SEOUL, April 25 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s suicide rate declined in 2023 but remained the highest among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to a government report, which also highlighted rising rates of sex crimes and drunk driving in the country. The report, “Korea’s Safety Report 2023,” released on April [...]
SEOUL, April 24 (Korea Bizwire) – More medical professors affiliated with major hospitals in South Korea are considering taking weekly breaks amid the prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, officials said Wednesday, sparking fears of exacerbating the country’s health care crisis and financial difficulties of hospitals. Earlier in the day, an emergency committee of medical professors [...]
SEOUL, April 21 (Korea Bizwire) – Military hospitals nationwide have treated more than 700 civilians since opening their doors to the public at a full scale in mid-February, the defense ministry said Sunday, amid the protracted walkout by trainee doctors. Military hospital emergency rooms became fully accessible to civilians to help address concerns of health [...]
SEOUL, April 20 (Korea Bizwire) –In a concerning development, Seoul National University Hospital has not had a single full-time obstetrician on staff since March, highlighting the growing aversion among medical professionals toward the high-risk and demanding field of obstetrics. This marks the first time the prestigious hospital has grappled with such a vacancy in its [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is set to fully shift to an “endemic” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, lifting some last-remaining mandates, including indoor mask requirements for hospitals, from next month, officials said Friday. The disaster level of COVID-19 will be downgraded to the lowest tier in South Korea in a way [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The peak mosquito activity period in South Korea has arrived approximately two months earlier than usual this year, a consequence of rising temperatures driven by global warming and climate change. As the country’s climate grows increasingly warmer and more humid, resembling a subtropical pattern, concerns are heightening over the potential [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – In 2021, South Koreans bore an average of 960,000 won in annual out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, a significant figure that highlights the personal financial impact of accessing medical services. This data was unveiled in the “2021 Korea Health Panel Basic Analysis Report (II)” jointly released by the National Health Insurance Service [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – A novel category of dietary supplements combining liquid and pill formulations in one convenient package is rapidly gaining traction in South Korea, prompting pharmaceutical companies to ramp up sales and marketing efforts for the innovative “dual-format” products. The premium vitamin brand Enerthistle perfectshot from Daewoong Pharmaceutical crossed 3 million cumulative [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 5 (Korea Bizwire) –The Asan Medical Center in Seoul has racked up losses of more than 50 billion won over the past 40 days, a staggering financial toll from a nationwide strike by resident physicians protesting the government’s plan to expand medical school admissions. In an email to faculty members on April 3, [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – Several emergency departments in major hospitals faced operational challenges on Monday, with some either turning away patients or reducing procedures due to the strain caused by a prolonged walkout by junior doctors. Senior medical professors, who play crucial roles in these hospitals, have begun reducing their working hours, citing [...]