The Korea Herald

Glaucoma: the silent thief of sight

By Kee Chang-won, MD, Ph.D.Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently impacting vision and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. Glaucoma has been nicknamed the “silent thief of sight” because the loss of vision normally occurs gradually over a long period of time. Once lost, this damaged visual field cannot be recovered. Worldwide, it is the second

Technology Feb. 24, 2011

‘7 in 10 workers want to migrate’

Seven out of every 10 salaried workers here want to move to another country to live in, mainly because of the “poor” welfare policies in Korea, a survey showed Wednesday. JobKorea, an online recruiting agency, recently surveyed 932 salaried workers online and found 76.1 percent would leave Korea for another country if circumstances allowed. The main reason for wanting to migrate was an unsatisfact

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2011

One in 10 workers suffers workplace violence

One out of every 10 office workers has been assaulted at work, according to a recent survey. SaramIn, an online recruiting agency, asked 1,951 members who are office workers and found 12.2 percent had been assaulted in their office. Immediate bosses were the largest portion of assailants at 66 percent, followed by CEOs and other executives (20.2 percent), seniors (16.8 percent) and those of equal

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2011

SNU professor embroiled in accusations

Kim accused of physical, verbal abuse, demanding favors, misuse of college facilitiesSeoul National University’s musical professor and acclaimed soprano Kim In-hei has been accused of abusing her students. The university is considering terminating her position while a slew of allegations about her having “taken advantage” of her students’ talents for private occasions have enraged the public.SNU s

Social Affairs Feb. 22, 2011

Colleges under fire for handling of foreign students

More foreigners are coming to Korea to study, but their universities seem incapable of managing them properly, the government said Sunday. Many schools did not monitor student attendance and even awarded diplomas to students who had not qualified for them.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology investigated 29 universities nationwide from December through January and found that all of th

Social Affairs Feb. 20, 2011

Activist offers long debate with Japanese over Dokdo

A civic activist is pushing for a debate on the sovereignty of Dokdo with a Japanese figure who claims the rocky islets are part of Japanese territory. Kim Jum-ku, head of the Dokdo Protection Party, said Sunday that he will deliver his invitation to Shimojo Masao, a renowned scholar known for his claims on Japan’s sovereignty over Dokdo, known as Takeshima in Japan. The invitation will take place

Social Affairs Feb. 20, 2011

FMD burial sites near Han River ‘insecure’

One in three sites in region poses risk of contaminants leaking into waterwaysAbout one out of every three sampled burial sites near the Han River for animals slaughtered to prevent spread of foot-and-mouth disease needs additional measures to block leakage of contaminants, the Ministry of Environment said Thursday. But the authorities confirmed that the water from the vicinity, which is the sourc

Social Affairs Feb. 17, 2011

FMD burial sites near Han River ‘insecure’

Looking after your liver?

Elevated liver enzyme is one of the most common situations encountered by general practitioners in their clinics. Basically, elevated liver enzyme results indicate that liver cells are damaged. Liver enzymes are normally contained within the liver cells, and the enzymes leak out into the blood stream only when there is damage to the liver. A variety of liver conditions can cause this situation, fo

Arts & Design Feb. 17, 2011

Will acupuncture help you quit smoking?

If you have decided to quit smoking and are searching for the best way to reach your goal, you might want to add acupuncture to your list. From electronic cigarettes and patches providing an extremely small amount of nicotine to the body to varenicline-based nicotine addiction buster Champix, many smokers must have tried several things to quit the habit. Acupuncture is arguably the latest and alle

Arts & Design Feb. 17, 2011

U.N. report says S. Korea restricts freedom of speech

The government is reportedly looking over a draft of a U.N. report stating that freedom of expression in South Korea has been restricted and that the government should make efforts to guarantee it once again. The administration, unlike in previous moves, is expected to make no official response in the near future. United Nations headquarters(AP/Frank Franklin II)According to the Yonhap news agenc

Social Affairs Feb. 17, 2011

U.N. report says S. Korea restricts freedom of speech

Students cry foul over soaring fees

Worried housewife Han cannot stop frowning these days when she thinks of her twins, who are to enter universities in March. “Enrollment fees cost a fortune. Paying more than 10 million won ($8,900) a year for each child is out of my range,” the 47-year-old said. She could break open savings and other financial investments she had made for the couple’s retirement, but that would still not be enough

Social Affairs Feb. 16, 2011

Patients lose damages suit against cigarette firms

Cigarette makers once again escaped liability for lung cancer prevalence among their customers as an appellate court ruled in their favor Tuesday. However, the ruling seems to be a step forward from a lower court’s verdict as it acknowledged the health risks of smoking.Judge Seong Kee-moon of the Seoul High Court said, “There seems to be cause-and-effect relations between smoking and cancer preval

Social Affairs Feb. 16, 2011

Patients lose damages suit against cigarette firms

State support increased for rough sleepers

The government is strengthening measures for homeless people and rough sleepers to help them support themselves and earn a living. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday announced a set of guidelines to help the rehabilitation of people who sleep on the streets and lodge at state-run shelters. The ministry will provide around-the-clock care and accommodation through 74 shelters nationwide,

Social Affairs Feb. 15, 2011

Police to confiscate billion won found in boxes

The police are poised to confiscate 1 billion won ($980,000) found in cardboard boxes at a warehouse in Yeouido, Seoul, last Wednesday. The money is suspected to be a slush fund created by a private lottery dealer. The investigators aim to track the source of the money and trace the whereabouts of the man identified by his family name Kang, who is reportedly staying overseas at the moment. Yeongde

Social Affairs Feb. 14, 2011

Who owns W1b cash found in boxes?

The police search for whoever deposited 1 billion won ($980,000) in two cardboard boxes, found Wednesday at a department store in Yeouido has failed to detect any clues so far. Questions are swirling over the mysterious boxes abandoned in the store located in the political and financial hub of Seoul. With experts claiming the modus operandi to be classic money laundering, rumormongers are gossipin

Social Affairs Feb. 11, 2011

Articles by 배지숙