The name of Korean traditional medicine doctor Seo Hyo-seok’s clinic, Pyunkang Korean Medicine Hospital, has a special meaning. The word ― Pyunkang ― in fact reflects the doctor’s philosophy and vision for Korean medicine. “Pyun” means tonsils, and “kang” means wellness. Together, the words means “tonsils at ease” or “healthy tonsils.”Seo, who has been researching lung-related diseases for the past 41 years, believes that healthy tonsils make for healthy lungs, and healthy lungs bring longevity.

Technology Oct. 9, 2014

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system due to the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra of the brain. While tremor at rest, bradykinesia, muscle stiffness and postural reflex impairment are the four most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, the disease commonly causes various other symptoms. Parkinson’s disease is primarily diagnosed from the medical history and symptoms of the patient. Not everyone with certain suspected symptoms of

Technology Oct. 9, 2014

NEW YORK (AFP) ― A 4-year-old boy in the northeastern U.S. state of New Jersey died suddenly and without warning as a result of the outbreak of a respiratory virus, enterovirus D68, officials said.Eli Waller, who lived in Hamilton Township, died on Sept. 25 but his cause of death was only diagnosed at the weekend.The youngest of triplets, he didn’t go to school during the day and went to bed with red eyes. He never woke up.“I think Eli’s case is an exception to the other cases in the country,” J

Technology Oct. 9, 2014

The number of South Koreans receiving public pension payments will rise by 8.2 percent next year, according to a government report submitted to the National Assembly.The public pension system consists of four pension programs, including the state pension and separate programs for public servants, military officers and public school teachers.According to the report, 4.69 million Koreans will receive public pension payments next year, while only 4.33 million received them this year. In total, some

Social Affairs Oct. 7, 2014

A U.N. expert on racism called on the South Korean government Monday to tackle the country’s xenophobia issue by stepping up education and legislating comprehensive anti-discrimination laws. “I have found incidents and problems (of racism and xenophobia in South Korea) that are serious enough to be brought to attention,” said Mutuma Ruteere, U.N. special rapporteur on racism, in a press conference in Seoul on Monday.He made these comments on the last day of a weeklong visit to Korea to examine t

Social Affairs Oct. 6, 2014

This year marks the 10th anniversary of South Korea’s establishment of its antiprostitution law, which criminalizes the buying and selling of sex. In spite of the special law, however, the number of female sex workers in South Korea increased 3.8 percent from 2010 to 2013, according to the latest report released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The number of women working in the sex trade stood at 5,103 in 2013, up from 4,917 in 2010. Almost 80 percent of these women were in their

Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2014

Korean men and women are prone to develop obesity at different ages, according to research organized by the state-run Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.While Korean women in their 60s are most prone to develop the condition, Korean men become obese most commonly during their 30s, according to the latest report released by the institute.The report was written after researching some 10,000 Koreans nationwide last year.According to the study, more than 47 percent of Korean men in the

Social Affairs Sept. 29, 2014

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon spoke with “Star Trek” producer Jeffrey Chernov in an effort to attract more foreign studios to shoot their films in South Korea’s capital, during his ongoing U.S. tour in Los Angeles on Sunday.The meeting took place some five months after shooting for the Hollywood blockbuster “Avengers 2” was held in Seoul back in April. The shoot was supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, led by Park, as well as South Korea’s central government.Chernov in 2009 worked as exec

Social Affairs Sept. 29, 2014

Located in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital is paperless ― quite literally.Here, kiosks and computers replace people and paper documents. All of the medical charts have been digitalized, along with the personal data of the patients. Visitors make reservations, pay and browse their medical histories through kiosks and smart devices. Doctors and nurses know exactly how many hours ― or even minutes ― they have for each and every patient. Even during meetings an

Social Affairs Sept. 28, 2014

Chest pain refers to various pains in the chest, which can be due to a wide range of causes. Chest pain or discomfort in the chest is a relatively common condition found in 1-2 percent of all patients, and 1.9 percent of all emergency presentations. Its causes vary widely and the clinical significance and progress differs for each cause. Therefore chest pain should be diagnosed carefully. The main causes of chest pain include problems in the lungs, heart, esophagus or ribs. Of these causes, ches

Technology Sept. 25, 2014