SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — More than one in 10 young South Koreans who rarely leave their homes — so-called “hikikomori” or socially withdrawn youth — reported having contemplated suicide, four times the rate of their peers, according to new government-backed research. The findings, published Tuesday in the Health and Welfare Forum by the [...]
POHANG, Sept. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean researchers has unveiled a wearable device that can measure blood sugar in real time using only a person’s sweat, a potential breakthrough for diabetes management that avoids the need for finger pricks or invasive patches. The research team, led by Professor Han Sae-kwang at POSTECH [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — In a precedent-setting ruling, South Korea’s Supreme Court said Thursday that pharmacists may seek the cancellation of a rival pharmacy’s license if it opens directly next to a medical clinic in violation of pharmacy law. The decision overturned a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit brought by pharmacists in [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean researchers has developed an artificial intelligence model that allows parents to screen toddlers for autism spectrum disorder at home using nothing more than a smartphone. The study, led by Professors Chun Geun-ah and Kim Hwi-young of Severance Hospital and Professor Kim Boong-nyun of Seoul [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A new government-commissioned study has found that nearly four in ten South Korean adolescents view e-cigarettes as either a substitute for conventional cigarettes or a tool to quit smoking, underscoring the growing influence of targeted marketing campaigns by tobacco companies. The report, released Tuesday by Sahmyook University at the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s latest public health research suggests that smokers who turn to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products believing them to be safer may in fact be developing stronger nicotine addictions than users of traditional cigarettes. Commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korean Association on Smoking or Health [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean health supplement companies are intensifying their push overseas as slowing demand at home contrasts with rising global appetite for wellness products. Industry data show exports have climbed steadily since the pandemic, hitting a record 382.1 billion won ($280 million) last year, nearly triple the 2019 figure. By [...]
DAEJEON, Sept. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Scientists in South Korea have unveiled a skin patch that can precisely track metabolic changes in the body using nothing more than sweat, offering a potential alternative to invasive blood tests. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Sunday that a team led by Professor Jeong [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s efforts to rescue its collapsing essential medical system by sharply raising reimbursements for high-risk surgeries have failed to halt the sector’s decline, new government data show. Even with more generous payments, essential care still accounts for less than 20 percent of total medical spending, while pediatric and obstetric [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Once a niche Japanese tea, matcha has surged into the global mainstream, embraced by younger consumers seeking both flavor and wellness. From convenience-store desserts and cocktails to luxury fashion and beauty, the powdered green tea has become a cultural and commercial phenomenon. In South Korea, convenience chain CU announced on [...]