Terminally ill patients who have no other medical options but to hang on to life with essential treatment will likely be given the right to die starting next year.A subpanel of the presidential committee on bioethics has reached an agreement to legally allow patients who are dying or their families to decide whether to withdraw treatment that is keeping them alive.According to the subpanel’s advisory report released by the Ministry of Health on Monday, a terminal patient can voluntarily forgo li

The urge to eat is not only caused by physiological hunger, but is known to be also affected by emotional status or psychological stress. Bulimia is one of the most common eating disorders along with anorexia nervosa, the opposite condition of not eating enough food. The improving socioeconomic status of Korea and the increasingly popular diet culture is contributing to this eating disorder. Bulimia and anorexia nervosa both commonly occur in young women, and generally start in adolescence. Buli

Atopic dermatitis, asthma and rhinitis are often regarded as diseases of modern times with no ultimate cure. A Korean Oriental medicine doctor, however, believes that those incurable illnesses can be cured by increasing lung function through a constant intake of herbal medicine named Pyunkangtang.The herbal medicine, developed by Seo Hyo-seok, head of Pyunkang Oriental Clinic, was based on the oriental medicine principle that strength originates from the lungs.  “Pyunkangtang increases the activ

Korean-born American writer Maija Rhee Devine publishes her first novel based on life story

To some people ― those who might attend a guerrilla reading in San Francisco, for example ― Ken Baumann is a writer and small-press publisher who is part of the contemporary literary vanguard. And yet, to a generation of adolescent girls, he’s instantly recognizable as a star of the beloved ABC Family series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” now in its last season.“As long as I can do both, why wouldn’t I want to?” Baumann asks at an L.A. cafe. He’s lanky and pale-skinned, making it ea

The Kings and Queens of RoamBy Daniel Wallace (Touchstone)“Once upon a time” is probably the most seductive phrase in the language of books. Add a forest, a witch, a giant and a princess, and children are enchanted beyond any reasonable doubt: No need to know the story’s setting (it’s a kingdom!) or the king’s reasons for beheading his daughter’s suitors one by one (they gave the wrong answer!).Even adult readers still warm to the tall tale, the fable and the fairy tale. Maybe that’s the reason

Cultural event seen to reinforce political, economic ties between Korea and Turkey

President Park Geun-hye placed 11th on Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most powerful women this year. It is the first time Park has made it onto the annual list by the U.S. economic magazine. She is also the only Korean on the roster. Forbes introduced the 61-year-old Park as South Korea’s first female president, having been elected with Korea’s highest turnout rate in 15 years.“This is her second ‘term’ in the presidential office. Her father, Park Chung-hee, was president for 18 years, and at a

Jang Nara has signed on with Chinese apparel company Yirienkkeueo to appear in its advertisements.Jang signed the contract with Yirienkkeueo on May 19 in front of thousands of her fans in Xiamen, China. “We picked Jang Nara as our new advertisement model because of her popularity in China. Also, we thought that her cute and lovely image perfectly matches our brand image,” an official from the brand stated.Jang, a singer and actress, has become the most wanted TV commercial model in China. She ha

Korean people should not approach multiculturalism as an ideology or theoretically, but accept it naturally as society has already become multicultural, according to Yook Sang-hyo, director of the 2010 movie “Banga Banga,” which comically depicts life for foreign migrant workers and social discrimination in Korea. “We should not be distracted by some cultural and social logic of multiculturalism. It’s real. Korean society has become multicultural. It’s time to accept it naturally,” said Yook dur

As Korean society becomes culturally diversified, multiculturalism has emerged as a popular topic in the mass media. Starting with 2007’s SBS TV drama “Golden Bride,” which featured a Vietnamese woman married to a Korean man, more TV dramas, movies and entertainment shows followed featuring different facets of multiculturalism in Korea. Multiculturalism was a major theme in recent box-office hits such as “Wandeuki” (English title “Punch”) in 2011 and “Banga Banga” (“He’s on Duty”) in 2010, as we

Charity catwalks add a sense of competition among designers