Most cases of child abuse were found to have been inflicted by the parents of the victims, a report showed Sunday.According to a report released by New Politics Alliance for Democracy Rep. Lee Chan-yeol, 80.3 percent of 6,896 child abuse cases reported last year were caused by parents of victims. The number jumped by 383 cases from the year before.Among parent inflictors, biological fathers accounted for the most cases with 41.1 percent followed by biological mothers, stepmothers and stepfathers

The South Korean government will toughen penalties for child abuse as public outrage escalated over the death of an 8-year-old girl caused by her stepmother, officials said Thursday. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, penalties for fatal child abuse will be increased to five years or more in prison. The government will also disallow suspended sentences for such cases without specific mitigating factors. Under the current child welfare law, the maximum prison term for child abuse is

The nation’s largest group of plastic surgeons vowed Thursday to stamp out illegal medical practices following a string of lethal cosmetic surgery accidents. “A recent series of plastic surgery accidents were caused by some doctors’ unethical and illegal acts, largely prompted by over-competition and commercialization of medical institutions,” said the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons in a press conference. “(The association) feels responsible for such situations that threaten people’s hea

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said Thursday that keeping the candidate nomination system was an “unavoidable choice.”“Abolishing the candidate nomination system was one of the public’s wishes. But (competing in the June local elections without the system) was same as playing a game with tied hands since the ruling Saenuri Party did not abolished it,” Park said in a television interview. Although both candidates in the 2012 presidential election vowed to abolish the system, the government and Saenuri

The South Korean government vowed Wednesday to launch a special audit on an international adoption agency following rising public concerns over the safety of Korean adoptees in foreign countries. “The government is planning to conduct a special inspection on Holt Children’s Services Inc. over its financial system and the legality of its operations,” the Health and Welfare Ministry said. The move came after civic groups urged the state last month to improve the monitoring system for international

Buses covered in animated characters are growing so popular in Seoul City that policymakers are considering introducing additional character-covered public transportation. Marking the city’s public transportation day last month, Seoul Metropolitan Government released four buses covered in characters that appear in Korean animated series “Tayo, the Little Bus.” The program is a favorite among children, winning the best preschool education program award at the Asian Television Awards in 2012. Four

The number of medical dispute claims is on the rise with a low rate of successful settlements, a report showed Tuesday. According to the state-run Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency, a total of 2,287 claims for medical dispute mediation were filed in the last two years. While the monthly average of claims was 56 cases in 2012, the rate has more than doubled this year. Only about 42 percent of the total disputes ― 912 cases ― were settled successfully. Over half of the filed c

South Korea’s investment in mental illness research remains low despite the increasing social and economic burden such diseases pose, a report showed Monday. According to the government-affiliated Korea Health Industry Development Institute, public subsidies for studies of mental illness remained at one-ninth the level of support for cancer studies in 2012 ― 30 billion won ($28 million) ― while the financial burden of mental disease was 80 percent higher than that of cancer. Mental illnesses are

Almost half of Koreans are willing to donate their organs, but the actual registration rate remains low, a survey showed Monday. According to a two-month survey conducted by the state-run Korean Network for Organ Sharing, 47.7 percent of some 1,000 respondents said they were interested in organ donation. The rest said they were not willing to do so. Of those who expressed interest, only 15 percent were actually registered for organ donation. Over 40 percent said they were hesitant to make a move

The former head of financially troubled shipping and shipbuilding conglomerate STX Group was called in by prosecutors Friday to face questioning over alleged embezzlement and business malpractice. Kang Duk-soo, who headed the group between 2003 and February 2014, appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul around 9:20 a.m. to undergo questioning as a suspect in the corruption case. “I apologize for causing the people to worry, and I will sincerely respond to the

A Mongolian-registered freighter sank off the southern coast of South Korea, leaving two North Korean crew members dead and 11 missing, maritime authorities said Friday. The 4,300-ton Grand Fortune 1 sent a rescue signal at 1:19 a.m. about 34 kilometers off the southern port city of Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, the Coast Guard said. The ship, with 16 North Koreans on board, was en route to Shanghai, China, from North Korea’s eastern city of Chongjin.Three were rescued in the early morning and b

As much as 1.5 trillion won ($1.4 billion) is spent every year on thyroid cancer examinations in Korea, a report showed Thursday, as concerns grow about overdiagnosis of the disease.According to a report released by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Koreans were estimated to have spent somewhere between 120 billion won to 1.5 trillion won a year ultrasonic tests for thyroid cancer. The research agency made this calculation based on a survey of 800 hospitals across the

Hwang Young-soon, 61, recently heard a creaking sound from her knees while climbing a mountain. Pain in her knees lasted more than three weeks and caused them to swell up. She was later diagnosed with gonarthrosis, a knee joint disorder. Gonarthrosis refers to all inflammation that occurs in the knee joints. It mostly starts from damage to the overlying cartilage or gristle, caused by either aging, injuries or even infection. While minor pain and a creaking sound signal the disease, the shape of

In the spring, the changes in daily temperature and windy weather lead to an unstable biorhythm and can cause reduced body defense. In addition, it is the time of the year when school and kindergarten starts. Hence, children spend more time with their friends, and are more exposed to respiratory infections. Pollen, which is an important cause of allergies, is also more abundant in the spring, so allergic symptoms are also more common during this season. Children have a weaker ability to control

The South Korean health authorities released Wednesday a massive amount of medical information to the public to boost research into health and genetics, officials said. State-run Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would provide health data on about 210,000 Koreans that it has been tracking since 2001 for research purposes. The information includes data on health conditions, daily habits, blood and urine information and family history. Personal data has been excluded from th

A major German drug maker called off its plan to discontinue the supply of a hemophiliac drug to the South Korean market in response to the fierce protests from patients, health authorities said Tuesday. Bayer HealthCare Korea announced in February that it would stop providing Kogenate FS for Korean hemophiliac patients from July, citing its integration process of global manufacturers. Hemophiliac patients immediately launched several protests against the plan, leading the Ministry of Food and D

South Korea has seen the number of atopic dermatitis patients rise, especially among women, data showed Wednesday.According to the state-run National Health Insurance Service, the yearly average number of patients receiving atopic dermatitis treatment hit 1.04 million between 2008 and 2012, with over half of them women. Atopic dermatitis is an itchy skin disorder that is inflammatory and non-contagious. Patients show allergic reactions to particular foods or inhaled substances. The exact cause i

An association of South Korean doctors said Wednesday it was considering a second strike, arguing that the government was not keeping promises it made during recent negotiations.The Korean Medical Association, the country’s largest group of doctors, said it would decide whether to stage the second walkout, which was suspended last week, during a general meeting scheduled for Sunday. “Even though there is a negotiation document based on mutual trust and respect, the government is frustrating us b

About 1,000 salt producers in South Jeolla Province vowed Tuesday to stamp out forced labor and human rights abuses at salt farms, aiming to fend off mounting public criticism after the recent discovery of slavery at salt farms involving disabled workers.“I’m more than ashamed as a salt producer over the latest human rights abuse case. (The salt farm owners) will ban abusive language and violence and prevent similar cases from happening again,” said Park Hyung-gi, the president of the group of s

South Korea’s health authorities on Monday mapped out their plan for staging a legal battle against tobacco firms to recoup rising health costs from smoking-related diseases. The state-run National Health Insurance Service released six possible options for the tobacco lawsuit, seeking compensation ranging from 54 billion won ($50 million) to 330 billion won depending on the smoking history of patients with larynx cancer or lung cancer. “The final plan will be settled no later than Tuesday,” said