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Korea’s suicide fix starts with answering calls
"If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s helpline at 109, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services." In Korea, news articles about suicide often end with this public service notice directing readers in crisis to call 109, the government’s 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. But the hotline answered fewer than half of its daily calls in the first quarter of 2026, even as the country conti
May 31, 2026 -
Wegovy, Mounjaro face tighter controls in Korea
The South Korean government is moving to tighten access to injectable weight-loss medications, closing prescription loopholes and cracking down on overseas purchases amid concerns of misuse. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Wednesday, the ministry is working to designate glucagon-like peptide-1 obesity treatments as drugs of concern for abuse. Wegovy and Mounjaro, which have been selling rapidly in Korea, are included in the planned designation. These medications can help wei
May 27, 2026 -
Medical tourists can get telemedicine in Korea from next year
Medical tourists to South Korea will be allowed to receive telemedicine services starting next year, after patient numbers topped 2 million for the first time in 2025. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday that a revised law on supporting Korean medical services’ overseas expansion and attracting medical tourists had been promulgated. The law will take effect in one year. Under the revision, doctors, dentists and Korean medicine doctors affiliated with medical institutions registered f
May 27, 2026 -
Sweeter diets, stress fuel rise in diabetes among Korean youth
Sweet desserts and abundant food delivery options have become a source of comfort for many young Koreans navigating their increasingly competitive and stressful lives. But those habits may be taking a toll: Diabetes cases among younger generations are rising faster than among older age groups. Experts stress the importance of early lifestyle management, warning that earlier onset of the disease increases the risk of complications because patients must live with the condition for longer. Accordin
May 26, 2026 -
‘Natural Wegovy’ egg recipe stirs weight-loss buzz in Korea
While the use of weight-loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro grows in Korea, some people looking for cheaper ways to curb their appetites are turning to an egg-and-oil recipe that has circulated on social media. The recipe, usually made with boiled eggs, extra virgin olive oil and pepper, is promoted online as a way to increase the body’s secretion of GLP-1, a hormone linked to satiety and reduced food intake. Some users have compared it to injectable GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Mounja
May 25, 2026 -
WHO memorial honors late chief Lee Jong-wook
Health officials from six countries gathered at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of former WHO Director-General Lee Jong-wook, who became the first South Korean to head a UN organization in 2003. The memorial ceremony, co-hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, honored Lee’s legacy of advancing global health equity and strengthening international cooper
May 21, 2026 -
S. Korea seeks older donors to stabilize blood supply
South Korea is moving to stabilize its blood supply by encouraging more donations from older adults, whose population is expected to grow amid the country’s demographic shift. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday, the government is reviewing a plan to ease the upper age limit for blood donation, currently capped at 69. A study commissioned by the ministry in December suggested raising the limit to 75. The country’s blood reserves, more than half of which come from people i
May 17, 2026 -
Ativan shortage exposes fragile economics of essential drugs in Korea
South Korea is facing a looming shortage of injectable lorazepam, an emergency drug used to treat acute seizures and severe agitation, after the country’s sole domestic producer halted production amid tighter manufacturing rules and low government-set prices. Doctors warn that supplies of the medication, sold under the brand name Ativan, could run out within months, forcing hospitals to rely on substitute drugs that may carry greater risks or require more intensive monitoring. The case has renew
May 11, 2026 -
Korean frontier in discovery, prevention of hantavirus returns to spotlight
The late Korean virologist Lee Ho-wang, who identified hantavirus and helped develop the world’s first vaccine against the disease it causes, has returned to public attention after a deadly outbreak linked to a cruise ship off the coast of Spain. As of Sunday, three people were suspected of having died from the virus. Five others were reportedly infected aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which is currently docked at a port in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Before the outbreak, the vessel
May 10, 2026 -
Can older Koreans eat one more egg? Experts weigh protein needs
While eggs are widely seen as an affordable source of high-quality protein, Koreans have long been advised to limit consumption to one egg a day due to concerns over cholesterol intake. But as dietary guidelines increasingly address chronic protein deficiency among older people, experts are suggesting that a second egg may be beneficial for some people. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Nutrition Society, the latest dietary guidelines for Koreans raised the recommend
April 30, 2026 -
Police probe Moon, health minister over COVID-19 vaccine complaint
South Korean police have launched an investigation into allegations that vaccines from batches linked to foreign-substance reports were improperly distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said Tuesday. The investigation comes after a civic group filed a complaint against former President Moon Jae-in, who was in office during the pandemic, and Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, who served as commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency at the time. According to the
April 28, 2026 -
Three cups of coffee a day linked to more muscle: study
People who drink coffee three times a day had more muscle mass than those who drank it less than once a day, a Korean research team said Monday, though the researchers cautioned that the study does not prove coffee directly changes body composition. The team, led by Park Sang-min at Seoul National University College of Medicine, analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2008 and 2011, the university said. The study examined 15,447 adults aged
April 28, 2026 -
When dementia freezes money, aging Korea turns to public trusts
Experts have called for South Korea’s new public trust pilot program for dementia patients to be expanded and paired with reforms to the country’s guardianship system, as the government moves to address the growing problem of frozen assets held by older people with cognitive decline. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Wednesday that it is launching a pilot program for what it calls “a safe asset management service for dementia patients.” Under the program, the National Pension Servi
April 27, 2026 -
More Koreans opt out of life-sustaining treatment
The number of people in South Korea who have chosen to forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment has reached 500,000, eight years after the system was introduced, reflecting growing public acceptance of end-of-life self-determination. According to data from the National Agency for Management of Life-Sustaining Treatment released Sunday, the cumulative figure reached the milestone as of the end of March. It includes 7,882 patients who are currently in the end-of-life process. In Korea, life-sus
April 26, 2026 -
Yellow dust keeps air quality ‘bad’ across South Korea
South Korea is experiencing poor air quality nationwide Wednesday due to lingering yellow dust from Tuesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, residual dust carried by strong winds remains in place, though no further inflow is expected. Authorities advise older adults and individuals with respiratory conditions to take precautions, such as wearing protective masks outdoors. Average daily fine dust concentrations will remain high nationwide throughout Wednesday, with especiall
April 22, 2026