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Twin Birth Rate Climbs to Global High, Raising Calls for Policy Shift

Twin Birth Rate Climbs to Global High, Raising Calls for Policy Shift

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s twin and multiple-birth rates have surged to among the highest in the world, prompting experts to warn that the trend carries heightened medical risks for mothers and infants and requires a shift in government policy. According to a new report released Thursday by Bae Hye-won, a senior researcher [...]

A 10-Year-Old in Busan Endured a 96-Minute ‘ER Ping-Pong’ as Hospitals Refused Pediatric Care

A 10-Year-Old in Busan Endured a 96-Minute ‘ER Ping-Pong’ as Hospitals Refused Pediatric Care

BUSAN, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — A 10-year-old girl in Busan was turned away by more than a dozen hospitals earlier this week as emergency responders struggled for over an hour to find a facility willing to treat her, according to ambulance logs released by opposition lawmakers on Wednesday. The incident, which unfolded on the morning [...]

Home-Based Care in High Demand, but Local Governments Seen as Unprepared

Home-Based Care in High Demand, but Local Governments Seen as Unprepared

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Most South Koreans want to remain in their homes or local communities as they age or face illness, but many say the country’s local care systems are not prepared to support that preference, according to a new nationwide survey released Tuesday. The survey of 1,500 adults, conducted earlier this month [...]

A Generation Losing Faith: Young Koreans Report Deep Dissatisfaction With Work and Life

A Generation Losing Faith: Young Koreans Report Deep Dissatisfaction With Work and Life

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Young South Koreans are reporting strikingly low levels of life satisfaction compared with their global peers, revealing a generational mood shaped as much by economic pressure as by a sense of dwindling possibility. A government report released Tuesday shows that among waged workers ages 19 to 34, only 36 percent [...]

Economic Stability Emerges as Key Predictor of Marriage and Childbirth, Government Report Finds

Economic Stability Emerges as Key Predictor of Marriage and Childbirth, Government Report Finds

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Job stability, higher incomes and access to home ownership are strongly correlated with higher marriage and birth rates among younger South Koreans, according to a government study released on Tuesday. The findings add new statistical weight to concerns that worsening economic insecurity is feeding the country’s demographic decline. The [...]

Korea Joins Global Meditation Movement With First Official UN-Backed Event

Korea Joins Global Meditation Movement With First Official UN-Backed Event

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will host its first official observance of the United Nations’ World Meditation Day on Dec. 21, marking the country’s entry into a global initiative aimed at promoting mental well-being through contemplative practice. The Korean preparatory committee for the event said Monday that a commemorative ceremony and the launch [...]

New AI Surveillance Tool Targets Aggression, Self-Harm Risks in Treatment Facility

New AI Surveillance Tool Targets Aggression, Self-Harm Risks in Treatment Facility

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Ministry of Justice said Monday it has introduced an artificial intelligence–based behavior analysis system at the National Forensic Psychiatric Hospital to better identify early signs of violent or self-harming behavior among patients undergoing compulsory treatment. The system monitors individuals with severe mental illness in real time, detecting [...]

Public Anxiety Over New Outbreaks Rises as Vaccine Intent Weakens in Korea

Public Anxiety Over New Outbreaks Rises as Vaccine Intent Weakens in Korea

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A majority of South Korean adults believe a new infectious disease outbreak is likely in the near future and would persist for an extended period, even as willingness to be vaccinated continues to decline, according to a government-commissioned survey released Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) asked [...]

Running Culture Gains Momentum Among Travelers in Jeju

Running Culture Gains Momentum Among Travelers in Jeju

JEJU, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of visitors to Jeju Island are incorporating running into their travel itineraries, turning outdoor exercise into a popular part of the island’s tourism culture, according to new data released Wednesday. The Korea Tourism Organization’s Jeju office said its latest report, “Jeju Travel Through Data – Running Edition,” [...]

New Research Links COVID-19 to Memory Loss and Cognitive Decline

New Research Links COVID-19 to Memory Loss and Cognitive Decline

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean health authorities said Wednesday that COVID-19 may directly impair brain function and lead to concentration and memory loss, offering new scientific evidence behind persistent cognitive symptoms reported by many patients after infection. In a study released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and its National [...]