The incidence of premature puberty has increased in the past five years in South Korea, according to the National Health Insurance Corp.

The number of children who reached puberty too early stood at 95,401 in 2017, up 42.3 percent from 2013.

Symptoms of precocious puberty include rapid growth, changes in body shape and size, and the development of ability to reproduce before the age of 8 in girls and 9 in boys.