Feb. 23

• ●Travel, driving bans slapped on 157 who failed to pay child care costs The Korea Herald
  South Korean government recently enforced administrative punishments for 157 people accused of not paying child support, imposing travel bans, suspending driver's licenses and revealing the names and personal information of individuals online.
  
  

• ●8 in 10 Koreans support legalizing euthanasia: survey The Korea Herald
  Morea than 8 out of 10 South Koreans say the country should legalize physician-aided death of terminal patients, with over 90 percent saying that they are willing to discontinue life-sustaining treatment if they became terminally ill, a survey by a state-run health research institute revealed Sunday.
  
  

• ●49 schools in Korea to shut down amid declining population: data The Korea Herald
  More schools will close this year as Korea's school-age population continues to decline, data showed Sunday.
  
  

• ●9 in 10 Koreans support ending life-prolonging treatment: study The Korea Times
  More than nine out of ten Koreans think that they would opt to forgo life-prolonging treatment if they were terminally ill, a new study has found, highlighting shifting attitudes toward end-of-life care in the country.

Feb. 24

• ●49 schools in Korea to close amid population decline The Korea Times
  More elementary, middle and high schools in Korea are set to close this year due to the declining school-age population amid the country's low birthrate.
  
  

• ●Men taking parental leave surpass 30% for 1st time in Korea The Korea Times
  For the first time, the proportion of men taking parental leave in Korea exceeded 30 percent last year, according to government data released Sunday.
  
  

• ●Koreans' life satisfaction drops in 2023, snapping 4-year rise: report The Korea Times
  Koreans' average satisfaction with life decreased for the first time in four years in 2023, ranking 33rd out of the 38 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a government report showed Monday.
  
  

• ●South Korea's suicide rate surges to 9-year high, life satisfaction declines The Chosun Daily
  The average South Korean's satisfaction with life declined for the first time in four years in 2023, ranking 33rd out of the 38 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, according to new government data.
  
  

• ●S. Korea enters era of consistent workforce decline The Chosun Daily
  South Korea has officially entered the era of "demographic onus" this year, where a shrinking workforce is expected to slow economic growth due to a low birth rate and aging population.

Feb. 26

• ●Are you living like 'a hothouse flower'? Viral checklist sparks buzz in South Korea The Korea Herald
  While browsing the internet, 29-year-old Jin Eun-soo recently found herself taken aback when she encountered a checklist known as the "Hothouse Flower Test."
  
  

• ●Traditional Korean medicine practitioners vow to use X-rays following court ruling The Korea Times
  Practitioners of traditional Korean medicine vowed on Tuesday to actively use X-ray devices in patient treatment following a recent court ruling that affirmed their right to utilize the technology.
  
  

• ●S. Korean accupuncturists push for X-ray use amid dispute with doctors The Chosun Daily
  South Korean acupuncurists are now pushing to perform X-ray exams, traditionally reserved for physicians, after using ultrasound and electroencephalograms (EEGs).
  
  

• ●Gov't hints at scrapping increase of medical school admissions quota for next year Korea JoongAng Daily
  The government has raised the possibility of scrapping a controversial increase of medical school admissions for next year, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday, as it seeks to resolve a prolonged dispute with trainee doctors.
  
  

• ●South Korea's birth rate rises for first time in 9 years The Korea Herald
  South Korea's fertility rate rose by 0.03 in 2024, breaking a nine-year downtrend, according to Statistics Korea on Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Suicide deaths in S. Korea hit 13-yr high in 2024; daily average at 39.5: data The Korea Herald
  Suicide deaths in South Korea reached the largest number in 13 years last year, a local suicide prevention agency said Wednesday.
  
  

• ●AI chats feel 'emotionally meaningful,' say about 40% of young South Koreans in survey The Korea Herald
  Generative AI chat services - seen primarily as study or work tools - may serve as emotional companions and even informal "counselors" for many young people in South Korea.
  
  

• ●Gov't forecasts total fertility rate will continue rising this year The Korea Times
  The number of babies born in Korea last year increased for the first time in nearly a decade, data showed, Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Number of people changing residences falls to 16-year low in January The Korea Times
  The number of Koreans who relocated to new residences last month fell to its lowest level in 16 years, data showed Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Childbirths in Korea rebound for 1st time in 9 years in 2024 on post-pandemic weddings The Korea Times
  The number of babies born in Korea increased for the first time in nine years in 2024, driven by a post-pandemic rise in marriages, evolving attitudes toward parenthood and demographic changes, the statistics agency said Wednesday.
  
  

• ●S. Korea's fertility rate rebounds for 1st time in 9 years The Chosun Daily
  South Korea's number of newborns increased by 3.6% last year, rebounding for the first time in nine years.
  
  

• ●Korea to strengthen quarantine on entry from 7 African nations to preven Ebola spread Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea will bolster quarantine measures on people entering from seven African nations as part of efforts to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading here, the health authorities said Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Workplace stress identified as leading factor in employee depression: study The Korea Herald
  A research team at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital announced Wednesday it has published a study finding that workplace-related stress is the most significant factor contributing to depression among employees, regardless of gender or age.

Feb. 27

• ●Student quota dispute throws Korean med schools into uncertainty ahead of new semester The Korea Times
  With only days remaining before the new semester begins, medical schools in Korea are facing unprecedented difficulties due to a standoff between the government and doctors regarding student quotas, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.
  
  

• ●Flood of medical professor resignations exacerbates Korea's regional healthcare divide Korea JoongAng Daily
  A total of 467 medical professors resigned even before reaching their retirement age last year, accounting for nealry 75 percent of all medical professors who resigned nationwide.
  
  

• ●KDCA urges flu vaccination for school-age children The Korea Herald
  Winter is nearing its end, but South Korea's disease control agency has advised parents to vaccinate their children against influenze, warning that a second wave of flu could emerge among school-age children as the new school term begins next week.
  
  

• ●Korea's birth rate rebounds, but quality of life factors may determine if upswing persists The Hankyoreh
  Korea's total fertility rate rose to 0.75 last year, the first rebound in nine years.