The Korea Herald

Egypt’s army says ‘AIDS detector’ needs more tests

Egypt’s military says devices it claimed it invented to detect and cure AIDS and hepatitis C need more testing. (123RF)CAIRO (AP) ― Egypt’s military said Saturday that devices it claimed it invented to detect and cure AIDS and hepatitis C need six more months of testing.The army had earlier promised to reveal the technology to the public this coming Monday after making what experts dismissed as an outlandish claim last February.At a news conference then, the head of the army’s Engineering Agency

Technology July 3, 2014

Egypt’s army says ‘AIDS detector’ needs more tests

Breast reconstruction offers more options for cancer patients

Living with and beyond breast cancer can be overwhelming. Patients often deal with the loss of a breast or an altered physical appearance, on top of learning about unfamiliar treatment options and procedures.Thanks to improved reconstructive surgery, however, women with breast cancer have more options ― even if they are not eligible for breast-conserving surgery and therefore required to remove the entire breast. In South Korea, a growing number of patients are choosing to have reconstruction im

Technology July 3, 2014

Breast reconstruction offers more options for cancer patients

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is a very common disease during the summer, and most people are quite familiar with it. During the summer, various infectious diseases are common. The reason that food poisoning is common during the summer is because bacteria thrive at this time of year.Food poisoning is a disease caused by the ingestion of bacterial toxins. However, diseases from food more commonly occur through direct invasion of bacteria into the body. Therefore, the common term “food poisoning” more accurately

Technology July 3, 2014

Korea’s suicide rate remains top in OECD

South Korea’s suicide rate remained the highest among OECD countries for 10 consecutive years, from 2002 to 2012, according to recent OECD data.The rate in South Korea in 2012 reached 28.1 for every 100,000 people, while the average rate for all of the OCED nations was 12.1. However, the number of those who committed suicide in Korea dropped slightly from 2011 to 2012, the data said. The rate in the country had reached its peak in 2011 at 31.7 for every 100,000. According to Statistics Korea, th

Technology July 2, 2014

[Graphic News] More elementary school students addicted to smartphones

More elementary school students are becoming addicted to smartphones, according to the Ministry of Education.The number of elementary school students at risk of smartphone addiction rose by more than 20 percent this year from the previous year, according to a report released by the ministry. Some 131,000 children from grades 1-6 are at risk this year, the ministry said. Meanwhile, the number of middle and high school students who are potential smartphone addicts decreased from 229,877 last year

Social Affairs July 1, 2014

[Graphic News] More elementary school students addicted to smartphones

Seoul mayor starts 2nd term

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon kicked off his second term on Tuesday amid a dispute over volunteers who participated in his “zero-cost” inaugural ceremony. The event, which took place in front of City Hall, is being criticized by some netizens, who say the city exploited labor in order to save money. Everyone who participated in the event contributed their services for free, while the city spent nothing. It was hosted by an unemployed woman in her 20s who dreams of becoming a flight attendant, with p

Social Affairs July 1, 2014

Basic pension program begins amid disputes

The newly introduced basic pension for those over 65 is taking effect this month, but the program is a source of concern for destitute seniors who may lose their basic living benefits once they apply for it. The “basic pension” program, which is one of President Park Geun-hye’s key pledges, is to benefit the poorest 70 percent of Koreans aged 65 or older by giving them a monthly allowance ranging from 100,000 won to 200,000 won depending on their income level. But for seniors who are recipients

Social Affairs June 30, 2014

Dermatology clinics witness fastest revenue growth last year

The average monthly revenue of local dermatology clinics rose at the fastest pace among medical institutions last year, according to a state health research panel.According to a report released by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the earnings of dermatology treatment centers last year rose by 5.6 percent from the previous year. The medical facilities, which also offer cosmetic procedures, made an average monthly revenue of 21.2 million won ($21,000). Ophthalmology and pediatric c

Social Affairs June 30, 2014

Korean adoptees in Canada visit homeland

About 30 Korean children adopted by Canadian parents are visiting Korea for two weeks to learn about Korean culture and history, according to Korean Canadian Children’s Association.The children, who arrived in Seoul on Sunday, are to visit some of the most famous tourist spots in the country with their adoptive parents, including the Demilitarized Zone, Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan, and scenic beaches on Jejudo Island. According to the Korean Canadian Children’s Ass

Social Affairs June 29, 2014

Public officials face calls to pay standard health insurance fees

A state agency is pressuring the government to change the current health insurance premium system so that public officials are levied the same amount of payments as those in the private sector.The National Health Insurance Service said on Sunday that it requested the Finance Ministry to review the current practice of charging health insurance costs to public workers, as the insurance agency estimates that the government employees together have been given a discount of about 81 billion won ($79.8

Social Affairs June 29, 2014

[Weekender] Risks of Korean eating habits

While some Korean dishes, such as bibimbap, are considered a healthy meal, Korean soups and stews have one major flaw: They often contain too much salt.South Koreans are known to be heavy consumers of sodium, ranking at the top worldwide in terms of their daily intake. According to World Action on Salt and Health, South Koreans consumed a daily average of 4.878 milligrams of sodium in 2010 which is 2.4 times higher than the WHO’s recommended daily intake of 2,000 milligrams.Dr. Cho Young-yun fro

Technology June 27, 2014

[Weekender] Risks of Korean eating habits

[Herald Interview] ‘Violence against women is not a private, but public issue’

The well-known “Ring the Bell” campaign was launched in India in 2008 to prevent domestic violence against women in the country. Participating in the project is rather simple: whenever you hear a neighbor being abused by her family members, you ring the doorbell and say something random, such as “What time is it?”“The point is to make them think that ‘We have heard you,’” said Begona Lasagabaster, chief of the Leadership and Governance Section for U.N. Women. “Even though you are not engaged in

Social Affairs June 26, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Violence against women is not a private, but public issue’

Korea to toughen penalties for sexual harassment at work

Public workers who try to hide sexual harassment cases at work will now face stiffer penalties, as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, not their immediate superior, will have the authority to take disciplinary action, starting next month. All employees who work for the 16,629 state-run institutions nationwide, such as education offices, schools and regional governments, are also required to take gender-equality education, at least once a year. The education program is divided into four p

Social Affairs June 25, 2014

Ministry unveils measures to fight Alzheimer’s disease

As drinking and physical inactivity are considered some of the major risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, the Health Ministry is coming up with preventative measures including banning on-campus drinking and alcohol commercials on TV and radio from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, is considered a threat to South Korea ― one of the heaviest-drinking countries in the world ― and its future economy. The Health Ministry expects that the number of those

Social Affairs June 24, 2014

Daughter of Sakhalin Koreans gains citizenship

A stateless descendant of Koreans who were forced to move to Sakhalin by the Japanese during the colonial period won the right to South Korean citizenship, more than a year after filing an administrative litigation against the government in 2012. The 60-year-old, whose last name is Kim, is the first descendent of Koreans relocated to the Russian island to obtain South Korean citizenship. She has been living as a stateless person on Sakhalin since she was born to Korean parents who were forcibly

Social Affairs June 20, 2014

Articles by Claire Lee