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Korea’s mental health-related deaths exceed OECD average: report

Korea continues to have the highest rate of mental health-related deaths among the 38 OECD member countries, according to a government policy brief released Wednesday. Despite gains in overall health care and longer life expectancy, the national suicide rate has remained stubbornly high. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea recorded 6.9 suicides per 1,000 for psychiatric patients within one year after discharge from hospitalization. The figure is nearly double the OECD average of 3.4 per 1,000, highlighting the need for stronger postdischarge follow-up and community-based support. OCED’s "Health at a Glance 2025" report, which the ministry quoted in the brief, shows that Korea recorded 26.2 suicides per 100,000 people in 2024, far exceeding the OECD average of 10.8. This disparity places the country at the top of the global ranking for mental health mortality. Since 2003, Korea has consistently led the world in suicides among advanced economies, with rates steadily hovering above 23 per 100,000 for the past decade. Patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizop

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Korea’s mental health-related deaths exceed OECD average: report

Korea issues alert following 6th case of swine fever

Korea's quarantine authorities issued a nationwide alert Tuesday, calling for enhanced quarantine measures against African swine fever (ASF) as the country has confirmed its sixth ASF case of the year. The latest case was reported at a pig farm in the city of Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, which raises 463 pigs, according to officials at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH). With the latest outbreak, the CDMH issued the highest-level red alert across the nation to prevent the further spread of the disease. The government culled 1,423 pigs from the affected farm and other nearby farms operated by the same owner and issued a 48-hour standstill order for pig farms and related facilities nationwide, the officials said. It is also carrying out disinfectant measures in Dangjin and neighboring regions, while conducting emergency inspections of pig farms around the affected farm. "All of the previous five cases this year were reported in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, but the latest case has emerged in South Chungcheong Province, which has the largest swine farming c

Nov 25, 2025By Yonhap
Korea issues alert following 6th case of swine fever

Hope of palliative care at home falls short for dying Koreans

Only about 8 percent of hospice patients who wanted to spend their final days at home died in their own residences, underscoring the gap between their wishes and practical barriers to dying at home. That gap reflects a surging demand for home deaths that Korea’s hospice system has struggled to meet, constrained by staffing shortages and by the burdensome procedures families must navigate when a death occurs outside a hospital. Last week’s report by the National Assembly Research Service found that the number of new hospice patients has continued to rise each year and most of them prefer to receive care at home. Hospice care provides palliative treatment for terminally ill patients, such as those in their final days with advanced cancer, to enhance their quality of life. It is offered in three forms — inpatient, home-based and consultative, the last providing palliative support to patients in general wards or outpatient clinics through coordinated visits by hospice teams. Patients can receive more than one type of care simultaneously. Nearly 20,000 new patients entered hospice care i

Nov 23, 2025By Park Ung
Hope of palliative care at home falls short for dying Koreans

Koreans endure world’s longest commute at 108 minutes, causing serious health risks

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Korean workers now face the longest commute time in the world, averaging 108 minutes a day — a burden that experts warn has become a serious threat to public health, far beyond mere inconvenience. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and McGill University found that Korea ranked first among 43 surveyed countries in commute duration. The global average commute was 68 minutes, and Morocco had the shortest at 48 minutes — less than half of Korea’s figure. Long commutes linked to obesity, hypertension, higher mortality Cho Soo-hyun, a family medicine professor at Chung-Ang University Hospital, said that long commuting hours reduce time for physical activity and socializing, and often lead to late dinners and poor sleep. “These factors can cause weight gain, reduced exercise capacity and hypertension,” she said. International research points to similar risks. A study from Washington University School of Medicine found that people with commut

Nov 22, 2025By Kormedi.com
Koreans endure world’s longest commute at 108 minutes, causing serious health risks

What is vasovagal syncope, cause of hiatus for TWICE's Chaeyoung?

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. TWICE member Chaeyoung is taking a break from all activities after being diagnosed with vasovagal syncope — a medical condition that can cause sudden drops in heart rate and blood pressure, leading to unexpected fainting spells. Her agency, JYP Entertainment, said on Nov. 20 that the singer has been undergoing medical consultations and tests, and doctors advised that she now requires a longer recovery period. “Chaeyoung was recently diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, and after careful examinations, it was concluded that she needs additional rest,” the agency said. “She will temporarily suspend activities to focus on treatment and recovery.” JYP added that Chaeyoung is “deeply disappointed” but is prioritizing her health, asking fans for understanding and support. Vasovagal syncope, the condition affecting Chaeyoung, is one of the most common causes of sudden fainting. It occurs when the body overreacts to certain triggers, causing blood pressure and heart rate to fall rapidly and momentarily cutting off blood flow to the brain. M

Nov 22, 2025By Kormedi.com
What is vasovagal syncope, cause of hiatus for TWICE's Chaeyoung?

Varicose veins increase 7 percent annually

Varicose veins, a condition marked by abnormally swollen and twisted veins near the skin surface, often described as “bulging veins” on the legs, are becoming increasingly common in Korea. According to the National Health Insurance Service, 212,000 patients received treatment for varicose veins in 2020, up from 162,000 in 2016, an average annual increase of 7 percent over 4 years. By age group, people in their 50s accounted for the largest proportion at 26.9 percent (57,000 patients), followed by those in their 60s at 23.8 percent (50,000) and 40s at 17.9 percent (38,000). Varicose veins occur when the valves that prevent blood from flowing backward in the legs weaken, causing blood to pool and veins to enlarge. Symptoms include leg fatigue, heaviness, pain and numbness that is often worse after prolonged standing or sitting. Many patients also report cramps or tingling sensations at night. Visible signs may include blue spider veins on the calves or thighs, and in more advanced cases, enlarged veins protruding from the skin. Untreated varicose veins can lead to pain, skin discolorati

Nov 21, 2025By Hankookilbo
Varicose veins increase 7 percent annually

Korea reports another case of highly contagious bird flu at chicken farm

Korea on Monday reported another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at a layer farm in southern Gyeonggi Province, marking the fifth such case since the cold season started. The H5N1 bird flu was detected at the farm in Hwaseong, southern Gyeonggi Province, which had reported two more cases of bird flu in the past five years, according to the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH). This marks the fifth case of highly pathogenic AI in the country since September, when the temperatures started going down, and the second such case at a layer farm. The CDMH said it will conduct special quarantine inspections at some 230 layer farms where bird flu cases previously broke out, while strengthening monitoring on vehicles visiting the affected farm to prevent the further spread of the disease. "Recent bird flu outbreaks at poultry farms have been repeatedly confirmed in the southern Gyeonggi region, but with winter migratory birds beginning to arrive in the country and highly pathogenic AI cases being detected across wild birds in six different regions, there is a high risk of

Nov 17, 2025By Yonhap
Korea reports another case of highly contagious bird flu at chicken farm

DGIST team first to uncover CASKIN2 protein's key brain function

Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) professor Ko Jae-won and his research team have identified, for the first time in the world, the function of CASKIN2. This brain protein plays a key role in precise neuronal signaling and memory formation. The school’s Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, led by Ko, announced that it has found that the CASKIN2 protein helps control how neurons send and receive signals at synapses, where one neuron communicates with another cell, usually another neuron. The study marks the first time the precise function of this protein has been uncovered. It is expected to yield crucial insights into the causes of — and potential new treatments for — brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism. The human brain contains billions of neurons that exchange information through synapses, where the sending and receiving ends must align with nanometer precision for accurate signaling. Until now, the molecular mechanisms behind this sophisticated alignment have remained unclear. The team discovered that the protein CASKIN2, lo

Nov 17, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
DGIST team first to uncover CASKIN2 protein's key brain function

Applications for vouchers for pregnant women up 8% on-year: data

Applications for vouchers provided to pregnant women increased 8.1 percent from a year earlier in the first nine months of this year, data showed Sunday, in a possible sign of a continued rebound in the number of newborns in a country facing one of the world's lowest birth rates. The number of applications for such vouchers totaled 257,761 in the January-September period, compared with 238,507 in the same period last year, according to the data by the National Health Insurance Service. While the figure does not exactly align with the number of childbirths, partly due to miscarriages, it is seen as an indicator that reflects changes in the birth rate. On a monthly basis, the number of applications declined on-year in January but posted increases in the next eight months. Double-digit growths were reported in the June-September period, raising views the trend could continue into early next year. South Korea saw the number of childbirths increase for the first time in nine years in 2024, driven by a post-pandemic rise in marriages, evolving attitudes toward parenthood and demographic change

Nov 16, 2025By Yonhap
Applications for vouchers for pregnant women up 8% on-year: data

Dry-cleaning danger: This everyday habit could be hurting your health

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A new study has raised alarm over a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning, warning that exposure could lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis and cancer. According to research published in Liver International, the official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver, exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) — a chemical widely used in dry cleaning — may triple the risk of developing severe liver fibrosis. The condition can cause irreversible liver scarring that may progress to liver cancer, failure or even death. PCE is also found in everyday household products such as craft adhesives, stain removers and stainless-steel polish. A research team from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California analyzed data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2017 and 2020, tracking PCE exposure among adults aged 20 and older. They found detectable PCE levels in about 7 percent of participants. Those with measurable PCE in their blood were three times more

Nov 11, 2025By Kormedi.com
Dry-cleaning danger: This everyday habit could be hurting your health
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