The first batch of Pfizer's vaccine for XBB.1.5, an omicron subvarient of COVID-19, has arrived at Incheon Airport on Monday, according to the quarantine authorities. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said that 4.04 million doses of the latest Pfizer vaccine arrived in the afternoon, out of a total 15 million doses set aside for this year's winter vaccination program. "A lot of research has shown that those who have taken this updated COVID-19 vaccine, which i

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2023

The landscape of Korean families has changed quite significantly over the last 30 years, with one-third of households in the country made up of single people and a fertility rate that has halved in the last two decades, government data showed Monday. According to the “Social Security in Statistics 2022” report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of people living alone has more than doubled in the past 20 years. The number of single-person homes was 2.25 million

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2023

A mother allegedly threw a poopy diaper at a daycare center teacher, complaining that her son had been abused. On Sunday, the teacher at the daycare center located in Sejong City visited a hospital where the mother’s child was hospitalized. The teacher said that she visited the hospital to apologize for the scar on the child's neck. The child got hurt while fighting with other children at the daycare center, so the teacher went to the hospital to apologize, she said. But when she arri

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2023

Health authorities announced on Friday plans to launch a real-time surveillance system to prevent future health disasters akin to the toxic humidifier disinfectant case, a string of lung disease outbreaks linked to chemicals found in humidifier disinfectants between 2006 and 2011. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced it has allocated 735 million won ($553,000) in the upcoming year's budget to create the Integrated Health Risk Information Management System. The

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2023

More than half of the drugs prescribed through non-face-to-face treatment were those not covered by national insurance, which has raised concerns among pharmacists about possible blind spots in telemedicine operations, according to the Korea Pharmaceutical Association. When 1,142 pharmacists were asked what drugs were dispensed during a telemedicine pilot program from June to August this year, of the total prescriptions, 34.6 percent were emergency contraceptives, followed by acne treatment drug

Social Affairs Sept. 14, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has issued a recommendation that detention centers for foreign nationals should improve and increase provisions for detainees, including computer and internet access, the time allowed for exercise outdoors and the ability to bring in food from outside. In a recommendation issued Wednesday to an unspecified detention center for foreign nationals, the commission said there is an urgent need to improve provisions in these areas to guarantee foreign nati

Social Affairs Sept. 13, 2023

South Korea will hold a large-scale military parade for the first time in 10 years to showcase its strategic weapons as part of an Armed Forces Day event later this month, the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. The 75th Armed Forces Day falls on Oct. 1, which is a day to commemorate the service of the country's former and current troops. This year, the government's official ceremony will be held on Sept. 26 ahead of the Chuseok holiday, which runs for six days from Sept. 28. The cerem

Defense Sept. 13, 2023

A sinkhole has opened up in the middle of a road in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on Tuesday, according to authorities. At around 10:45 a.m., a sinkhole was found near Eonju Station. A man called the police to report that one of his wheels was stuck in the ground due to the sinkhole, which is estimated to be 3 meters deep and 1 meter in diameter, according to the Seoul Gangnam Police Station. Although four lanes from Kyobo Tower to the Cha Medical Center Gangnam are currently closed to prevent further accid

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2023

The South Korean government is being urged to ramp up psychological support for young individuals transitioning from institutional care to independent living, as financial aid alone has proven insufficient to fostering full independence, according to a recent report from a legislative body on Sunday. According to the "Sustainable Independence" report released by the National Assembly Research Service, 11,403 young people were preparing to transition from institutional care, group hom

Social Affairs Sept. 10, 2023

Hiking has long been considered a popular activity for the middle aged or retirees looking for ways to spend their days in a healthy and low-cost way in South Korea. But the charm of climbing has extended to younger generations, with major trekking trails across the country filled with people in their 20s and 30s. Once regarded as nothing but arduous and time-consuming, hiking has become a favorite weekend activity, says Han Min-seon, a 28-year-old writer in Seoul. "I enjoy climbing Bukhans

weekender Sept. 9, 2023

A recent proposal to reform South Korea's pension system has sparked widespread controversy, as the plan includes increasing subscriber contributions while delaying the age at which subscribers can receive pension benefits. While the pension age is already set to increase from the current 62 to 65 by 2033, the reform proposal that the National Pension Financial Calculation Committee is pushing the most is to raise the pension age to 68. Pension premiums will also be increased gradually by 2

Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2023

The rate of mothers breastfeeding newborns in South Korea has declined quite rapidly, data showed Wednesday. According to a recent study conducted by a research team led by Hong Jeana, a pediatrician and professor at the Kangwon National University School of Medicine, the mixed breastfeeding rate of 6-month-old babies was 33.6 percent in 2019-2020, down from 65.9 percent in 2010–2012. It shows the proportion of infants reported as being breastfed regardless of simultaneously having formula

Social Affairs Sept. 6, 2023

One in every four children in South Korea said in a survey that they are unhappy, citing pressure to do well at school and family problems as the most prominent reasons. According to the poll conducted by the health ministry and the National Center for the Rights of the Child in 2022, 72.7 percent of those surveyed said they are either "somewhat happy" or "very happy," while 27.3 percent said they are "not very happy" or "not at all happy." The proportion

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2023

Hospitals will be required to install cameras in operating rooms and to video-record surgical procedures upon the request of patients or guardians from later this month, despite adamant opposition from doctors. The Ministry of Government Legislation announced Friday that the amended Medical Service Act, which requires the installation of surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms, will take effect on Sept. 25. The revised regulation mandates hospitals to install the cameras in any room whe

Social Affairs Sept. 1, 2023

Fifty children died of child abuse last year in Korea, most of it committed by their parents, government data showed Thursday. By cause of death, 17 of them died of physical abuse, 14 of them were murdered right before their parents committed suicide, and five of them were the victims of infanticide, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. By age group, 56 percent of children who were killed last year were under 3. A total of 27,971 child abuse cases were confirmed last

Social Affairs Aug. 31, 2023