The monthslong medical standoff entered a new phase this week after Seoul National University became the first institution to approve leave of absence requests from striking students who have been boycotting classes to protest the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota. Despite government warnings of severe repercussions, SNU's decision on Monday prompted a swift response from the Ministry of Education, further escalating tensions between the medical communit

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2024

More than 6,000 physicians each year are diagnosed with mental illness, but the absence of oversight verifying whether the doctors are able to adequately provide treatment is stoking concerns. An average of 6,228 doctors per year were diagnosed with mental illnesses between 2019 and 2023 and performed an average of 27.99 million treatments and surgeries, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's data on medical professionals diagnosed with mental illness, submitted to Rep. Choo

Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2024

The leader of South Korea's largest doctors association is under pressure after the majority of a group of members surveyed expressed no confidence in him. In a survey of Korean Medical Association members run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 27 by several high ranking KMA officials, more than 77 percent of the participants expressed no confidence in the group's president, Lim Hyun-taek, according to the medical community on Sunday. Figures on the number of members surveyed were not made public

Social Affairs Sept. 29, 2024

Only 1.43 percent of all medical school freshmen over the past decade received scholarships for students from low-income households, government data showed Tuesday. Medical schools here received a total of 31,883 new students between 2013 and 2024, but only 469 received the country's national scholarship program aimed at supporting students from low-income backgrounds, according to data submitted by the Education Ministry, the Korea Student Aid Foundation and each medical school to Rep. Cho

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024

The Malaysian Embassy in Seoul celebrated the country's 67th National Day Monday, commemorating Malaysia's independence from British Colonial rule in 1957. Celebrating the day, which falls on August 31, Malaysian Ambassador to South Korea Mohd Zamruni Khalid emphasized that the country, surrounded by unprecedented political uncertainties, has remained steadfast and resilient in its quest to move forward. "Over the years, Malaysia has shown that it can overcome the odds. ... Today,

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 24, 2024

Eyes are on whether the much-anticipated four-way consultative body comprising the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, opposition parties and the medical circle will convene as the health care standoff continues following the Chuseok holiday. Amid the medical stalemate, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said during Friday's government response meeting that the door to talks is open. He stressed that the government is "ready to engage in discussions with an open mind" if the medic

Social Affairs Sept. 20, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet the ruling People Power Party leadership next week to seek a breakthrough in the ongoing stalemate with the medical circle over the expansion plan, his office said Thursday. The meeting, set for Tuesday, will be an "occasion for broad communication" where the presidential office and the party's leadership will come together "to review the public sentiment" during the Chuseok holiday and discuss reform agendas, including medical reforms

Politics Sept. 19, 2024

Disruptions in health care services continued nationwide during the five-day Chuseok holiday, as the medical standoff over the government’s medical school quota hike plan showed no signs of abating. While there is no official data to assess the scope and size of the disturbances, independent reports emerged of patients being denied admission to multiple emergency care units during the Saturday-Wednesday holiday. On Saturday, when the nation entered the crest of holiday cheer, a woman whose

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2024

진행자: 박준희, Elise Youn [KH Explains] Marrying your virtual partner? Era of AI companionship dawns 기사 요약: 사용자의 취향과 라이프스타일을 학습하며 사용자를 이해하는 동반자로 떠오른 AI [1] Every morning, Jung-in wakes up to her AI boyfriend Tae-joo's video call, telling her she has 30 minutes to prepare for work before her bus comes. As she hurries out the door, Tae-joo smiles and calls out, "Take your umbrella with you, it's raining today!" This story is the fictional plot of South Korean movie "Wonder

Podcast Sept. 16, 2024

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday vowed to take stern action against those behind a "blacklist" of nonstriking doctors and medical students, amid intensifying tensions between the government and the medical community. During a central disaster response meeting, Han discussed allegations of a blacklist created by striking doctors to mock colleagues who have refused to participate in the strike, which has been ongoing since February. Calling it a "cowardly act," Han descr

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2024

진행자: 박준희, Elise Youn Stigma, criticism follow deepfake victims 기사 요약: 딥페이크 심각성 커지면서 가해자에 대한 처벌 강화하고, 피해자를 보호해야 한다는 목소리가 많아지고 있다 [1] As hundreds of reports have been recently made to police regarding the distribution and creation of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, calls for increased protection and stronger punishment of perpetrators are being raised in South Korea. * Distribution: 분배 (방식), 분포 * Explicit: 명백한, 노골적인 * Call for something: ~을 필요로 하다; (공식적으로) 요구하다 * Perpetrators: (범행

Podcast Sept. 12, 2024

The Korean government's plan to allow the transfer of donated cadavers between medical schools to cope with shortages and enhance the quality of education as it prepares for the first hike in medical school admissions in 27 years is facing ethical concerns. The Education Ministry on Tuesday said the government would push to make amendments to the law that would allow medical schools that are short of donated cadavers to receive them from other medical institutions if the donor or the bere

Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2024

South Korean teachers handle larger classes, but earn less compared with several of their counterparts in other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Education Ministry said Tuesday. According to the latest edition of a government report analyzing the OECD's annual "Education at a Glance," the number of students per teacher in South Korea stood at 15.8 in elementary schools and 13.1 in middle schools, respectively, in 2022, which was higher than

Social Affairs Sept. 10, 2024

Kim, a 25-year-old corporate worker, often wonders if others are living better lives than her. She thinks about who might be making more money, getting better recognition at work or more opportunities. When Kim feels she’s falling behind her colleagues, those her age job-wise or in her love life, she feels blue and uneasy. “I’m grateful for what I have -- working at a large conglomerate, being raised in a good family and graduating from a prestigious school. But everything alwa

Social Affairs Sept. 9, 2024

South Korea's rival political parties on Friday united in a rare display of bipartisan cooperation to form a four-party consultative body with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and the medical community, aiming to jump-start negotiations over the medical school enrollment hike, which have been at the root of health care disruptions since February. People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon proposed the formation of a four-way consultative body, bringing together the Yoon government, ruling and o

Politics Sept. 6, 2024