Sept. 27

• ●South Jeolla reviews immigration blueprint after study warns migrant workers struggle to stay The Korea Herald
  South Jeolla Province is reviewing research on how to shape a localized immigration framework aftr a new study found that migrant workers are essential to its economy, yet face obstacles that make long-term settlement in the region difficult.
  
  

• ●1 in 4 COVID vaccine side effect claims compensated, proving causality remains difficult The Korea Herald
  Only one in four people who reported side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine have received compensation from the government, with victims complaining it is too difficult to prove causality, local media reported Thursday.

Sept. 28

• ●Suicide deaths in Korea exceed 7,000 in first half of the year Korea JoongAng Daily
  More than 7,000 people died by suicide in Korea in the first half of this year, according to government data Sunday.
  
  

• ●Gov't grants autonomy, funding to 9 regional universities to spur decentralized growth The Korea Times
  The Ministry of Education on Sunday announced nine additional schools for its Glocal University project, which provides universities outside Seoul with funding and autonomy to boost their global competitiveness in a bid to ease growth centered on the capital region.

Sept. 29

• ●Elderly Periodontal Disease Cases Surge 48% in South Korea The Chosun Daily
  Kang, 39 years old, from Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, recently visited a dental clinic with his 70-year-old father and heard from the dentist, "My father's gums have completely deteriorated to the point where two teeth need to be extracted."
  
  

• ●20-somethings experienced slowest income growth in past decade: report The Korea Herald
  South Koreans in their 20s saw their inflation-adjusted real incomes grow by less than 2 percent per year on average from 2014 to 2024, the lowest among all age groups during that period, a report showed Monday.
  
  

• ●Only 40% of foreign babies in Korea get health check-ups The Korea Herald
  Out of all the babies born in South Korea, only 40 percent of the babies with foreign nationality and 60 percent of the babies with Korean nationality have received a state-funded health check-up, a government data showed Monday.
  
  

• ●Youth behind half of public threat arrests in South Korea, driven by social anger The Korea Herald
  A wave of bomb threats and mass violence hoaxes in South Korea is being driven not by extremists or organized groups, but by young adults acting out of frustration with society, according to data released Monday.
  
  

• ●20-somethings see slowest real income growth over past decade Korea JoongAng Daily
  People in their 20s saw the slowest growth in real income over the past decade, according to a new report, amid worsening job quality and increasing living costs despite improved employment figures.
  
  

• ●Korea's relative poverty rate among seniors tops OECD nations The Korea Times
  The relative poverty rate among Korea's retired population reached the highest level among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), data showed Monday.
  
  

• ●Korea's relative poverty rate among seniors tops OECD nations The Korea Times
  The relative poverty rate among Korea's retired population reached the highest level among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), data showed Monday.

Sept. 30

• ●Gov't to downgrade top-level medical crisis alert next month: health minister The Korea Herald
  The South Korean government plans to soon downgrade the nation's top-level "serious" health crisis alert, issued early last year following the mass resignation of trainee doctors, as hospital operations gradually return to normal, the health minister has said.
  
  

• ●Chronic Diseases Rise in South Korea as 40s Men's Obesity Hits 61.7% The Chosun Daily
  The proportion of South Koreans with adult chronic diseases has increased compared to last year, with rising obesity rates among those in their 40s driving the deterioration of health indicators.
  
  

• ●Nearly 62% of Korean men in 40s are obese: study The Korea Herald
  Nearly 50 percent of all Korean men are obese, according to a government study released Tuesday, with the rate for men in their 40s hitting an alarming 61.7 percent.
  
  

• ●As suicide rate rises, so does 'suicide-promoting content,' say concerned regulators Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea's suicide rate hit its highest level in 13 years last year, while reports of "suicide-promoting content" online have surged to record levels.

Oct. 1

• ●South Korea's youngest children now at center of rising antidepressant use, data shows The Korea Herald
  The number of children prescribed antidepressants in South Korea more than doubled in just three years.
  
  

• ●Elementary Students' Antidepressant Use Doubles The Chosun Daily
  A sixth-grade elementary school student, identified as A, began struggling to focus in class and frequently lashing out at parents over minor issues from early last year. 
  
  

• ●Special Education Teacher: 'No Set Speed or Method in My Class' The Chosun Daily
  "Although the teacher has one arm, you can raise both arms," ...