SEOUL, March 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s sales of cigarettes, which nearly halved in January due to the government’s price hike, slowed their downward trend in March, data showed Sunday, implying that Seoul’s push for public health may end up being fruitless. According to the data compiled by a local convenience-store chain, the sales [...]
“I didn’t know I had a low hormone level until after I learned of the positive tests (in November). I had no idea the injection was to boost my hormone level. I didn’t go to the hospital for hormones, but to treat dry skin.” “I repeatedly told him that I couldn’t take anything that could [...]
SEOUL, March 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The market value of bio and health care shares listed on the South Korean stock markets surpassed 30 trillion won (US$27.22 billion) for the first time as investors pinned high hopes on their future growth, the bourse main operator Korea Exchange (KRX) said Thursday. The combined market cap of the [...]
SEJONG, March 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s anti-trust regulator on Monday ordered the local subsidiary of Bayer to sell its oral contraceptive pill operation that it acquired when its parent bought Merck & Co., citing conflicts with the country’s fair trade rules. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said it ordered Bayer Korea to dispose of its [...]
SEOUL, March 16 (Korea Bizwire) – Foreign direct investment (FDI) by Korean pharmaceutical firms was three times greater in 2014 compared to the previous year. According to a report from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), which analyzed Korean pharmaceutical industry FDI trends, local drug makers reported a record US$154.9 million in FDI last year, [...]
SEOUL, March 15 (Korea Bizwire) – Quite a few plastic surgeons’ offices lining the streets of Gangnam district, dubbed as South Korea’s plastic surgery hub, are found to routinely violate health codes, a survey by the district office showed Sunday. The Gangnam-gu Health Center inspected about 120 offices in the posh neighborhood from November to December, and [...]
BUSAN, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Gijang County Office in Busan is gaining national attention for its automatic monitoring system for senior citizens living alone, which was implemented in December 2014. The county office, in collaboration with cable company CJ HelloVision, installed special receivers at 204 homes in the county, with the residents’ consent. Korea [...]
SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) – The Korean government is introducing a teenage suicide prevention app which monitors messaging apps and SNS pages on teenagers’ smartphones for words related to suicidal thoughts, and pushes notifications to their parents’ mobile devices. According to a government announcement on March 13, both parents and teenagers need to download [...]
SEOUL, March 13 (Korea Bizwire) – As violence against medical staff increases in and outside of hospitals, the medical community has raised its voice to push for the legislation of rules reinforcing punishment against the crimes, in a move to prevent an escalation in these types of incidents. According to industry sources, there are two [...]
SEJONG, March 11 (Korea Bizwire) – Exports of South Korean-made air purifiers topped the US$100 million mark for the first time in 2014, pushed by demand from China, customs data showed Wednesday. Records from the Korea Customs Service (KCS) showed outbound shipments reaching $119.1 million for all of last year, up a sharp 33.3 percent [...]