The Korean government said Tuesday that it would allow training hospitals to accept the resignations of trainee doctors who left their posts in protest of the medical school expansion plan over three months ago. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said during a briefing that the government would withdraw its return-to-work orders and allow hospitals to accept resignations submitted by junior doctors, while also making efforts to help them return if they choose to do so. Cho added that each hospital ch

Some one in three South Koreans born in the 1960s think that they will die alone without receiving support from their children, a survey showed Monday, suggesting the senior population's growing concern over the change in family dynamics and support for aging parents. The foundation Care for All surveyed 980 South Koreans aged between 55 and 64 -- all born in the 1960s -- from May 8 to 15 on the perception and reality of care. According to the results, some 30.2 percent of the respondents,

The South Korean government on Friday said it plans to add 1,000 more professors to medical schools in national universities by 2027 to ensure that students receive the necessary education and training, a day after the Education Ministry finalized the medical school admissions quota for the 2025 school year. Lee Han-kyung, the Interior Ministry's chief disaster management official, said during a government response meeting that the government also plans to expand the number of equipment and faci

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slammed South Korea's show of force against Pyongyang's attempted spy satellite launch as a "very dangerous provocation" that cannot be overlooked, the Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday. Kim also said that a spy satellite is needed to safeguard the country's sovereignty, adding that South Korea had "shown hysterical madness" over its satellite launch attempt despite having complied with international regulations by no

A total of 3,752 patients have died between 2017 and 2023 after emergency rooms refused to admit them due to lack of doctors, the Health Ministry said Wednesday, stressing the need for medical school expansion to address the shortage of doctors in ER. Kang Joon, who heads the health care reform task force at the Health Ministry, said that most of the patients had died because there were no doctors who could treat them, adding that the country's critical care is in "extreme trouble.&quo

South Korea is expected to see more mosquitoes this summer as the acceleration in climate change is amplifying mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria across the nation. "The weather agency predicts this year's summer to be hotter than usual. ... Extremely hot weather leads to a surge in mosquito activity. This means that people will notice more mosquito bites this summer, and thus be more uncomfortable," Lee Hee-il, the head of the division of vectors and parasitic diseases at th

The Korean government’s recent announcement that it would make it easier for doctors licensed overseas to practice medicine in the country has stoked concern, with doctors claiming that they will not meet local medical standards. They argue that bringing in more doctors who are trained overseas will cause medical errors and accidents, severely undermining the country’s well-regarded medical system. The government announcement, made earlier this month, appeared to be an effort to pres

South Koreans scored 677 points on average in the Test of English for International Communication last year, ranking 16th out of 44 countries around the globe and fifth among its Asian peers, the Korea TOEIC Committee said Monday. The latest figure is up two points from an average of 675 points in 2022. The TOEIC exam assesses non-native speakers' English-language listening and reading proficiency, and test takers can get up to 990 points. It's widely used in Korea to gauge the English

When Jeon Sung-shin, 45, was looking to expand her family without going through childbirth again, she met her then 50-day-old daughter at an orphan care center 11 years ago. Jeon fell in love with her at first sight and knew adoption would be a beautiful way to build her family. Growing up with the family, Jeon's youngest daughter is now in the sixth grade and is a promising tennis player. But Jeon said rearing her hadn't always been easy, mainly because adoption still carries so much

Police said Wednesday that they had sought an arrest warrant for trot and popera singer Kim Ho-joong over suspicions of drunk driving and a hit-and-run, a day after he appeared for questioning. The Seoul Gangnam Police Station said they applied for arrest warrants at around 11:15 a.m. for Kim on charges of reckless driving resulting in injuries under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and fleeing the scene. Police have also sought warrants to arrest Lee Gwang-deuk, the head

Two alums of Seoul National University, the country’s top-ranked university, have been arrested for digital sex crimes in a Telegram group chat, reigniting public outrage following the notorious “Nth Room” scandal disclosed in 2019. The Cybercrime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Tuesday that they had arrested a 40-something man, identified only by his surname, Park, and a 31-year-old man surnamed Kang, for illegally producing and distributin

The Seoul High Court's critical ruling Thursday dismissing doctors groups' request for an injunction to halt the nationwide medical school expansion, has cleared the path for the first increase in medical student admissions in 27 years. With the hurdle removed, the government vowed Friday to expedite the remaining procedures for the 2025 school year college admissions, such as reflecting the changes in each university's college admissions and gaining approval for the plans by the

A South Korean appellate court on Thursday rejected an injunction sought by the medical community to halt the implementation of a planned student quota increase at medical schools nationwide. With the obstacles now cleared, the Seoul High Court's ruling allows the government to proceed with its contentious plan to add 2,000 more admission seats at medical schools nationwide, despite facing vehement opposition from doctors and students. This marks the first medical school quota hike in 27 years s

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it is mulling the establishment of an inaugural military medical school to secure doctors who would serve in the military for at least 10 years in an effort to improve the military medical system and enhance treatment capabilities. "The Defense Ministry has been actively promoting and reviewing measures aimed at enhancing military medical capabilities, including the recruitment of long-term service military surgeons and the specialization o

Recent government data revealing that South Korean doctors -- except junior doctors -- now rake in an annual salary of 301 million won ($220,029), nearly five times higher than the country’s average annual salary of 42.14 million won, has rekindled the debate on whether doctors are making too much. Some critics believe high income is the reason why doctors refuse to agree to the government’s plan to increase the student quota for medical schools here, out of fear that the value and p

The government and doctors continued their fight Monday over whether the expansion plan to have 2,000 more students starting next year has been determined through appropriate procedures ahead of a court's ruling set for this week. The medical community lashed out at the document presented by the government, claiming it shows the decision was made "arbitrarily without logical justification." The document showed that Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong proposed having 2,000 more medical s

The Korean government's plan to increase the number of medical students starting next year will soon take shape as the Seoul High Court is expected to deliver its decision this week on the medical circle's request to suspend the implementation of the planned medical student quota hike. If the court rejects the appeal filed by medical professors, students and junior doctors against the government's hike in the medical school quota in 32 medical schools, the government will likely a

President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized Thursday for first lady Kim Keon Hee’s alleged acceptance of a Dior bag as a gift, while dismissing the continued calls for a special probe into the controversy as a political attack by the opposition. In a press conference marking his two years in office, the president said he “offers a deep apology to the South Korean people for causing concern due to (his) wife’s unwise conduct.” In undercover camera footage released last year on a Yo

The Health Ministry said Wednesday that it would allow those holding foreign medical licenses to practice medicine in South Korea to help cope with a health care crisis exacerbated by a walkout by junior doctors. The ministry said it would make revisions to the enforcement regulation of the Medical Service Act, adding “medical support” to the list of tasks that foreign medical license holders can perform to address the shortage of medical personnel in the event of a medical disaster

Amid an intensifying medical standoff between the government and the medical community over a plan to increase the medical student quota starting next year, some young Korean medical residents are contemplating switching their tracks to cosmetic dermatology or pursuing their careers overseas. A junior doctor majoring in the essential medical field, who wished to be unnamed, told The Korea Herald that he recently attended a conference on skin care and plastic surgery hosted by the Korean Academy