For months, Kim Gyeong-ae, a nurse at Seoul National University Hospital, has not been able to eat blueberry yogurt because it reminds her too much of Korea’s last confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome patient.He died in November, but in the period leading up to his death, it was the only food he was able to eat, due to his lack of appetite and severe cold sores in his mouth. “When I bought some things for myself in the morning, I would buy yogurt for him too and give it to him. This memory

For months, Kim Gyeong-ae, a nurse at Seoul National University Hospital, has not been able to eat blueberry yogurt because it reminds her too much of Korea’s last confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome patient.He died in November, but in the period leading up to his death, it was the only food he was able to eat, due to his lack of appetite and severe cold sores in his mouth. “When I bought some things for myself in the morning, I would buy yogurt for him too and give it to him. This memory

Rep. Kang Eun-hee of the ruling Saenuri Party, a former IT businesswoman, has been appointed as the new Gender Equality and Family Minister.A graduate of Kyungpook University’s physics education program, Kang worked as a school teacher before founding her IT venture Winitech in Daegu in 2000. Prior to winning a National Assembly seat in 2012 as a proportional representative, the 51-year-old served as the chairwoman of the Korea IT Business Women’s Association and deputy floor leader for the Saen

About 5 percent of all sexual abuse victims reported in South Korea last year were male, with the number of male victims having significantly increased since 2011, a government report showed Thursday.According to the report released by the Ministry of Gender Equality, the number of reported male victims increased from 749 in 2011 to 1,066 in 2014. In 2011, they accounted for 3.8 percent of all Korean victims, but the proportion increased to 5.1 percent last year. This was the first time the Kore

Depression symptoms such as physical fatigue and loss of sexual desire have been shown to be significantly gender-specific in South Korea, according to a study on Monday.In the joint study by Seoul National University, Inha University and Kyungpook National University, the number of Korean women who experienced physical fatigue when clinically depressed was 2.8 times higher than their male counterparts. Meanwhile, the number of depressed men who experienced diminished sex drive was twice as high

South Korea plans to set up a state-run medical school that would exempt its students from tuition fees and require graduates to serve 10 years at public medical institutions to meet the demand for health care in remote regions, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.The ministry has earmarked some 327.8 billion won ($282 million) to establish the school by 2020, offering a six-year degree program for 100 medical students each year. Students who do not fulfill the 10-year duty after graduation must pa

Ahn Ji-young, a 31-year-old woman living in Seoul, has avoided taking public transportation since becoming pregnant. “I’m worried about my baby,” said Ahn, who expects to deliver her child next month. “I get stressed and anxious whenever I sit on a priority seat on the subway. I’m constantly worried about being attacked by the elderly.”Throughout her pregnancy, Ahn ― staggering to hold balance with her burgeoning belly and swollen feet ― has faced a number of uncomfortable situations while takin

South Korea’s former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo on Friday made his first public appearance in 140 days since his resignation amid bribery allegations in April, to attend a trial for graft charges at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul. Lee Wan-koo. Yonhap Lee had been accused of accepting illegal campaign funds worth 30 million won ($28,000) from the late businessman Sung Woan-jong for the 2013 by-elections, on April 4 that year, at his campaign office in Buyeo, South Chungcheong

South Korea’s demographic policies have failed to boost the nation’s critically low fertility rate despite spending 81 trillion won ($69 billion) to implement the measures since 2006.According to Rep. Shim Jae-chul of the ruling Saenuri Party, the nation’s fertility rate, which stands at 1.21 children per woman this year, in fact decreased from 2006 -- 1.25 children per woman. The number of newborns also dropped from 448,200 in 2006 to 435,300 this year, according to the lawmaker.The budget for

In 2007, an eight-minute video clip of Tyra Banks “attacking” a young Korean-American woman who underwent double-eyelid surgery went viral. In the still-available clip, Banks, an African-American TV personality, claims that the surgery that the 25-year-old Korean-American named Liz received was an attempt to “look more Caucasian” by Asian women. “You and I are the same,” Banks tells Liz, pointing her own artificially straightened hair. Her voice is firm and even intimidating.“I know I’m not goin

Last year, Park Ji-eun, a 26-year-old in Seoul, had a nose job and double-eyelid surgery. It was her final year in university and she wanted to get it done before applying for jobs. “I didn’t have any dramatic reasons for doing it,” she said. “I don’t think I had been particularly unhappy with my looks. I just wanted to improve it, just like the way you would improve your CV.”Park, who now works at a big firm, said she is satisfied with the results and her decision. Yet her experience post-surge

South Korean schoolchildren living in remote areas are significantly less fit than those living in cities, a study showed on Monday.According to the study released by Saenuri Party Rep. Yeom Dong-yeol, 18 percent of the students living in Gangwon Province, a mountainous region, and attending small-sized schools belonged to either level 4 or 5, the lowest of the five fitness levels.Gangwon was followed by North Jeolla Province -- a region with many remote fishing, farming and mountain villages --

South Korean family members caring for Parkinson’s disease patients are under both financial and emotional strain, a study showed Tuesday.The study, organized by the Korean Movement Disorders Society, surveyed a total of 121 Korean caregivers whose family members are suffering from the disease, a degenerative disorder known to be idiopathic and have no cure. The disease chiefly affects middle-aged and elderly individuals, and is known to be associated with a deficiency of the neurotransmitter do

The number of bipolar disorder patients has increased significantly over the last five years in South Korea, especially among the nation’s elderly population, a study showed Wednesday.According to the study released by Saenuri Rep. Park Yoon-ock, the number of Koreans who developed the mental illness ― which is characterized by fluctuating periods of elevated mood and depression ― increased from 53,056 in 2010 to 75,616 in 2014.The increase was especially striking in Koreans aged 60 or older, wh

South Koreans consume the most calories on Saturdays, mostly by eating more instant noodles and fried chicken, a government study showed Monday. The study, which surveyed 2,308 Koreans from 2009 to 2013 on their calorie consumption, discovered that Korean men and women both consumed higher calories on weekends than weekdays. A Korean man on average consumed 2,587.1 kcal on Saturdays, which was higher than the weekly average of 2,418.1 kcal. A Korean woman, on the other hand, consumed 1,792.2 kca

The smoking rate among South Korean men has dropped by 5.8 percentage points, partly because of the 80 percent hike in cigarette prices which took effect in January, government data said. According to the study, which surveyed 1,262 Korean men aged 19 or older from May to June, 78 of them said they had quit smoking within the past year. Among them, 48 of them said they had quit because of the price increase. Currently, 35 percent of Korean men are smoking, the study said.However, as this was the

Lee Myung-sunSouth Korea’s Women’s Week, which is held in the first week of July, has been an annual celebration to celebrate the importance of women’s progress, and to enhance the culture of gender equality through a variety of events. The basis for this progress was the Framework Act on Women’s Development, first enacted in 1995. The complete revision of the act passed the National Assembly on May 2, 2014, with the name changed to the Framework Act on Gender Equality. The revised act took effe

The Seoul government on Friday held its first meeting with the families of victims of a bus crash that killed 10 Koreans in northeastern China to discuss the measures and compensation, while uninjured members from the same trip returned home.The bus, which was carrying 26 Korean government employees, plunged off a highway bridge into a river in Jian, China, on Wednesday, killing 10 Korean public servants and a Chinese driver. The vehicle was en route from Jian to Dandong, a city that borders Nor

One of the most common eye conditions in the summertime is pterygium, a growth of fleshy tissue on the white of the eye ― usually caused by prolonged exposure to the sun. In other countries, it is better known as surfer’s eye, as it often affects surfers in the summer.In South Korea, about 80 percent of all patients who sought medical help for the condition from 2010-2014 were aged 50 or older. In 2014 alone, some 83,000 Koreans were treated for pterygium, spending 99 billion won ($8.8 million).

Located in Banpo, southern Seoul, Pure Skin Green Clinic is known for its quality services and specialized treatments for various skin conditions, including acne, hair loss, dark spots and scars.Founded by Dr. Kim Youn-jin, a board-certified dermatologist, the clinic is also popular among South Korea’s celebrities, including actress Sung Yu-ri, K-pop girl group Sistar member Soyou and boy band B2ST member Lee Gi-gwang. Dr. Kim Youn-jinThe clinic offers treatment solutions for almost all mild ski