SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is grappling with a surge in obesity and e-cigarette use, even as traditional smoking declines and physical activity rates improve, according to a nationwide health survey released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The survey, conducted among 230,000 adults across 258 health centers, revealed [...]
DAEJEON, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – In a significant advance for cancer treatment, researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a novel technique that transforms colon cancer cells into normal-like cells without destroying them, the institute announced on December 22. The research team, led by professor Cho Kwang-hyun from the [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea is implementing new graphic health warnings and text messages on cigarette packages starting December 23, marking the fifth iteration of the country’s tobacco warning system, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on December 22. The revised warnings feature more direct messaging, replacing single-word cautions with complete sentences [...]
JEONJU, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province has taken its first step toward establishing a medical cannabis industry, aiming to position it as a core future growth sector. On December 20, Jeonbuk signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Cannabis Research Institute of Colorado State University during a ceremony at the Jeonbuk [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s Statistical Office released its 2024 Social Trends report on December 19, revealing significant insights into the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs, rising obesity rates, and shifting societal behaviors. AI and Job Displacement AI technologies like ChatGPT could replace 2.7 million jobs, nearly 10% of [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent South Korean Supreme Court ruling, allowing nurses to perform bone marrow aspiration procedures under general supervision, has ignited sharp divisions among medical professionals, nurses, and patient advocacy groups. The ruling coincides with ongoing discussions on the implementation of the Nursing Act, set to take effect in June 2025. [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea has reformed what was deemed an “absurd regulation” that applied different postpartum care support standards to maternal grandmothers and paternal grandmothers-in-law, the Office for Government Policy Coordination announced on December 19. The issue emerged as the top concern in the government’s “Absurd Regulations Public Contest” and was discussed [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – A breast cancer screening AI solution is proving to be a valuable assistant to medical professionals, helping to identify tumors that might otherwise go undetected, according to a physician at Yongin Severance Hospital. In an interview on December 16, Dr. Lee Si-eun, a radiologist at the hospital, described how artificial [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – The National Health Insurance Service reported on December 16 that cataract surgery was the most commonly performed medical procedure among South Koreans last year. According to the “2023 Major Surgery Statistical Yearbook,” 1.66 million patients underwent close to 2 million procedures across 34 major surgical categories. These figures represent a [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s first living-donor liver transplant recipient has reached her 30th birthday, three decades after receiving a portion of her father’s liver at just 9 months old. Asan Medical Center in Seoul announced on December 16 that Lee Ji-won, now 30, has marked the 30th anniversary of her groundbreaking transplant [...]