Isolated young and middle-aged people will be eligible for state welfare services from the second half of this year, the government said Wednesday in unveiling a raft of new welfare policies. Socially isolated people refer to people who are emotionally or physically isolated from the majority of society for at least six months, according to the Welfare Ministry. This includes those who have not worked and have rarely left home. Welfare services, including those for community care and psychologic

Social Affairs May 31, 2023

South Korea aims to boost its medical tourism industry as a key driver of future growth, with a target of attracting 700,000 foreign patients annually from 2027. However, challenges such as the language barrier and complex immigration procedures still remain. The Ministry of Health and Welfare set a goal of attracting more foreign patients to undergo medical treatments or get cosmetic surgery in Korea by increasing the number of foreign patients visiting the country by 26 percent each year. A

Social Affairs May 30, 2023

A man posing as a banker living in Mexico scammed a woman in Gyeonggi Province out of 50 million won ($37,700) in an online romance scam, local media reported Friday. The woman, in her 40s, befriended the man on social media and had opened up to him, the report said, quoting the Korean Embassy in Mexico. After gaining her trust, the man told her he was pick-pocketed in Mexico and was about to be kicked out of his hotel because he had no money. He asked for 50 million won to pay for hotel expense

Social Affairs May 26, 2023

  The South Korean government faces strong opposition from the medical community as it resumes discussions with doctors regarding a potential increase in the enrollment quota at medical schools. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association -- the country's largest coalition of doctors’ groups with 130,000 members -- met on Wednesday to discuss various pending issues related to the medical industry, including expanding admissions to medical schools. This is the

Social Affairs May 24, 2023

One in 10 pediatric clinics in Seoul has closed in the past five years due to Korea’s low birth rate and chronic unprofitability, data showed on Wednesday. According to a report released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of pediatric clinics decreased to 456 in Seoul last year, down 12.5 percent from 521 in 2017. While the clinics face an ultra-low birth rate, the government has also frozen doctor appointment fees for over 30 years. Lim Hyun-taek, chairman o

Social Affairs May 24, 2023

Embassies from five Central Asian countries signed a memorandum of understanding with universities in South Chungcheong Province and the provincial government to attract international students, Sunmoon University said Tuesday. Under the memorandum, the five countries, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, will dispatch students with Korean language skills to universities in the province. The agreement also covers measures to prevent students from dropping out mid-seme

Social Affairs May 23, 2023

Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, on Monday over allegations of illegal drug use. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said at a press conference on Monday that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested an arrest warrant for the 37-year-old actor. The actor is suspected of using five illegal or prescription drugs for non-medical purposes -- marijuana, cocaine, ketamine, propofol and the insomnia medication zol

Social Affairs May 22, 2023

Some 40 percent of Korean women suffer from menstrual disorders, including painful cramps, heavy bleeding and premenstrual syndrome, survey showed Sunday. According to the report titled “Menstruation Management in Korean Women," published by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, and Korea University College of Medicine, over 40 percent of Korean women suffer from menstrual disorders, such as painful cramps during menstruation,

Social Affairs May 21, 2023

South Korea's top court has ruled that a shop tenant who couldn't pay the rent during the COVID-19 pandemic should not be evicted, news reports said Wednesday, quoting the court's decision. The ruling by the Supreme Court in a lawsuit filed by the tenant against the landlord confirmed the lower courts' decisions that the landlord could not get rid of tenants behind on their monthly rent, ruling in favor of the plaintiff. The landlord’s appeal to the Supreme Court was di

Social Affairs May 10, 2023

South Korea's parliament is expected to ratify the Hague Adoption Convention, aimed at ensuring that inter-country adoption only occurs when in the best interests of the child, as early as 2025. The convention, known officially as the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption, developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law, deals with international adoption, child laundering and child trafficking in an effort to protect t

Social Affairs May 10, 2023

South Korean government is contemplating lifting the isolation mandate for COVID-19 patients as soon as this month, as part of efforts to transition to pre-pandemic normalcy. The decision will be announced as early as this week, officials said. The mandatory isolation rule was introduced as one of the first preventative measures in January 2020. The move is being considered as the isolation requirement has been lifted in a number of countries. Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Thailand, France

Social Affairs May 9, 2023

A department head at a large company who recommended a female subordinate go on a date with a male employee was found guilty of sexually harassment and ordered to compensate the victim, news reports said Monday, quoting the court order. The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court was upholding a lower court's decision that ordered the department head to pay 3 million won ($2,265) to the victim. The incident occurred in 2021, when the woman had lunch with three of her bosses, including th

Social Affairs May 8, 2023

An increasing number of local governments are subsidizing medical expenses for young people suffering from hair loss amid an increase in the number of Koreans in their 20s and 30s seeking the treatment. Saha District Office in Busan amended an ordinance Wednesday to provide free alopecia treatment for residents aged 19-34. Saha ward office is the latest in municipalities' drive to fund hair loss treatments for residents. Seongdong District Office in Seoul has also been offering cash voucher

Social Affairs May 7, 2023

The number of international students enrolled in Korean higher education institutions hit a record high last year, data showed Sunday. According to the data released by the Ministry of Education, there were 166,869 foreign students enrolled at domestic universities and colleges as of April 1 2022, marking an increase of 10 percent from a year earlier and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The number of international students included those enrolled in both degree and non-degree programs, such as l

Social Affairs May 7, 2023

A group of doctors and other medical workers said Tuesday that they will stage a nationwide strike in protest of the passage of a so-called nursing bill, which they say would give nurses legal rights to establish their own medical institutions. A statement released Tuesday morning said the association of 13 medical groups led by doctors and nursing assistants will go on a one-day nationwide strike on May 17. The protest, which is planned for a weekday, is feared to disrupt the country's med

Social Affairs May 2, 2023