The Korea Herald

Yeosu oil spill 200 times bigger than first estimate

Maritime authorities confirmed Monday that over 200 times more oil than initially expected leaked into waters off the south coast of Korea in an oil tanker collision, drawing concerns over the potential damage. According to the Yeosu Coast Guard, about 164 tons of oil spewed into the sea after Singapore-registered oil tanker Wu Yi San collided with a bridge while approaching a pier in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, on Friday. This amounts to 164,000 liters of oil. Three pipelines connecting to pe

Social Affairs Feb. 3, 2014

More AI cases reported nationwide over holidays

Additional suspected cases of bird flu were reported over the Lunar New Year holiday despite the government’s continuous all-out quarantine efforts. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, two suspected cases were reported on Sunday in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province and in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province. The duck farm in Eumseong-gun is 4 kilometers from Jincheon, where the infection was confirmed last Wednesday.Chickens at a farm in Busan were also reported

Social Affairs Feb. 2, 2014

Seoul City to join hands with Chinese cities for better air quality

Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will cooperate with Chinese municipalities to improve the air quality here amid public concerns over ultrafine dust coming from the neighboring country. Seoul will sign memorandums of understanding with cities in China to boost cooperation in sharing air quality-related technology and policies. The regions involved include the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Tianjin, as well as Shandong province. It will later join hands with Ulaanbaat

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2014

Foreign visitors to Seoul exceed 10 million in 2013

The number of foreign tourists to Seoul surpassed 10 million last year to set a new high, a municipal report showed Thursday.Officials from Seoul Institute said the Chinese made up the largest group of visitors to the metropolis, pointing out that Seoul appears to have become an attractive destination due in part to Beijing’s eased travel regulations and the local cultural attractions.According to the report, around 10.04 million foreign visitors made a trip to the capital, up 9.3 percent from 2

Social Affairs Jan. 23, 2014

Foreign visitors to Seoul exceed 10 million in 2013

Capital to compensate overcharged tourists

Seoul City’s public tourism organization set up a compensation scheme for overcharged foreign tourists as part of efforts to improve the city’s sightseeing conditions, officials said Wednesday. Seoul Tourism Association has started to reimburse up to 300,000 won ($280) to foreign travelers who are ripped off in seven special tourism districts starting this month. These include Myeongdong, Namdaemun, Jongno, Dongdaemun and Itaewon. Once overcharged, tourists must report to the Seoul tourist infor

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2014

Good education a minus for women seeking partners: study

Education level seems to affect men and women in markedly different fashions when it comes to marriage. Higher education is a big plus for men looking to wed; however, it’s a minus for women seeking Mr. Right, a study said on Wednesday.The Korea Institute for Health and Social Science analyzed several variables that affected marriage between 2001 and 2008, which included educational background, career, work hours and ages. According to the study, men with better educational backgrounds had highe

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2014

Korea struggles to contain AI

The South Korean government stepped up its efforts to prevent the bird flu from spreading further following the report of another suspected infection case on Tuesday.In a sign demonstrating the gravity of the situation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs extended the geographical limit within which poultry must be immediately slaughtered. All poultry within a 3-kilometer radius from a virus-infected farm will be slaughtered as a preventive measure. Previously, the mandate for cu

Social Affairs Jan. 21, 2014

Fears of AI spread escalate

The government confirmed on Monday that avian influenza was the cause of wild bird deaths in North Jeolla Province, fueling concerns of a nationwide outbreak. On Friday, a large number of Baikal teals were found dead in a reservoir between Gochang-gun and Buan-gun in North Jeolla Province, where bird flu broke out on duck farms last week. “It was verified as H5N8 but whether it is highly pathogenic will be confirmed later in the day,” said the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The

Social Affairs Jan. 20, 2014

AI outbreak confirmed at local farm

Quarantine officials confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza at a local poultry farm located some 300 kilometers south of Seoul on Friday. It is the first case of a bird flu in two years and eight months confirmed by authorities here.Quarantine authorities ordered a culling of more than 20,000 ducks in Gochang-gun, North Jeolla Province, as the waterfowl were detect to be infected with a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza. Officials said they have begun investigating the causes of the

Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2014

NHIS ready to sue tobacco industry

South Korea’s health authorities are speeding up their move to take legal action against tobacco firms to recoup rising health costs from smoking-related diseases. The state-run National Health Insurance Service said Thursday that it would decide whether to file a suit against cigarette companies in its executive board meeting scheduled next Friday. It was reported that most of the board members are likely to approve the tobacco lawsuit. The 14-member board is comprised of the NHIS officials, go

Social Affairs Jan. 16, 2014

3-D tech reduces pain, boosts accuracy in dental surgery

The use of 3-D technology has expanded to medicine, especially in dentistry, helping to maximize accuracy in surgery while reducing pain. In the past, the most developed method of putting in dental implants was cutting into the gums after looking at problematic spots on X-rays. Not only did the surgery take a long time, but the pain and bleeding were excruciating. But new equipment have reduced patient discomfort and increased satisfaction. Dental 3-D computed tomography, one of the most up-to-d

Technology Jan. 16, 2014

3-D tech reduces pain, boosts accuracy in dental surgery

Drinking linked to faster mental decline in men

NEW YORK (AP) ― Middle-aged men risk a faster mental decline as they age if they’ve been drinking heavily for years, new research suggests.The study of about 5,000 British civil servants found that over a decade, the added decline was the equivalent of about two extra years of aging for a combined measure of mental abilities like reasoning, and about six years for memory. The heavy drinkers’ abilities were compared to those of men who drank moderately or abstained.It’s no surprise that heavy alc

Technology Jan. 16, 2014

Drinking linked to faster mental decline in men

Premature menopause

Ms. K, 38, was shocked to be diagnosed with premature menopause when she visited her gynecologist. She had experienced irregular periods from 35 years and did not have periods for the past six months. For the last two to three months she had facial flushing, perspiration, insomnia and systemic arthritis, for which she had to see a doctor. Following hormone and bone density tests, she was diagnosed with premature menopause. She was found to have reduced bone density and increased cholesterol. Ms.

Technology Jan. 16, 2014

Korea’s medical fees much lower than in other nations

South Korean doctors receive far less in fees for surgeries than other developed countries, a report showed Wednesday. According to a new report by the Korean Medical Association, the average surgery fees paid to Korean doctors in 2012 were the lowest compared to those of eight advanced countries, including the United States, Australia, Switzerland and France. In Korea, patients pay part of their medical costs as they belong to the state-regulated health insurance system. For the remainder of th

Social Affairs Jan. 15, 2014

1 out of 6 civil servants open to private sector move

One in 6 public servants are open to getting a new job in the private sector in order to get higher pay, a government survey showed Wednesday. In the survey conducted by the Ministry of Security and Public Administration last year, 16.3 percent of 1,053 civil servants said that they were willing to give up their current government posts and go to the private sector. About 90 percent of respondents cited higher pay as their main reason, saying that they expected an average income rise of about 40

Social Affairs Jan. 15, 2014

Articles by Lee Hyun-jeong