Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon kicked off his second term on Tuesday amid a dispute over volunteers who participated in his “zero-cost” inaugural ceremony. The event, which took place in front of City Hall, is being criticized by some netizens, who say the city exploited labor in order to save money. Everyone who participated in the event contributed their services for free, while the city spent nothing. It was hosted by an unemployed woman in her 20s who dreams of becoming a flight attendant, with p

The newly introduced basic pension for those over 65 is taking effect this month, but the program is a source of concern for destitute seniors who may lose their basic living benefits once they apply for it. The “basic pension” program, which is one of President Park Geun-hye’s key pledges, is to benefit the poorest 70 percent of Koreans aged 65 or older by giving them a monthly allowance ranging from 100,000 won to 200,000 won depending on their income level. But for seniors who are recipients

The average monthly revenue of local dermatology clinics rose at the fastest pace among medical institutions last year, according to a state health research panel.According to a report released by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the earnings of dermatology treatment centers last year rose by 5.6 percent from the previous year. The medical facilities, which also offer cosmetic procedures, made an average monthly revenue of 21.2 million won ($21,000). Ophthalmology and pediatric c

About 30 Korean children adopted by Canadian parents are visiting Korea for two weeks to learn about Korean culture and history, according to Korean Canadian Children’s Association.The children, who arrived in Seoul on Sunday, are to visit some of the most famous tourist spots in the country with their adoptive parents, including the Demilitarized Zone, Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan, and scenic beaches on Jejudo Island. According to the Korean Canadian Children’s Ass

A state agency is pressuring the government to change the current health insurance premium system so that public officials are levied the same amount of payments as those in the private sector.The National Health Insurance Service said on Sunday that it requested the Finance Ministry to review the current practice of charging health insurance costs to public workers, as the insurance agency estimates that the government employees together have been given a discount of about 81 billion won ($79.8

While some Korean dishes, such as bibimbap, are considered a healthy meal, Korean soups and stews have one major flaw: They often contain too much salt.South Koreans are known to be heavy consumers of sodium, ranking at the top worldwide in terms of their daily intake. According to World Action on Salt and Health, South Koreans consumed a daily average of 4.878 milligrams of sodium in 2010 which is 2.4 times higher than the WHO’s recommended daily intake of 2,000 milligrams.Dr. Cho Young-yun fro

The well-known “Ring the Bell” campaign was launched in India in 2008 to prevent domestic violence against women in the country. Participating in the project is rather simple: whenever you hear a neighbor being abused by her family members, you ring the doorbell and say something random, such as “What time is it?”“The point is to make them think that ‘We have heard you,’” said Begona Lasagabaster, chief of the Leadership and Governance Section for U.N. Women. “Even though you are not engaged in

Public workers who try to hide sexual harassment cases at work will now face stiffer penalties, as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, not their immediate superior, will have the authority to take disciplinary action, starting next month. All employees who work for the 16,629 state-run institutions nationwide, such as education offices, schools and regional governments, are also required to take gender-equality education, at least once a year. The education program is divided into four p

As drinking and physical inactivity are considered some of the major risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, the Health Ministry is coming up with preventative measures including banning on-campus drinking and alcohol commercials on TV and radio from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia, is considered a threat to South Korea ― one of the heaviest-drinking countries in the world ― and its future economy. The Health Ministry expects that the number of those

A stateless descendant of Koreans who were forced to move to Sakhalin by the Japanese during the colonial period won the right to South Korean citizenship, more than a year after filing an administrative litigation against the government in 2012. The 60-year-old, whose last name is Kim, is the first descendent of Koreans relocated to the Russian island to obtain South Korean citizenship. She has been living as a stateless person on Sakhalin since she was born to Korean parents who were forcibly

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The government’s top drug abuse experts struggled Wednesday to find ways to expand use of a medicine which is widely-considered the best therapy for treating heroin and painkiller addiction, but which remains underused a decade after its launch.Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan pressed officials from the White House, the National Institute of Drug Abuse and other agencies to increase access to the buprenorphine, a medication which helps addicts control drug cravings and withdrawal sy

What is athlete’s foot?Athlete’s foot is an infectious disease caused by a type of fungus (dermatomyces) that infects the skin between the toes, the lower surface of the foot and the hands. Dermatomyces reproduces actively in a warm, moist environment, so athlete’s foot is common during summer, particularly during the rainy season.Types and symptomsThere are three types of athlete’s foot, which differ according to the location of the infection and the symptoms ― hyperkeratotic, interdigital and

The summer has arrived early in Korea this year, as the weather has been unusually warm in June.While it offers more opportunities for outdoor activities and sports, the warm weather also increases the prevalence of summer diseases. The Health Ministry says it is particularly important to be aware of illnesses such as eye infections and mosquito-borne diseases, as well as food-borne illnesses. The best way to avoid eye infections and food-borne diseases is to wash your hands properly and regular

Lee Gyeong-ae remembers Dec. 15 of last year as the most monumental day of her life.It was the opening night of the Heart to Heart Orchestra concert, of which her autistic son, Jae-yoon, is a member. Sitting in the Seoul Arts Center, one of the most prestigious venues for the performing arts in South Korea, Lee could not stop crying even before the curtain rose. “I never thought that such a day would come,” Lee said. “I never thought Jae-yoon would one day perform at the Seoul Arts Center. When

Many eyes are on the National Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee, as it is scheduled to finalize the health insurance payments for next year by Thursday. The costs are likely to rise as the Park Geun-hye administration last year announced that the national insurance program will gradually broaden its coverage of expenses related to “four major diseases” by 2017. The illnesses are: cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and a total of 138 yet-to-be cured conditions such as Crohn’s di

South Korea’s birthrate was the lowest among OECD countries, due largely to the “sampo generation,” those among the nation’s young people who give up dating, marriage and childbirth because of a lack of financial means. According to the CIA’s The World Factbook, last updated on Monday, South Korea’s birthrate was in 219th place among the 224 countries, while Singapore had the lowest. The organization predicted that a South Korean woman would give birth to an average of 1.25 children. A Singapore

In an effort to reduce its notorious gender gap and increase women’s participation in the workforce, South Korea has established a task force along with major local corporations, NGOs and the World Economic Forum. South Korea’s wage gap between men and women is 38.9 percent, which is the highest among OECD countries. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report in 2013, South Korea ranked 111th out of 136 nations. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, only 53.9 perce

The Health Ministry plans to raise cigarette prices, which have been fixed at about 2,500 won ($2.45) a pack depending on the brand for the past decade, in order to boost public health. South Korea has the cheapest prices for cigarettes among OCED countries, along with China. Meanwhile, it has one of the highest smoking rates. The smoking rate for Korean adult males is 49 percent.The World Health Organization advises nations which have signed its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that thei

In the wake of the Sewol ferry disaster, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Tuesday that it will increase the current disaster medical treatment budget by 9.5 times by next year.The ministry will set aside a total of 20.8 billion won ($20.4 million) for emergency medical care next year, increasing the number of hospitals, ambulances and medical staff. The current budget is 2.2 billion won. The 18 regional emergency centers nationwide will be turned into hospitals that specialize in

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday that it plans to raise cigarette prices, which have been fixed at 2,300-2,500 won a pack depending on the brand for the past 10 years, as a means of health safety measures. The announcement came about two weeks after the country received a notice from the World Health Organization that it should raise cigarette prices by 50 percent. Along with China and Thailand, Korea has the cheapest prices for cigarettes among OCED countries. Meanwhile, it has