South Koreans who live in small towns are more stressed and have a higher prevalence rate of illnesses than those living in cities, a study showed Monday.The study, organized and released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, analyzed the national health insurance data of some 197,000 Koreans. On a scale of zero to four -- with four being the most stressed -- those who live in non-city regions, such as farming or fishing villages, on average rated 2.90, higher than the average fo

Social Affairs July 11, 2016

A high-ranking Education Ministry official, who recently made controversial remarks on social mobility and race, has been asked to temporarily leave his post and wait for a further decision, following growing calls for his permanent expulsion from the ministry.Na Hyang-wook, currently the ministry’s policy planning bureau chief, reportedly called the general public “dogs and pigs” and said the government should just make sure “they are fed and alive” at a recent drinking gathering with reporters

Social Affairs July 10, 2016

For the past two years, the Korean female employment rate has been increasing continuously as a result of pan-government efforts aimed at providing a variety of employment measures that target women.However, it is still relatively more difficult to create employment for women, and the effects that women actually feel or benefit from the policies seem to be low.In Korea, non-regular workers account for 40.3 percent of female wage earners. This stems from the fact that most of the female workers w

Social Affairs July 7, 2016

Ock Hye-rim was 21 years old when she moved to Seoul from her hometown in Busan in 2001. While living on her own, she worked for a clothing company, six days a week, and was paid 600,000 won ($508) per month. Due to severe work-related stress and grueling hours, she developed abnormal vaginal bleeding. “It went on for more than two months,” Ock said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “I had to use sanitary pads every day. And the cost for the pads just became unbearable. I was only getting p

Social Affairs July 5, 2016

An upcoming TV drama series “loosely inspired” by real-life female weightlifting champion Jang Mi-ran is creating controversy among Koreans online for casting a model and actress, as well as its plot which features the protagonist falling in love with a physician at a weight management clinic.Jang is a legendary Olympic champion in South Korea, having won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in the women’s over 75-kilogram category, after winning silver at the Athens Games in 2004.

Social Affairs July 4, 2016

South Korean Gender Minister Kang Eun-hee stressed the importance of information technology in achieving gender equality during a meeting of gender and economic development officials in the Asia Pacific region held from Monday to Thursday in Lima, Peru.“I believe that an increasing number of women will enter the information, communication and technology industry, as more girls are majoring in science and technology,” Kang said in a meeting held during the APEC Women and the Technology Forum. “Th

Social Affairs July 1, 2016

South Koreans’ general views of breadwinning women have changed from pity to admiration since 2005, a government study showed Thursday.According to a study released by the Gender Ministry, 52.9 percent of Koreans said this year that they admire female breadwinners for their capabilities, a significant increase from 32 percent in 2005. Meanwhile, the number of those who said they doubted the women’s husbands – for possibly being financially incapable and making their wives support the family – dr

Social Affairs June 30, 2016

Lee So-yeon was shocked last year when her mother told her she was considering a divorce. The 31-year-old had thought her parents were a happy couple, although she had rarely spent time with them since she moved out about five years prior. “My mother said after my brother and I moved out, she and my father had not much to share in life,” she told The Korea Herald. “She said raising us was pretty much their only ‘joint mission.’ Now that it was over, she said she wanted be on her own and explore

Social Affairs June 29, 2016

A 62-year-old man died of heatstroke last week in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, health authorities said Wednesday. This is the first time a heatstroke death has been reported in South Korea this year.Korea has endured unusually warm weather this year since spring. The average temperature in May was 18.6 degrees Celsius this year, making it the warmest May dating back to 1973. The highest temperature during the month was 32.4 degrees on May 19 in Ichon, Gyeonggi Province.(Yonhap)Last year,

Social Affairs June 29, 2016

South Koreans get the least sleep among those in Asia-Pacific, according to a healthy living index by life insurance group AIA.The study showed that Koreans on average slept 6.3 hours per night, which was less than the Asia-Pacific average of 6.9 hours. However, Koreans actually want to sleep 7.5 hours every night. Also, 74 percent of Koreans were dissatisfied with their weight and they on average wanted to lose 7.2 kilograms. A relatively high proportion of Koreans, 31 percent, was also skippin

Social Affairs June 28, 2016

As part of its efforts to encourage young fathers to actively participate in child care and eventually boost the nation’s low fertility rate, the South Korean government has come up with a parenting guidebook for fathers-to-be.The booklet, which looks like a notepad, consists of practical tips for men during and after their partners’ pregnancies, including what to bring to the delivery room, how to take care of children up to the age of 5 and things like how the sound of rubbing plastic bags can

Social Affairs June 28, 2016

A full 13 percent of South Koreans think they are inadequate as parents for their children, the largest portion of them citing their “overly emotional behavior” around their kids, a government study showed Monday.The study, organized by the Gender Ministry, surveyed 1,000 parents with children in schools. Of the children, 635 children were aged 10-12. Among the surveyed parents, 31.7 percent perceived themselves to be good parents, while 55.3 percent said they were neither good nor bad as mother

Social Affairs June 27, 2016

About 65 percent of South Korean parents with children with Crohn’s disease are either unaware of or unfamiliar with the application process for the government’s nutritional support program for young patients with the condition, a study showed Sunday. Crohn’s disease is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes abdominal pain, poor appetite and diarrhea. It is often caused by an abnormal immune response in which the body attacks the cells in the digestive tract in addition to harm

Social Affairs June 26, 2016

Last year, Kim Ji-hoon, a middle school student, filed a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, claiming his school’s ban on cellphone use limits his social life. Since 2012, all students attending school have been prohibited from bringing cellphones to class, except on specific circumstances such as school trips and outdoor field work. The ban was introduced in 2012 to prevent possible traffic accidents caused by cellphone use, as well as to encourage all students to focus

Social Affairs June 23, 2016