Sept. 28

• ●Suicide attempts spike among youth in Korea The Korea Herald
  The suicide rate among individuals under 20 has spiked in recent years in South Korea, with mental health disorders and interpersonal conficts cited as the main cause.

Sept. 29

• ●Smoke inhalation patient's treatment delayed as emergency rooms say no Korea JoongAng Daily
  A person in their 20s who inhaled a large amount of smoke from a fire in Gyeonggi was unable to receive treatment for about three hours due to difficulties finding an emergency room that would take them.
  
  

• ●Immigration policy must go beyond labor supply: experts The Korea Herald
  South Korea needs to shift its perspective on immigration beyond merely viewing immigrants as a solution to labor supply issues, experts said at a forum in Seoul last week.
  
  

• ●Presidential office to creat new body to estimate medical workforce shortage The Korea Times
  A presidential committee on medical reform is set to establish a new body to estimate the shortage of doctors and better reflect the medical community's demand amid the protracted walkout, a senior official said Sunday.
  
  

• ●Mental health concerns widespread in S. Korea, especially among young adults The Chosun Daily
  A recent survey found that 6 out of 10 Koreans have experienced mental health issues, such as severe stress, over the past year.

Sept. 30

• ●Forum on Seoul income initiative to take place on Oct. 7 The Korea Herald
  The Seoul city government will hold an international forum on its Stepping Stone Income welfare initiative at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Oct. 7, marking the program's third-year run.
  
  

• ●Stricter monitoring urged for physicians with mental illness The Korea Herald
  More than 6,000 physicians each year are diagnosed with mental illness, but the absence of oversight verifying whether the doctors are able to adequately provide treatment is stocking concerns.
  
  

• ●Adjustment to 2025 med school quota impossible: health minister The Korea Times
  Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday it is impossible to amend the planned increase in the medical school admission quota for next year and the government will launch a new body to estimate the shortage of doctors.

Oct. 1

• ●Abuse against emergency room staff rises 21% in 3 years: data The Korea Herald
  South Korean emergency room medical staff have experienced increasing instances of physical and verbal abuse in recent years, government data showed Tuesday.
  
  

• ●Seoul mayor suggests shift in immigration policy The Korea Herald
  Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called for a paradigm shift in South Korean immigration policy, highlighting the importance of adopting more inclusive visa policies to tackle demographic challenges.
  
  

• ●Gig workers rise by 2.3m in 5 years, especially among younger, older workers The Korea Herald
  The number of gig workers--including platform workers, freelancers and independent contractors--surged by over 2.3 million in the last five years, with the highest increases seen among younger and older people, a lawmaker said Tuesday.
  
  

• ●6 in 10 office workers want 4-day workweek: survey The Korea Herald
  A recent survey shows that over 60 percent of South Korean office workers are in favor of introducing a four-day workweek.
  
  

• ●Depression, anxiety are skyrocketing among Korean children and adolescents The Hankyoreh
  Seoul resident Lee Yoon-ha (pseudonym), 9, was recently diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder by a mental health professional.

Oct. 2

• ●Seoul City seeks to relax immigration rules amid population decline The Korea Times
  As the number of foreign residents in Korea continues to rise and local governments promote initiatives to attract foreigners, the Seoul Metropolitan Government hosted a forum on foreign residents and immigration policy, Monday.
  
  

• ●Homebuyers in their 30s, 40s drive heavy borrowing in Seoul The Chosun Daily
  The number of Koreans in their 30s and 40s borrowing over 500 million won to buy homes in Seoul has surged 3.7 times in the first seven months of this year compared to the total for all of 2021.
  
  

• ●Senior Citizens' Day a stark reminder of elderly poverty in Korea Korea JoongAng Daily
  Elderly people stand in line at a soup kitchen set up outside Tapgol Park in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday, which also marks Senior Citizens' Day in Korea.

Oct. 3

• ●Wage issues, high costs and runaways: Teething problems blight Filipino nanny pilot Korea JoongAng Daily
  Seoul's Filipino nanny program has operated for one month so far, but the pilot has been marred by disputes over low wages, curfews and unauthorized departures.
  
  

• ●Tertiary hospitals move to reduce beds, raise service quality in Health Ministry pilot program Korea JoongAng Daily
  Tertiary hospitals nationwide are looking to reduce a record number of patient beds as they abandon quantitative growth to shift their focus on quality service.
  
  

• ●Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot The Korea Herald
  As Seoul's six-month foreign caregiver pilot program marks its first month on Thursday, significant unresolved issues--particularly over pay.
  
  

• ●35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary' The Korea Herald
  Skepticism toward unification with North Korea is rising in South Korea, with the proportions of people who view it as "unnecessary" and those who see it as "impossible" reaching record highs since 2007, when the poll started.

Oct. 4

• ●Korea reports 8.5% rise in suicide rate The Korea Herald
  South Korea, already plagued with the world's highest suicide rate, saw an on-year uptick in suicide cases last year, reversing a short-lived downward trend, data shows Friday.
  
  

• ●Cancer, heart disease, pneumonia among major causes of death in 2023 The Korea Times
  Cancer, heart disease and pneumonia were among the key causes of death for Koreans in 2023, data showed Friday, with suicide remaining the top factor among those in their 30s and younger.
  
  

• ●Gov't pledges 'more open attitude,' urges doctors to join talks over prolonged walkout The Korea Times
  Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said Friday that the government would have a "more open attitude" as he renewed calls for doctors to join talks to resolve a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors against the government's medical reform.