KIHASA Update
Window on Korean Society: October 5-11
- Date 2024-10-08
- Hits 109
Oct. 5
●Nearly 2 in 3 mothers give birth via cesarean section The Korea Herald
Nearly two-thirds of Korean women who gave birth last year did so via cesarean section, data shows.●'Will AI steal my job?' Koreans among nationalities feeling most threatened by AI The Korea Herald
Local researchers conducted an analysis on a recent international survey about various social challenges, and found that South Koreans are among the people who are the most likely to feel that AI technology could threaten their jobs.
Oct. 6
●Seoul gov't abolishes nighttime curfew, restructures pay schedule for Filipino nannies Korea JoongAng Daily
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday announced that it abolished nighttime curfew for Filipino nannies and would pay their salaries twice a month to improve their working and residential conditions.●Seoul revises pilot program for Filipina domestic workers after initial trial The Korea Herald
The Seoul city government said Sunday it has revised its pilot program for providing Filipina domestic workers to households, following about a month of the program's implementation.
Oct. 7
●North Chungcheong offers counseling with interpretation support for foreign residents Korea JoongAng Daily
North Chungcheong is providing counseling services with interpretation support for foreign residents until December.●Health minister 'open' to shortening medical school education to five years Korea JoongAng Daily
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said on Monday that his agency has yet to be consulted about an Education Ministry plan to shorten medical school education from six years to five, but he is open to the idea.●ADHD drug abuse rampant as students try to enhance performance, data suggests Korea JoongAng Daily
Korean students are suspected of taking attention deficit hyeractivity disorder (ADHD) medication to enhance their academic performance, according to recent data.●No. of teens on 10 or more medications nearly triples in 4 years: data The Korea Herald
The number of Korean teenagers taking 10 or more prescription medications for chronic conditions has more than tripled during the last four and half years, National Health Insurance Service data showed Monday.●Even elite professions split into haves and have-nots The Korea Herald
Many young South Koreans dream of becoming lawyers, doctors or accountants, seeing the professions as a way to guarantee financial security and prestige.●Seoul's income initiative boosts welfare exits, earned income The Korea Herald
More people are leaving the city's welfare rolls while continuing recipients are earning higher incomes under the Seoul city government's Stepping Income welfare initiative, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday.●What divorcees want in new marriage: money and 'vigor in life' The Korea Herald
The primary goals for South Korean divorcees when they remarry include economic stability and a chance to revitalize their lives, a recent survey by a local matchmaker showed.●Koreans in 20s show greatest gender disparities in perceptions of having, raising kids The Hankyoreh
Disparities in perceptions of having and raising a child between Korean men and women were most pronounced among those in their 20s, a new survey found.●The lower one's income, the less inclined to marry, new poll of Koreans finds The Hankyoreh
The lower the income, the less inclined certain social classes are to marry and have children, a new poll of Korean adults has found.●Conscripting women to lead to 'more babies,' claims military think tank The Korea Herald
The chief of a military think tank in South Korea has sparked controversy after suggesting that conscripting women into the military could boost marriage and fertility rates.
Oct. 8
●Shortening med school courses not a must: Minister The Korea Herald
Amid the debate around shortening the medical school curriculum from six to five years, the education minister stated Tuesday that the proposal is an emergency measure and that universities will not be forced to comply.●S. Korea sees surge in foreign patients for beauty care, plastic surgery The Korea Herald
South Korean hospitals and clinics have seen a surge in patients from overseas since the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly for plastic surgery and skin care, according to government data on Tuesday.●84% of Korean women think having a child puts them at a disadvantage The Hankyoreh
Gender plays a prominent role in how people view the level of gender equality in South Korea, a new poll has revealed.●88% of Koreans think their society isn't fit for raising children, poll finds The Hankyoreh
Shin is in her lat 30s and has been married for around ten years but remains childless, as she and her husband deemed that the financial burden of raising a child was more than they could afford.
Oct. 9
●For pregnant women in Seoul, no more waiting in line at major events Korea JoongAng Daily
Pregnant women in Seoul will be able to avid waiting in line at major events hosted by the city and will receive discounts at the city's cultural and sports facilities.●More deaths in ICU following doctors' mass walkout: lawmaker The Korea Herald
The number of intensive care unit patients who died between February and March, the month after medical residents and interns began to resign en masse, rose by 375 frm a year earlier, a new report found.●Patients opting to die with dignity on steady rise The Korea Herald
The number of terminally ill patients in South Korea choosing to discontinue life-sustaining medical treatment has been steadily rising, surpassing 70,000 cases last year alone.●More Koreans are in their 60s than in their 40s, a first on record The Hankyoreh
People in their 60s now outnumber those in their 40s in Korea for the first time since the Ministry of the Interior and Safety began producing demographic statistics in 2008.
Oct. 10
●First marriage age rises to 34 for men, 31.5 for women The Korea Herald
The average age for first marriages in South Korea in 2023 reached 34.0 years for men and 31.5 years for women, marking increases of 0.3 years for men and 0.2 years for women compared to the previous year.●Essential pediatric drug production halts in S. Korea The Chosun Daily
Essential pediatric drugs are disappearing in South Korea due to low birth rates and government-imposed price controls.●Debate between gov't, top medical school leaves chasm unbridged Korea JoongAng Daily
The government and the nation's top medical school on Thursday could not resolve their differences during a debate on the physician shortage and the direction of medical reform.●Growth hormone abuse rising as parents seek to put children head and shoulders above peers Korea JoongAng Daily
Growth hormone abuse is on the rise as parents seek to boost their children's height, resulting in an increase in side effects.●'Hospital hopping' for ADHD, diet, sleep medications a serious problem, data suggests Korea JoongAng Daily
Some patients are hopping across hospitals to receive prescriptions for medications, according to latest data obtained by a lawmaker, highlighting an emerging "narcotic shopping" issue.●Seoul unveils new perks for pregnant women The Korea Herald
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday rolled out a package of benefits for pregnant women, a move to provide support for expectant mothers amid the city's record-low fertility rate.●More than 70,000 terminally ill Koreans were taken off like support last year The Hankyoreh
More than 70,000 terminally ill patients were taken off life support in Korea last year, government statistics show.●Korea bolsters border controls, tests on arrivals from 5 African nations over Marburg outbreak The Korea Times
Korea began stepping up border controls and tests on arrivals from five African nations due to an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus, officials said Thursday.
Oct. 11
●Regional medical schools evading order to conduct classes at local campuses: Education Ministry Korea JoongAng Daily
Regional medical schools are evading the government's orders to conduct classes at local campuses instead of affiliated hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area.