A consultative body, comprising the government, medical sector, and ruling party, was launched on Monday to seek a resolution to the standoff that began in February and deliver tangible results by year-end. It was held with opposition from the main opposition party and striking junior doctors and students against the expansion plan boycotting the meeting. The move comes after ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon proposed the formation of a four-way consultative body in early September t

Social Affairs Nov. 11, 2024

Hopes for a decisive breakthrough in the monthslong medical stalemate are rising as the consultation body intended to join the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, rival parties and the medical circle for talks is set to launch Monday morning, a day after a major leadership change in the Korean Medical Association. The body's launch comes after ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon proposed in September the formation of a four-way consultative body in an attempt to resolve the ongoing medi

Social Affairs Nov. 10, 2024

Government officials and renowned scholars from South Korea and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convened at an international conference to chart pathways for further developing cooperation, building on the October milestone that elevated Korea-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The International Conference on ASEAN-Korea Partnership 2024 was held Thursday under the theme "Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future" at the Lotte Hotel i

Foreign Affairs Nov. 10, 2024

In an effort to clamp down on the rapid spread of deepfake sex crimes here, investigative authorities will be able to go undercover to catch digital sex offenders in cases where victims are adults and enable online platforms to block sexually explicit content before review, the Korean government said Wednesday. Rolling out a comprehensive package of strengthened measures to handle AI-generated sexual abuse, the government announced plans to push for a revision to the Act on Special Cases Conce

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2024

With only a week left before the national Suneung college admissions exam, some test takers and their parents are reaching out for additional assistance to manage test anxiety jitters: pills that make them brainier. Lee, an 18-year-old third-grade high school student who attends a private school in Incheon's Songdo district, is one of them. "I heard that the anxiety-soothing pills and traditional Korean medicine like 'cheongsimhwan' could ease test anxiety symptoms such as ra

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2024

Room salons -- private bars that hire women to entertain guests -- are often accused of abusing their closed-door nature to provide illegal prostitution services. But recently they have been turning to drugs to compete for customers. The main substances used here are ketamine and ecstasy, according to people close to the matter and the police. “The term ‘candy,’ for example, is slang for ecstasy, and its main consumers are visitors of nightlife facilities and those working in e

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2024

The Korean government is pushing to ban medical professionals from prescribing propofol for themselves to reduce the risk of misuse, officials said Friday. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it will propose an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Narcotics Control Act to prohibit doctors and dentists from prescribing or administering propofol to themselves and receive public opinion on the policy until Dec. 10. Propofol is a sedative used mostly during cosmetic procedures or when pe

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2024

The academic leave requested by protesting medical students who left classrooms since February to oppose the Korean government's drastic quota hike in medical school admissions will likely be finalized by this month, while some schools are cautious in granting the approval, according to education authorities Friday. The move comes after the Education Ministry on Tuesday decided to allow medical schools the freedom to grant the leave to encourage medical students' return and normalize d

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2024

A South Korean activist group called off its plan to launch balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North across the heavily fortified frontier on Thursday after facing local opposition and police prevention due to potential security risks to residents. Choi Sung-ryong, head of the Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea, announced that the organization would cancel its decision to scatter propaganda leaflets in the North during a press conference held at the Nati

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2024

Recognized for combating the COVID-19 pandemic and its key role in building global cooperation to respond to infectious diseases, officials said Thursday that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has been designated as the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. The recognition comes nearly eight months after health authorities here and the WHO agreed in March to enhance cooperation in pandemic preparedness and response, as well as cont

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2024

It used to be that when Park Ji-sun, a 45-year-old office worker, thought of a Korean doctor, it was the 2020 tvN drama series "Hospital Playlist" that first came to her mind. The series became an instant hit in South Korea, depicting the lives of five doctors battling to save lives together. It was so successful that it was renewed for a second season, which is rare for a Korean drama. "They were heroes with white gowns during the day, sometimes sacrificing their private lives in

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2024

After a series of recent revelations of unwanted sexual behavior within marriages surrounding South Korean celebrity couples came to light, these allegations have raised issues about the accountability of spouses in cases of marital sexual abuse. FT Island's Choi Min-hwan is at the center of a controversy after his ex-wife, Yul-hee, opened up in a 37-minute YouTube video posted on Oct. 24 that he would allegedly "fold cash in half and place it in my cleavage in front of family members&

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2024

While expressing disparagement of the opposite sex in a show of hatred has long ailed South Korea, the severe gender conflict took a turn for the worse after a cartoon recently came under fire for misogyny. The three-story webtoon, "Pong Pong Man From Another World," uploaded to Naver Webtoon last month, is a story that revolves around a 39-year-old man named Park Dong-soo who faces a series of hardships after witnessing his wife's affair, which later leads him to question his pla

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2024

Diabetes and smoking are common causes of strokes, which can damage blood vessels and cause death, and stroke patients in South Korea have a higher rate of both stroke factors compared to Western countries, a study showed Monday, suggesting a need to strengthen prevention efforts to improve public health outcomes. According to an analysis of stroke treatment patterns in the country for 2021 by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health, 35 percent of st

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2024

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration plans to unveil a population strategy road map next year, coinciding with the launch of a new ministry dedicated to addressing South Korea’s declining birth rate and rapidly aging population, the presidential office announced Sunday. You Hye-mi, senior presidential secretary for low birth rate issues, underscored the initiative, noting that "with the establishment of the ministry of population strategy and planning, defining the ministry’s vision

Politics Oct. 27, 2024