.S.' prowess in science and technology, saying their combination would be a win-win for the two economies.Yoon made the remarks Friday (local time) during the Korea-U.S. Cluster Roundtable in Boston, the second stop on his six-day state visit to the U.S. He held the event in Boston due to the region's successful creation of top companies and jobs through cooperation with global tech and bio companies, top financial institutions, consulting firms, law firms, research institutes, hospitals and others.“Boston is now home to the best innovative cluster on Earth,” Yoon said referring to Kendall Square in the Greater Boston area. The square is oftentimes crowned the most innovative square mile in the world by media because of its high concentration of startups and the quality of innov

Apr 29, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo

Yoon vows unwavering support to promote content cooperation with US

Will president exercise veto power against Nursing Act?

Lee Pil-soo, president of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), criticizes the passage of a bill legislating the Nursing Act during a press conference held in front of the KMA building in Yongsan District, Thursday. YonhapMedical workers except nurses threaten to go on general strikeBy Jun Ji-hyePresident Yoon Suk Yeol is facing pressure from doctors and medical workers, especially nursing assistants, to veto the legislation of the Nursing Act. Divisions within the medical community have deepened following the act's controversial approval on Thursday in the opposition-controlled National Assembly.A coalition of 13 medical workers' organizations including the Korea Medical Association (KMA) ― comprised of doctors ― expressed “deep anger and regret” over the passage of the bill, threatening to go on strike, if the president does not exercise his veto power.Independent from the Medical Services Act, the Nursing Act is designed to clarify the scope of nurses' duties and improve their working conditions. Nurses have long complained about ambiguities in their roles and duties as

Apr 28, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Will president exercise veto power against Nursing Act?

Government targets nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:5

gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government will work to reduce the number of patients per nurse to achieve the standard of one nurse for every five patients on average, by expanding financial support for hospitals that hire more nurses.Additionally, the government will also introduce a year-long clinical training education program for new nurses to help them adapt better and improve the quality of nursing services for patients. The measures are part of the new policies announced by the government, Tuesday, to improve the working conditions of nurses. “Nurses are essential resources at the medical site,” Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said during a media briefing. “The government will make consistent efforts to nurture high-quality skilled nurses and induce their long service.”The government drew up the new policies at a time when nurses have long called for institutionally limiting the number of patients per nurse and improving their working conditions. Demand for nurses especially grew at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic during which time they w

Apr 25, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Government targets nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:5

Korea to expand scope of co-projects with World Bank to cover digital tech

Participants of the Korea Innovation Week event held by the World Bank pose for photos in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 19, 2020. YonhapKorea will seek to expand the scope of projects backed by its joint fund with the World Bank to cover digital technologies and emerging sectors, the vice finance minister said Tuesday.The announcement came to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Korea-World Bank Group Partnership Facility (KWPF), which was launched in 2013 to share its experiences with other developing nations."Now that KWPF has been in operation for 10 years, we should work to further strengthen the partnership between Korea and the World Bank to bring greater impact and achievements through the facility," First Vice Finance Minister Bang Ki-sun said during a ceremony.Asia's No. 4 economy has so far committed $460 million to the fund, which has supported 76 projects across the globe. For example, Korea has been working with developing nations such as Indonesia and Bangladesh to prepare projects to develop smart cities."Over the past decade, KWPF has contributed greatly to m

Apr 25, 2023

Korea to expand scope of co-projects with World Bank to cover digital tech

Korea reports 10 more mpox infections

A sign displaying symptoms of monkeypox is displayed at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul in this July 24, 2022 file photo. YonhapKorea confirmed 10 more cases of mpox Monday, bringing the country's total to 30, health authorities said.Six of them are living in Seoul, three in Gyeonggi Province and one in North Chungcheong Province, while one of the 10 patients is a foreigner, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).All have not recently traveled abroad, it added.Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is traditionally confined to regions in Central and West Africa, and can cause fever, chills, rashes and lesions, among other symptoms.Korea reported the first case of mpox on June 22 last year and four more cases through March. The first five cases were linked to overseas travel.But the recent 25 infections that began April 8 were locally transmitted with no recent overseas travel history. (Yonhap)

Apr 24, 2023

Calls grow for continuing telemedicine services

gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeCalls are growing from the startup scene and members of the public as well as some doctors for continuing non-face-to-face medical services, known as telemedicine, which was allowed temporarily in Korea at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it could be no longer available as soon as next month when the country's COVID-19 public health emergency ends.The Korea Startup Forum, the nation's largest startup membership organization, launched an online campaign on April 14 to obtain signatures to “protect” the current telemedicine services that are available for both new and regular patients. The campaign has attracted more than 90,000 signatures as of Wednesday, with participants including Woowa Brothers founder Kim Bong-jin and Viva Republica CEO Lee Seung-gun, as well as the general public including mothers who experienced the advantages of telemedicine services when their children were sick.Telemedicine, which has long been opposed by medical circles citing concerns over possible errors in diagnosis and drug prescription, was allowed temporar

Apr 20, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Calls grow for continuing telemedicine services

Korea reports 2 more mpox infections

This Aug. 17, 2022 file photo, provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency shows the mpox virus. YonhapKorea confirmed two more cases of mpox Thursday, bringing the country's total to 20, health authorities said.The two patients are Korean nationals, who are residing in Gyeonggi Province and North Chungcheong Province, respectively, and have not recently traveled abroad, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is traditionally confined to regions in Central and West Africa, and can cause fever, chills, rashes and lesions, among other symptoms.Korea reported the first case of mpox on June 22 last year and four more cases through March. The first five cases were linked to overseas travel.But the recent 15 infections that began April 8 were locally transmitted with no recent overseas travel history. (Yonhap)

Apr 20, 2023

Korea to invest 28 billion won by 2026 in fine chemicals tech development

An interior of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Korea. Courtesy of Samsung ElectronicsThe Korean government will earmark 28 billion won ($21.09 million) over the next four years to support corporate development of fine chemicals for the semiconductor, display and secondary battery fields, the industry ministry said Thursday.The government will choose companies this year that will take part in the project to develop high value-added fine chemical materials used in manufacturing semiconductors, batteries and display products, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Materials and technologies under the planned support include photoresist used for chips manufacturing, adhesive technologies for foldable display items and manufacturing technologies to ensure the stability of larger-sized batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, it added.The project is part of the government's push to better support and advance the fine chemical industry that supplies raw and processed materials to key sectors. (Yonhap)