Stepping inside Gangnam-gu Haengbok Convalescence Hospital, it is easy to mistake the property for some kind of leisure resort. There is a sauna, a beauty salon, as well as a cafe on top of its fully equipped physical therapy center. With colorful paintings on the walls and lush trees surrounding the grounds, the hospital has that modern and cozy, “home away from home” ambience.Located in Segok-dong, a relatively quiet area in Seoul’s affluent district of Gangnam, the hospital ― which opened in

Management of knee painThe causes of knee pain vary depending on the patient’s age and whether the knee is damaged or not. The symptoms also vary greatly as to the location of the pain and the physical posture that induces the pain depending on the specific cause. Knee pain often results from damage to the ligament, meniscus or cartilage, or due to degenerative arthritis, which is closely related to aging. Some patients complain of knee pain which has nothing to do with the knee structure as it

Men are much more prone to osteonecrosis ― a disease resulting from the loss of blood supply to the bones ― than women in South Korea, according to a study organized by the nation’s Health Insurance Service. According to the researchers, Korean men are 1.7 times more likely to develop the disease, which eventually causes the bone to break down, than Korean women. The number of patients with the illness has been on the rise in the country since 2007. While 22,354 were treated for the disease in 2

The following is the third in a series of articles on Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Asian women on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the foundation of The Korea Herald on Aug. 15. ― Ed.For Kim Bok-dong and Gil Won-ok, two of some 50 surviving Korean victims of sexual slavery for soldiers during Japanese colonial rule, 2012 was a meaningful year.The two, who had been demanding Japan’s apology and reparations for their forced wartime enslavement ― and still do ― established “The Butt

A heavy rain warning was issued for many regions nationwide in South Korea on Thursday morning, shortly after a reservoir bank in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, collapsed due to severe weather.Residents near the reservoir were immediately evacuated as the water flooded some of the farmland in the region. No casualties have been reported.The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heavy rain advisory for areas in Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong provinces as well as Seoul on Thursday m

For U.S. lawyer David Linton, last week was a meaningful step toward more involvement with his expertise in South Korea. The 42-year-old was given special naturalized Korean citizenship in gratitude for his ancestor’s contribution to the country’s independence movement during the Japanese colonial rule. A total of 15 other foreign nationals ― also descendants of Korean independence supporters ― became naturalized citizens here on the same day. “It is nice to have that final, closest connection w

Low-income earners are more vulnerable to obesity than those in the middle or high-income brackets in South Korea, according to a study organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.According to the study, 35.2 percent of the poorest half of the nation’s population was suffering from obesity in 2012, while only 30.5 percent of the country’s wealthiest half were overweight.The study also found that more than one-third of the nation’s adult population was overweight in 2012.According to lawmaker

Going to a swimming pool or a beach during summer vacation is quite enjoyable and indispensable. But while swimming, your ears could be affected when unclean water enters.When swimming or taking a shower and water gets into your ear, you feel deafened or you may notice your voice sounding strange. This is a phenomenon caused when water remains between the external auditory canal and eardrum to interfere with the vibration of the eardrum. You stick one of your fingers into your ear or try to wipe

The number of patients with tic disorders has been on the rise in Korea for the past five years, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.A tic is an abrupt and repeated movement that can occur in any body part, such as the face, hands, or legs. The uncontrollable making of noises such as sniffing and throat clearing is called a vocal tic.According to the ministry, the number of Korean patients with a tic disorder increased by 7.8 percent, from 16,000 in 2009 to 17,000 last year. More tha

A large international study questions the conventional wisdom that most people should cut back on salt, suggesting that the amount most folks consume is okay for heart health ― and too little may be as bad as too much. The findings came under immediate attack by other scientists.Limiting salt is still important for people with high blood pressure ― and in fact, a second study estimates that too much sodium contributes to up to 1.65 million deaths each year. The studies both have strengths and we

In an effort to raise awareness on Japan’s sexual enslavement of Korean and other Asian women during World War II, Korea’s Gender Equality Ministry will hold an academic forum on wartime sexual violence against women on Thursday in Seoul.The international event is held about a month after the ministry announced its plan to apply for UNESCO designation for documents related to Korean victims of Japan’s military sexual slavery.“The forum is to discuss what we can do as an international community t

Almost a month after Korean seniors received their first payout under the new basic pension program in July, some district municipalities in Seoul announced on Tuesday that they may not be able to give out payments starting next month due to budget deficits. The Seoul district offices demanded that the central government finance the needed budget for the revised program, which is one of the key pledges of the Park Geun-hye administration. The municipalities are currently 60.7 billion won ($59 mi

Kim Bok-dong, a victim of sexual slavery for soldiers during Japanese colonial rule, speaks during a special ceremony celebrating the completion of a peace-themed mural featuring the experience of the victims in front of the Museum of War and Women’s Human Rights in Seoul, Monday. The mural was created by some 400 volunteers in commemoration of Memorial Day for the victims, which falls on Aug. 14. (Yonhap)

Korean medical research has identified a specific gene that is associated with leukopenia ― a decrease in white blood cells ― in patients with autoimmune diseases receiving immunosuppressive treatment, Korea’s Health Ministry announced on Monday.The research findings may help medical experts identify patients with a high risk of developing the disease prior to immunosuppressive therapy, the ministry said. Thiopurine-induced leukopenia is one of the most dangerous side effects of immunosuppressan

Seoul announced Sunday that it may import a Japanese antiviral drug for Ebola, which is still being tested on animals, as a preventive measure against the entry of the deadly disease to the country.There is currently no vaccine or the U.S.-based FDA approved treatment for the Ebola infection, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives in West Africa since March. The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak an international public emergency on Friday.Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safet

Forcing Korean pregnancy and postpartum practices on immigrant wives by their Korean in-laws and spouses can be a serious risk factor for both the women’s and the babies’ health, according to research organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.Many immigrant wives are forced to follow Korean practices such as eating heavily scented local dishes including kimchi while struggling with morning sickness, which may lead to malnutrition during and after pregnancy, the city government said in a rep

While it is well known that breast milk protects babies from illness, the benefits of breast-feeding for mothers should be better promoted, according to a Seoul-based hospital specializing in women’s diseases.Breast-feeding reduces the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, according to researchers at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital in Seoul. Particularly, those who breast-feed are 5 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than women who do not, the hospital said.On top of reduci

Local physicians are calling for stricter preventive measures against the entry of the deadly Ebola virus, which has claimed almost 900 lives in West Africa since March.“Korean citizens who have visited the countries affected by the virus must be monitored for at least three weeks upon their return to Korea,” a spokesman of the Korea Medical Association, a major representative body of 100,000 physicians here, said on Wednesday.“It is extremely important that they see a medical expert if they are

Following the tragic case of an abused solider who died after being beaten by his comrades, public criticism is rising against the military for its poor management of the troops as well as its violent culture and practices. The Army conscript, surnamed Yoon, died on April 7 after six colleagues allegedly hit him in the chest while eating dumplings at the 28th Division in Yeoncheon, just south of the inter-Korean border. The case, which only became known to the public last week upon disclosure by

South Korea plans to toughen quarantines and expand travel alerts to citizens who plan to visit West Africa as a preventive measure against the entry of the deadly Ebola virus, which has claimed more than 850 lives in the region since March.The Health Ministry held an emergency meeting with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry on Monday to discuss ways to prevent the disease from entering Korea.There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the Ebola infection, which has a fatalit