Author: Web Desk

Medical professors at major hospitals took a day off Friday, the third of its kind in two weeks, as they expressed fatigue from filling the void of trainee doctors who left their worksites in protest of the government’s medical reform.

While fatigued medical professors take a leave of absence, treatment of critically ill patients and inpatient services at their hospitals are provided, according to the hospitals.

Medical professors took a day off on April 30 and May 3, but no major disruptions of public health services were reported.

On Friday, some medical professors at four major hospitals in Seoul — Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Severance Hospital and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital — took a voluntary leave of absence.

It was unclear how many professors took a day off, but their action is expected to affect some 50 hospitals nationwide.

The professors, who are senior doctors at general hospitals, started taking a weekly day off in solidarity with some 12,000 trainee doctors who
have left their worksites since Feb. 20 in protest of the plan to boost the number of medical students by 2,000.

The weekly day off came amid the prolonged standoff between the government and the medical community on the medical reform.

On the previous day, President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a press conference that the reform plan “is a task that can no longer be delayed,” indicating the government intends to accomplish the initiative despite the protest.

During a press briefing, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said the government does not have an immediate plan to allow foreign doctor license holders to practice in the country.

The remark came after the health ministry said earlier this week that those holding a medical license issued by foreign nations would be allowed to legally practice medicine in South Korea in the event that the government declares a top-level medical service warning.

“The revision is a preemptive and supplementary measure to prepare for a potential future emergency,” Park s
aid. “Currently, the government does not have immediate plans to deploy foreign doctors, as the existing emergency medical system is being maintained effectively, despite some challenges.”

Park added that even if foreign doctors are deployed, they will only be authorized to administer treatments under the supervision of local doctors.

The government will implement strict safety measures to ensure that only doctors whose skills have been verified are allowed to treat the people, he said.

The government, meanwhile, also plans to submit minutes and other documents to verify that the decision to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 was based on scientific grounds to the Seoul High Court on Friday.

The move came as doctors raised suspicions that the minutes may not exist, although the government claimed that all required meetings were documented.

“We will faithfully submit all documents that are required,” Park said.

The government also held the second round of a presidential committee on
medical reform launched last month to resolve the issue on the day, although doctors have been boycotting the platform, calling for a complete abandonment of the plan.

Key agendas discussed during the meeting included enhancing the capabilities of general hospitals and improving compensation for medical services, Park added.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will visit China early next week for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, the foreign ministry said Friday, marking the first trip to Beijing by a South Korean top diplomat in more than six years.

Cho’s two-day trip to Beijing from Monday through Tuesday comes as South Korea faces the task of managing the relationship with China that has soured amid Seoul’s strong alignment with the United States under the Yoon Suk Yeol government.

It will mark the first visit to China by a South Korean foreign minister since November 2017, when then Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha paid a visit during the administration of then President Moon Jae-in.

His visit also comes ahead of a widely expected trilateral summit among the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan that Seoul seeks to capitalize on to boost the three-way cooperation with its Asian neighbors. The summit is most likely to take place from May 26-27.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) said Friday it has turned to profit in the first quarter from a year earlier on the back of lower global energy prices.

The company said its first-quarter net income came to 595.9 billion won (US$435.3 million), shifting from a loss of 4.91 trillion won a year earlier.

Operating income for the January-March period was 1.29 trillion, compared with a loss of 6.17 trillion won a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales rose 7.9 percent to 23.29 trillion won.

It marked three consecutive quarters for KEPCO to post an operating profit.

KEPCO attributed the improved operating profit to a 20.8 percent, or 5.7 trillion won, decrease in operating costs

In detail, the company spent 6.1 trillion won on purchasing resources and 9.2 trillion won on buying electricity from private power generation companies, which represented decreases of 32.2 percent and 24.2 percent, respectively, over the period

The company added its earnings also improved as it rais
ed electricity fees three times in 2023 by 13.1 won per kilowatt hour (kWh) in the first quarter, 8 won in the second quarter and 10.6 won in the fourth quarter.

KEPCO, however, said that the company anticipates uncertainties down the road due to the prolonged war between Russia and Ukraine, coupled with the crisis in the Middle East, which may lead to financial exchange fluctuations

“KEPCO plans to implement the self-rescue measures it announced earlier in response to the changing business environment. We will collaborate with the government to discuss various strategies to address accumulated losses,” the company said.

The company has been implementing various self-rescue measures, including restructuring overseas operations, selling properties and offering voluntary retirement programs.

KEPCO earlier posted a combined loss of 43 trillion won from 2021 to 2023, as the company had not been able to raise electricity bills enough to cover high fuel costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation.

Shar
es of KEPCO traded at 21,250 won on the main bourse as of 2:03 p.m., down 2.52 percent from a day earlier. The first-quarter report was released during the session.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with citizens and merchants in Seoul on Friday, the second anniversary of his presidency.

In his first public outreach since last month’s parliamentary elections, Yoon visited Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul and met with citizens out for a walk, according to his office.

While discussing livelihood issues, including the recent rise in dining prices, Yoon promised to do his best to stabilize prices in a way that can be felt by the people, his office said.

Yoon later visited Yeongcheon Traditional Market, checked the prices of fruits and vegetables while talking with vendors and gathered the opinions of shoppers on recent prices of goods.

He vowed to employ all means at the government’s disposal to tame rising prices of groceries, the presidential office said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Bangkok: May 10 – A 50-year-old woman, suffering from depression, jumped from the 7th floor of a condominium in the Thonglor area and died on the spot.

Police at Thonglor Police Station received a report of a person who fell from a height and died. Inside a condominium near Ekkamai Road, Khlong Tan Nuea Subdistrict, Watthana District, Bangkok, so went to investigate along with a forensic doctor at Chula Hospital. Forensic evidence officer and volunteers of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation

The scene of the incident was a 23-story condominium. At the entrance to the parking lot in front of the condominium, the body of a 50-year-old woman was found lying on her back in a pool of blood. Her arms, legs, and head were broken. Inspection did not find any documents.

The investigation found that The deceased lived on the 7th floor alone and used to be a juristic person director of the building where the incident occurred. but has resigned Because he was sick with depression. From examining the CCTV inside the building, i
t was found that the deceased had jumped from the 7th floor to his death. Currently, officials are in the process of coordinating with relatives. before calling to investigate to find the cause real again

Source: Thai News Agency

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and China discussed issues related to the Korean Peninsula on the margins of a multilateral security dialogue in Japan earlier this week, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Friday.

The talks between Lee Jun-il, director general for North Korean nuclear affairs, and Liu Xiaoming, China’s special representative on Korean Peninsula affairs, took place Thursday in Tokyo on the sidelines of the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD), an annual public-private security dialogue forum, the ministry said.

They “exchanged their assessments on the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula and opinions on ways to address” the peninsula issues, the ministry said in a press release, without providing further details.

North Korea’s evolving nuclear and weapons developments and its growing military cooperation with Russia were most likely high on the agenda at their talks. China is the North’s longtime ally and largest economic benefactor.

The NEACD is a Track 1.5 security forum that
brings together government officials and civilian experts of the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

It was not immediately known whether the North or Russia attended this week’s NEACD. North Korea last attended the meeting in 2016, represented by Choe Son-hui, now serving as the North’s foreign minister.

On Friday, Lee held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Jung Pak, who was also in Tokyo to attend the NEACD, and had a broad discussion on North Korea’s nuclear and other related issues, Seoul’s ministry said.

They “agreed to continue close coordination as they stand firmly by the shared goal toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea,” the ministry said.

They also agreed to keep a close watch on the North’s possible additional provocations, including the potential launch of another spy satellite, and prepare against any attempts by the North to change the status quo in the Yellow Sea, based on the staunch South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture.

The officials shared the unde
rstanding of the need for China to play “a constructive role” in the Korean Peninsula issues and agreed to continue communications with Beijing at all levels.

Aside from the two-way meetings with China and the U.S., Lee also held a trilateral gathering with Pak and their Japanese counterpart, Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan’s foreign ministry, to discuss North Korean threats.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

The new Netflix series “The 8 Show” explores the true nature of human society through the story of eight contestants entangled in a high-stakes reality competition, its director said Friday.

“Eight financially troubled individuals receive an offer from mysterious figures just when they are about to give up on their lives,” Han Jae-rim said of the show during a press conference at a Seoul hotel.

“They are offered to sell the time they were about to give up and compete in a reality show where they can win substantial prize money over time by simply taking part.”

As the contestants navigate the game, they continue to cooperate or betray or be at odds with each other, all while trying to figure out how to maximize their accumulated time to win, Han explained.

Starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jung-min, Park Hae-joon, Bae Seong-woo, Lee Yul-eum, Lee Zoo-young and Moon Jeong-hee, the eight-part series is a fusion of Bae Jin-soo’s hit webtoons “Money Game” and “Pie Game.”

Asked why he adapted the two d
ifferent webtoon series — one about a survival game and another a black comedy — Han said, “I discovered the ‘Pie Game’ series while contemplating how to overcome the limitations of a survival drama format where characters progressively disappear over time.”

“And it had this rule: No killing allowed. This means everyone has to cooperate to win. So, I thought it would be interesting to combine the two stories. Thankfully, the author generously granted me permission.”

“The series then naturally evolved into a tragicomedy because cooperation is not always possible,” he explained.

The series opens with voice-over narration by the lead character, Jin-soo (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), a young man on the brink of despair, burdened by debt.

Ryu said he readily agreed to join the series following their previous collaboration for the Korean crime thriller film “The King” (2017).

“He is an unremarkable person without any distinct characteristics,” Ryu said of his character, Jin-soo, who selects the third out of eight
floors up for choice. “Among various characters, he makes ordinary and common choices. He pursues safety, and is a quiet and ordinary person.”

The series is slated for release next Friday.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Nonthaburi, “Phra Phayom” criticizes social media for sharing an AI image of 6 monks playing music and chanting auspicious spells from the 8 directions of the universe, pointing out that using the chants as a joke has become too much fun. Reveals that technological evolution will lead to moral ruin.

From the case of one TIKTOK user bringing an AI image of 6 monks forming a band, playing a drum set, playing guitar, playing music with auspicious mantras from the 8 directions in Metal style, until there were many people criticizing on social media about whether it was appropriate or not.

Reporters traveled to Wat Suan Kaew, Bang Yai District, Nonthaburi Province, to inquire with Phra Phayom Kanlayano, the abbot of Wat Suan Kaew. Whether it is appropriate or not, Phra Phayom said that AI images are a matter of modern technology. Father Buddhadasa once said that in the future, technological evolution in this world will lead to moral destruction. The true hymn is a summary. The monks used it to tease and it beca
me too much fun. Make what is essentially calm into fun. enjoy Singing and dancing in a way that is not hostile to traditional merit. Now he has begun to act as an evil enemy. more sinful is more fun according to the era of taste But there are people who like it. People who don’t like it will criticize it. Let’s live together like anyone who doesn’t like it has to accept it. People who like you, don’t like them too much. Because there are people who don’t like it. Then we can live together with things that come to play and do everything. It’s getting more and more every day. May you live in peace

Source: Thai News Agency

North Korea has held a state funeral for Kim Ki-nam, known as the master of propaganda operations for the North’s ruling family, with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, state media said Friday.

The former secretary of the Central Committee of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party died at the age of 94 on Tuesday due to age-related illness and multiple organ failure, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim Jong-un, who led the state funeral committee for the late official, attended the funeral held in Pyongyang on Thursday and accompanied the bereaved family members to a burial at the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery, the KCNA said.

“He said that thanks to the veterans of the revolution like Kim Ki-nam who made a positive contribution to consolidating the cornerstone for the existence and development of our Party and state and … the revolutionary cause of Juche could be dynamically advanced despite the tempest of history,” it added.

Kim Ki-nam, who spent decades overseeing propaganda operations in
North Korea, was dubbed the “North Korean Goebbels” after Nazi Germany’s propaganda minister Paul Joseph Goebbels.

The late official was known to have stepped down from most official posts after he was excluded from a group of top officials sitting on the podium together with the leader Kim in a party plenary meeting in October 2017.

In 2009, he visited South Korea while leading a North Korean delegation to pay condolences to late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. The late president held the first inter-Korean summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the late father of the current North Korean leader, in 2000.

Photos released by state media showed the North Korean leader Kim taking part in the burial as well as North Korean residents bowing in queue as a Mercedes-Benz hearse carrying the late official’s body passed by.

The latest funeral marked the eighth state funeral which Kim Jong-un oversaw since taking power in 2011.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

The top military officers of South Korea and Canada held phone talks Friday to discuss ways to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, Seoul’s military said.

The talks between Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and his Canadian counterpart, Gen. Wayne Eyre, took place at the Canadian side’s request to share details of its update to its defense policy released last month, according to the JCS.

The document outlines Canada’s efforts to maintain military readiness, such as boosting defense spending, and points out the need to respond to challenges from Russia and China.

During their talks, the two sides shared their assessment of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, and discussed ways to enhance military cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region, the JCS said.

“The two sides shared the view that South Korea and Canada have to expand their scope of cooperation in terms of the military and the arms industry for peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region,” it said.

S
outh Korean companies have recently sought to expand their foothold in the Canadian maritime defense sector as the Royal Canadian Navy seeks to replace its aging fleet of Victoria-class submarines with new models.

Source: Yonhap News Agency