SEOUL, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The overall happiness of children in South Korea has improved steadily over the past decade, but significant disparities remain based on household income and family structure, according to a government-backed study released on Sunday. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) published findings showing that the average [...]
SEOUL, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is facing a rapid rise in the prevalence of synthetic drugs, with new narcotics such as synthetic cannabis and ketamine accounting for nearly 35% of all confiscated substances in 2024, up nearly fourfold from 9.7% in 2019, according to a new government report. The National Forensic Service (NFS), [...]
SEOUL, May 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is weighing major reforms to its end-of-life care system, with calls mounting to expand the legal window for halting life-sustaining treatment and to formally institutionalize advance funeral directives at the national level. At a policy roundtable hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday, medical [...]
SEOUL, May 22 (Korea Bizwire) – A new government study has found that cheonggukjang, Korea’s traditional fermented soybean paste, contains the highest proportion of bioavailable isoflavones among processed soybean foods, highlighting its superior health benefits. According to research released Thursday by the Gyeonggi Institute of Health and Environment, cheonggukjang leads in the proportion of non-glycosylated (aglycone) [...]
SEOUL, May 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea has taken a major step toward medical self-sufficiency by launching domestic production of key cancer-fighting radioisotopes, Actinium-225 (Ac-225) and Iodine-131 (I-131), which had previously been entirely imported, creating frequent supply shortages for patients and drug developers. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced Thursday that the Korea Institute [...]
SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Korea’s traditional Buddhist temple cuisine, known for its deep spiritual roots and vegetarian principles, has been officially designated a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Korea Heritage Service announced on Monday. Often referred to as “sachal eumsik”, temple food encompasses the everyday meals of Buddhist monks, including ritual offerings and [...]
SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean researchers has uncovered a strong genetic correlation between mental disorders and subjective well-being, suggesting that certain genetic variants influencing conditions like depression may also determine an individual’s perceived happiness. In a study published in the May 2025 edition of Nature Human Behaviour, researchers from [...]
SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korea–U.S. joint research team has developed the world’s first clinically validated wearable sensor capable of accurately measuring the amount of breast milk consumed by infants during nursing in real time—potentially transforming neonatal care and easing anxiety for new mothers. The study, published May 14 in the journal [...]
DAEJEON, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean researchers has developed an artificial intelligence–powered communication tool that enables children with minimally verbal autism to engage more meaningfully with their parents, marking a breakthrough in assistive technology for neurodiverse families. Led by Professor Hong Hwa-jung at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and [...]
SEOUL, May 17 (Korea Bizwire) — A groundbreaking study by South Korea’s National Cancer Center has revealed that high-fat diets may directly accelerate the growth of cancer cells by altering how those cells metabolize fat for energy — a discovery that could pave the way for a new class of targeted cancer therapies. The research, led [...]