The Korea Herald

Kim Young-won

안녕하세요 Kim Young-won 기자입니다.

Articles by Kim Young-won

Fat location an indicator of Type 2 diabetes, study says

HealthSept 20, 2012

DALLAS ― More and more Americans are becoming obese, but not all fat is equal, say researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.Their study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that certain obese patients were more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, but that a person’s overall weight was not the deciding factor.The greatest risk to developing diabetes was having fat stored inside the abdomen, nestling around the internal organs.“Visce
Korean martial arts master to receive LAPD award

Social affairsSept 18, 2012

A Korean martial arts master who helped take down a street assailant will be awarded by the Los Angeles Police Department.Lee Gak-soo, a martial arts professor at Myongji University in Seoul, confronted a man who was running away after stabbing two former co-workers and two passersby in Yeouido in Seoul last month. Lee, a former mixed martial arts champion, kicked the attacker in the face and chest while the man was wielding a knife threatening Lee and other civilians. The man, surnamed Kim, was
Typhoon Sanba plows north toward Korea

Social affairsSept 16, 2012

Authorities went on full alert on Sunday for a powerful typhoon approaching the country, ordering closure of schools, suspension of ferry services and evacuation of residents in flood-prone areas. “Typhoon Sanba is medium-sized but is very strong on a scale of intensity,” the Korea Meteorological Administration said, calling for serious precautions. As of 1 p.m. as it passed through Okinawa, Japan, the typhoon had central pressure of 935 hPa and winds of up to 48 meters per second. Winds of such
Is hypotension a disease?

HealthSept 13, 2012

Is hypotension dangerous? There are several things about hypotension that many people believe to be true, but are actually urban myths. This is an example. It is possible that the medical state of “shock,” in other words, a rapid decline in the blood pressure with decreased function of the body organs ― which can be fatal ― has led to the mistaken belief that low blood pressure (hypotension) is dangerous. In cases of severe blood loss or cardiovascular malfunctions, the blood pressure decreases
Review of studies casts doubt on benefits of omega-3 supplements

HealthSept 13, 2012

LOS ANGELES ― Is there something fishy going on with omega-3 fatty acids?For years, major health and medical organizations have recommended fish oil supplements rich in omega-3s to reduce the threat of heart disease. In Europe, where support is particularly enthusiastic, a doctor’s failure to recommend the supplements is viewed by some as bordering on malpractice.But several recent studies have raised questions about the benefits of fish oil, sparking no small amount of confusion. A report being
A life devoted to helping the disabled

Sept 12, 2012

For the disabled, every day is a fight, welfare center counselor says A winding hillside road lined with tall trees and shrubs on the lower slopes of Achasan, eastern Seoul, leads up to a set of buildings bustling with people in wheelchairs and on crutches, chatting in high spirits. On the first floor of the main building of Jeongnip Public Welfare Institution, Korea’s first rehabilitation center, is a 20-something-square-meter office where a small woman with a bright smile has been guiding visi
Korea has cheapest tobacco, 2nd-highest smoking rate in OECD

Social affairsSept 10, 2012

Cigarettes in Korea are the cheapest in the OECD, while the smoking rate is the group’s second highest. According to the data from the European Commission Excise Duty on Tobacco which surveyed the price of the best-selling tobacco in 22 member nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2012, Korea sells the cheapest tobacco at 2,500 won ($2.21) per pack of 20 cigarettes, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday.Korea also had the second-highest smoking rate, re
Another TOEFL results delay enrages Korean test takers

Social affairsSept 10, 2012

Another delay in releasing the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, infuriated Korean test takers once again, affecting the credibility of the U.S. based test developer, ETS. The ETS said in a notice posted on its website that the results of the tests taken on Aug 25 and 26, have been postponed and will be announced by Sept. 12.It usually takes 10 days for the test results to be released online, so Korean takers expected to know the results by Friday, which was the dea
Obama thanks HUFS president

Social affairsSept 7, 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama sent an appreciation letter to Park Chul, the president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, in appreciation of kindness and hospitality he had received during his visit in March to the university. In the letter Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle extended their deep thanks to Park. He said he believes Koreans and Americans can meet shared challenges and build a brighter future for all nations as both share an enduring bond. Obama made a speech at the un
Park GH’s sister-in-law resigns from law jobs

Social affairsSept 7, 2012

A sister-in-law of Rep. Park Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate, has left her posts at a law firm and the nation’s land and housing firm. Seo Hyang-hee, wife of the presidential candidate’s younger brother Park Ji-man, resigned as a representative lawyer at law firm Sebit and a legal adviser for the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), the state-run land and housing developer.Seo worked as a legal adviser for two years for Samhwa Savings Bank before it went bankrupt
Tick-borne virus, new to Americas, identified in Missouri

HealthSept 6, 2012

Federal scientists have isolated a virus in ticks that has never before appeared in the Western Hemisphere and are calling on other scientists to look for evidence of the disease-causing pathogen.Virus hunters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the virus causes an illness nearly identical to ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease that is caused by a bacterium.The newfound pathogen, known as a phlebovirus, was isolated in 2009 in two Missouri men who doctors knew had been bitten
Australian gets the world’s first prototype bionic eye

HealthSept 6, 2012

SYDNEY ― An Australian woman robbed of her sight 30 years ago told Thursday how she saw a “little flash of light” after being implanted with the world’s first prototype bionic eye.Dianne Ashworth, 54, went blind through an inherited condition called retinitis pigmentosa but had some vision after the device was surgically implanted in a Melbourne hospital and connected up to a laboratory unit.“All of a sudden I could see a little flash ... it was amazing,” Ashworth said in a statement from the Bi
Cystitis

HealthSept 6, 2012

Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder lining which can be caused by microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa or viruses), allergies, radiation and pharmacological agents. The most common mechanism of cystitis is bacterial infection through the urethra. Because women have shorter urethras than men, they are more prone to urinary tract infections. This is because the bacteria from the urethra, vagina or the cervix can flow back to the bladder. In this case, the main bacterial organisms are those of
Seoul City to create free pass for foreign travelers

Social affairsSept 5, 2012

Seoul City will introduce a “Free Pass” subway ticket for foreign travelers as early as this month.The city will set up a special ticket service that allows foreigners to travel on the subway for one to three days without having to purchase extra tickets.The city collected ideas from citizens to improve subway services and accepted around 370 out of 850 suggestions.Accepted ideas include the correction of wrong signs and an energy-efficient lighting policy, which will be implemented in September
Elderly vendor donates W10b to Yonsei University

Sept 5, 2012

An 89-year-old vendor has donated her 10 billion won ($8.8 million) fortune she had saved for 60 years to Yonsei University to help poor students. Kim Soon-jeon visited the university on Aug. 14 and said she hoped to set up a scholarship program in her name with her assets, including her house and buildings.“I hope the money can help students who cannot pursue their academic careers due to financial difficulties,” Kim said. Kim herself has been maintaining a frugal life. When the Korean War had