The government unveiled a five-year plan aimed at improving emergency medical services throughout the region on Tuesday. Under the new plan, paramedics will play a vital role in determining the severity of patients' conditions and directing them to the appropriate emergency room. This approach is expected to reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes. To help optimize resources and ensure patients receive the best possible care, emergency rooms at hospitals will be graded into three cat

The age at which people start having sex is earlier for men than women in South Korea, with 65.9 percent of men and 57.4 percent of women reporting having first had sexual intercourse between the ages of 20 and 24, survey data showed Tuesday. According to the report from the National Evidence-based Health Care Collaborating Agency, which surveyed 3,193 individuals aged 19 to 59 from Jan. 6 through March 18, 8.9 percent of men and 6 percent of women had their first sexual intercourse aged 19 or

Rhee Keun, a Korean YouTuber and former Korean Navy special forces officer who went to Ukraine a year ago to help the country's defense against Russia, on Monday admitted to charges of violating passport law. Rhee was indicted in January on charges of traveling to the war-stricken country in defiance of a travel ban. In March last year, Rhee entered the European country to help the Ukrainian forces, which he publicized on social media. He voluntarily turned himself in to police after he ret

Leaders of South Korea and Japan hailed a new era of bilateral ties strained for years over historic disputes on Thursday, with a list of agreements aimed at bolstering cooperation in the fields of security, economy and culture between the two countries. The agreements forged during a summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida held in Tokyo, the first in 12 years, came just 10 days after South Korea unveiled a deal with Japan. On March 6, the Korean governm

This is the second installment of a series of features, analysis and interviews exploring the challenges faced by Koreans and foreigners in creating a more diverse society in South Korea rapidly shifting away from its homogenous past. – Ed. Immigrants are the only solution for South Korea’s looming demographic cliff, as the country faces an ultra-low birth rate and a rapidly aging population. But to turn this homogeneous society into an open community for immigrants, there must

South Korea will lift the mask mandate for public transportation from Monday, ending the COVID-19 preventative measure imposed since 2020, the government announced Wednesday. "The government will lift the mask mandate starting on March 20 additionally on public transportation, including the bus and subway," Vice Interior Minister Han Chang-seob said during a government COVID-19 response meeting. The types of public transportation where people are no longer required to wear masks incl

The number of postpartum care centers where new mothers are treated right after childbirth dropped sharply amid falling birth rates, but the cost of getting such care surged across the country, particularly in Seoul, data showed on Monday. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea had a total of 475 postpartum centers as of the first half of last year, a 20.5 percent decrease from 2017. However, the average cost rose 27.4 percent to 3.07 million won ($2,300) fr

WANJU, North Jeolla Province -- Jossa Gomez Lobo, a 29-year-old from the Philippines came to Korea last month for a six-month seasonal working program at a strawberry farm in Wanju, North Jeolla Province. "I came here to earn money. I can only earn 450 Philippine pesos ($8.22) per day as a daily wage in the Philippines, but in Korea, I can earn the same amount of money in an hour. That's why I came to Korea,” she said while picking strawberries. Her wish to make money matched wel

High earners will pay pension premiums on a greater share of their salaries starting July, as the government seeks to shore up the pension system's finances. The maximum amount of income subject to pension payments will rise from 5.53 million ($4,240) won to 5.9 million won, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a plan unveiled on Friday. This means that anyone earning more than 5.9 million won will be paying 531,000 won in monthly national pension subscription payments, a rise of 33

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a behavioral condition, is becoming increasingly prevalent in South Korea, data showed on Thursday. Statistics from the National Health Insurance Corporation show that the number of people diagnosed with ADHD has doubled over the last four years in the nation, rising from 53,056 in 2017 to 102,322 in 2021. Among the total number of patients, teenagers accounted for 41.3 percent (42,265), followed by of children under the age of 9 at 22.3 percent (24,331)

Amid growing concerns over the deteriorating finances of the National Health Insurance Service, the government plans to reduce provision of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) checkups and ultrasound scans. Reporting on a meeting it held with doctors' groups, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and the National Health Insurance Service, The Ministry of Health and Welfare said an agreement had been reached on stricter standards when approving coverage for MRI checkups and ultraso

Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, was administered propofol 73 times in 2021, police said, quoting data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Propofol prescribed to Yoo between January and December 2021 exceeded 4.4 liters in total. The intravenous anesthetic agent was used six times a month, far more frequent than the advised usage of the drug for simple procedures and diagnoses which is once a month, according to investigators and local reports. The record

Three male graduates of Kyung Hee University will face legal action over their sexually abusive comments about their female peers and professors in a group chat. It was reported Tuesday that about 20 female students and professors were the subject of sexually suggestive comments such as: "Surely you can't imagine yet because you haven't undressed her," and "You met a female peer? Did you enjoy the meal?" In Korea, eating a meal is used as a euphemism for sexual rela

Family conflict was the most common reason cited by migrant women seeking advice from Seoul City's counseling center, statistics showed Tuesday. Of the total number of counseling services provided by the Seoul Migrant Women's Counseling Center, family conflict topped the list with 35.8 percent, followed by advice on everyday life and legal matters with 18.3 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively. Visas were also a common point of concern, making up for 7.4 percent. Counseling related

Nearly 85 percent of children reported from domestic violence situations were sent back to their homes without measures to protect them, a report showed Sunday. According to the report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, of the 31,804 reported cases of child abuse at home in 2021, 84.6 percent of children were returned to their families of origin where they had suffered abuse and were likely to face mistreatment again. Only 14.5 percent of the children were separated from their families a

The Seoul city government has proposed building a mega Ferris wheel and more green spaces as part of an upgraded urban planning project aimed at making the capital more liveable and attractive to tourists, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday. Under the plan, the city aims to build a Ferris wheel larger than the London Eye, with the mayor saying that it will become Seoul's landmark. The London Eye stands at 135 meters tall, and has a maximum capacity of 800 people. Haneul Park in Sangam-dong in

The presidential office said Friday it has filed a complaint against a former spokesperson for the Defense Ministry for libel, accusing him of making a false claim that its decision to relocate President Yoon Suk Yeol's residence to Yongsan, central Seoul, was linked to a fortune teller whom the opposition party suspects the president of having ties with. The office also sued for libel two other reporters -- from News Tomato and Hankook Ilbo -- for writing about the ex-spokesman's clai

The government has advised municipalities to stop sending emergency text alerts on the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the respective cities on growing calls that the system is becoming something of "a nuisance," according to reports quoting the Ministry of Safety on Friday. Several local governments, including Seoul, have stopped sending texts, according to the ministry. The number of COVID-19 cases, instead, can be found on the websites for each municipality. Over the last

Dispute grew on Thursday over the Finance Ministry's budget cut of a state-run hospital, a decision that doctors say undermines years of efforts to strengthen state control of infectious diseases. A group of doctors with the National Medical Center Specialist Council staged an online signature campaign on Tuesday to protest the ministry's decision, addressing fears that the state hospital would not be able to counter the growing threats of viruses if not enough investment is made to