Korean dental clinics, equipped with the superior technology and low-cost services, are gearing up to attract foreign patients amid the eased Covid-19 pandemic.Especially after Korea lifted all the quarantine restrictions for travelers entering Korea, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute
Some South Koreans are using an unorthodox method to appreciate life and cope with real-world stress -- attending their own funeral. The Hyowon Healing Center, one of the institutions in Seoul that provides a mock funeral to the public free of charge, was packed last Wednesday with participants waiting to grasp some insight into what awaits at the end of the road.Although the method is som
With the temperature dropping down, the number of Koreans coming down with a cold is on the rise.Major pharmaceutical companies have started its distribution of influenza vaccines, but every country has its own “home remedies” passed down from ancestors that could cure a cold without such pharmaceuticals.In Russia, there is the gogol mogul, which is a hot drink that contains an egg yolk an
More and more Koreans are getting massages either at home or shops, in a country deemed to have one of the longest work hours in the world.The numbers of massage parlors and stores that sell massage equipment have increased steadily in the past few years, sprawling across metropolitan areas while the government is pushing to slash “inhumane” workhours here. Korea is notorious fo
“Full House” actor Rain and actress Kim Tae-hee have left to Italy for their taegyo vacation Monday, gathering public attention to the concept of a pregnant mother vacationing to enhance the welfare of her baby and herself.Taegyo, or the Korean version of prenatal education, refers to a Chinese tradition that took its roots in the country at the end of the Goryeo era (918-1392). It gained popu
As early as from the beginning of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), Korean women have eaten seaweed soup, or miyeokguk, after childbirth.Not much has since changed, as mothers continue to eat the soup for nearly a month after giving birth. The soup is widely known to help blood circulation and increase blood levels in the body.“I ate miyeokguk three times a day for a month after giving birth
“Are you married? Did you get an abortion? A lot of young people who’ve had abortions or somehow feel that they’re ‘loose’ come to our hospital to get it done,” said the receptionist at a vaginoplasty clinic in Gangnam, on the other end of the line. “A lot of people are having sex these days.”While most women focus on external beauty, a significant portion of them are now paying attention to t
After graduating from a four-year university in Seoul, Choi Min-jung thought her dream came true.She interviewed at three university hospitals, went through three rounds of it at one, and got into Asan Medical Center, one of the “Big Five” hospitals, reputed to pay the highest nursing salaries in the nation.What she had not expected was the physical and emotional toll that it would take on
Giving birth to a child is difficult and painful -- especially so for women with a relatively small pelvis, like Koreans. Inadequate postnatal care also leads to mothers’ health problems later. All this shows why Korean people think recovery after childbirth determines women’s health.In the past, midwives delivered babies and mothers’ parents took care of their daughters and babies for up
Koreans can get medical checkups for free thanks to national health insurance service (NHIS) coverage. However, most choose to pay out of pocket for their health screenings. Why do Koreans pay for health check-ups when it’s free?Some explanation on public health checkups is relevant to explain this practice.The government provides public-funded health checkups to all citizens to prevent th
“From the cradle to the grave.” In Korea this famous slogan of a welfare state befits the business practice of large general hospitals. Not a few Koreans are born in these hospitals, are treated there for all kinds of diseases they may have in various stages of life, and upon death, lie in their funeral homes. What sets large Korean hospitals apart from their foreign counterparts is they also
Many people acknowledge Korea has one of the best heath care systems in the world, ranked 58th out of 191 countries, according to the World Health Organization. And if each country has a unique culture in its healthcare tradition, this one could be no exception.One of the particular traits Korea has is “ganbyeong.” Translated into “family care,” it has exerted enormous influence on Korea’s hos
Visiting friends and family members in the hospital is a common tradition in many parts of the world. Koreans have taken visiting hospitalized patients to a whole new level, however. Commonly referred to as “byeongmunan,” the term describes the act of visiting sick friends, acquaintances and family members in the hospital.Byeongmunan is essentially a give-and-take relationship: When I’m sick,
