Health expenditures of South Korean households increased significantly by 41.3 percent from 2008-2013, especially hurting low-income families here, a study showed Thursday.　The study, by Lee Tae-jin from Seoul National University, researched government data on medical expenditures of local households, including costs for hospital care, outpatient care and medical goods. 　The study found that health expenditures kept increasing throughout the period, from an average annual cost of 1.05 million wo

Social Affairs Nov. 26, 2015

South Korea’s last confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome patient died Wednesday, after fighting both the disease and cancer for more than five months since contracting the virus. The 35-year-old had suffered the longest battle against the disease among all MERS patients worldwide to date, according to Korea’s Health Ministry. 　He was the 38th Korean to die from the viral respiratory illness since its outbreak in May, raising the nation’s MERS fatality rate to 20.4 percent.　The patient was K

Social Affairs Nov. 25, 2015

South Korea’s largest body of medical nurses on Monday made a public demand for the acknowledgement of the work by female nurses who were also independence activists during the country’s Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). They deserve to be validated as pioneers in the history of Korea’s women, the Korean Nurses Association said.　At least 33 female nurses and midwives fought for Korea’s independence at home and abroad from 1907 to 1945, according to the association. But only 13 of them have bee

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2015

South Korea will arrange a five-day state funeral for late former President Kim Young-sam, who died early Sunday, with national flags to be hoisted to half-mast to mourn the loss of the controversial yet iconic leader.　　He will be buried at the Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul. All expenses of the ceremony will be paid by the National Treasury in line with the State Funeral Act, the Ministry of the Interior said Sunday.　　A National State Funeral Committee will be established for Kim’s funeral. T

Politics Nov. 22, 2015

Nearly 50 Koreans have died in the last three years after participating in paid clinical trials and suffering from adverse effects, while an increasing number of financially struggling young Koreans turn to such trials to make easy money, a report by a local nongovernment agency showed.　According to the report by the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, which used data released by Rep. Kim Sung-ju of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, 476 Koreans who participated in such trials

Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2015

　A 36-year-old man who was indicted for secretly taking pictures of women using his smartphone at Beomgye Station in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, from April to May was sentenced to eight months in prison with two years of probation. However, he received a “not guilty” verdict for taking a total of 16 photographs containing women’s entire bodies, rather than specific body parts such as legs.　From April to May, the man sneakily took pictures of body parts of women, mostly wearing revealing clothing,

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2015

While there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease -- a chronic neurodegenerative disease considered to be one of the biggest threats to South Korea’s future economy -- researchers have found that certain foods may reduce one’s risk of developing the condition if consumed regularly.　According to Dr. Moon Yeon-sil from Konkuk University Medical Center, those who follow a Mediterranean diet have a significantly lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who don’t. The Mediterranea

Technology Nov. 12, 2015

More than 90 percent of South Korean firefighters feel unsafe at work due to insufficient safety measures, while 20 percent of them suffer from either depression or an anxiety disorder, a study by Korea University showed Thursday.　The study, written by professor Kim Seung-sub from the school of health policy and management at the university, surveyed 8,256 firefighters stationed nationwide from March to September. The survey showed that 19.4 percent of the surveyed firemen, all of whom were gove

Social Affairs Nov. 12, 2015

South Korea’s Health Ministry plans to broadcast a more “explicit” antismoking TV commercial starting next week, replacing the current one featuring ballet dancers expressing the agony of smoking’s side effects through dance movements. 　The new commercial, currently in production, is aimed to curb smoking among Koreans more effectively, using a combination of possibly disturbing images and messages, said Choi Shin-gwang from the Health Ministry. 　“We’ve been told that the current commercial with

Social Affairs Nov. 10, 2015

 Boys in South Korea are nearly twice as likely to be obese than girls, a new report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed.　According to the report Health at a Glance 2015, 26.4 percent of boys aged 5-17 were either overweight or obese as of 2013. Meanwhile, only 14.1 percent of girls had the same health condition.　The gender disparity in Korea was significantly high considering the OECD average for childhood obesity was 24.3 percent for boys and 22.1 perce

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2015

Some 10 years since South Korea enacted its antiprostitution law, new forms of sex trade have continued to evolve in legal loopholes, including sex services for women and overseas prostitution. With the law vocally opposed by an increasing number of sex workers, its efficacy has constantly been questioned. The Korea Herald will publish a three-part series shedding light on the hidden side of Korea’s sex industry. The following is the first installment. -- Ed.　At first glance, he looks like an or

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2015

South Korean prosecutors said Saturday they have arrested the son of the country's largest pyramid schemer and the conman's mistress for their alleged involvement in concealing huge profits from the investment fraud.Cho Hee-pal, who has been at large since 2008, is suspected of swindling about 4 trillion won (US$3.5 billion) from an estimated 50,000 people between 2004 and 2008, according to prosecutors. Cho is rumored to have died from cardiac arrest in China four years ago, but his death has n

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2015