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Korea Herald
25-04-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Mental distress on the rise among Gangnam children: data
Mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, have been rising sharply among children in Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu and Songpa-gu, Seoul's southern districts known for intense academic competition. In the three elite education hubs, the number of cases covered by the national health insurance system in which children under nine were treated for depression and anxiety jumped from 1,037 in 2020 to 3,309 in 2024 — nearly tripling over the five-year period, according to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service submitted to Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea. Figures rose consistently from 1,612 in 2021 to 2,188 in 2022 and 2,797 in 2023. In 2024 alone, the average number of claims in each of the three Gangnam districts stood at 1,103, which is 3.8 times higher than the average of 291 across Seoul's 25 districts. Mental health issues among infants and young children are not limited to Seoul's Gangnam area, but are a growing concern nationwide. Across the country, the number of health insurance claims for depression and anxiety in children under nine doubled from 15,407 in 2020 to 32,601 in 2024. "The findings indicate that early academic stress can have a tangible, harmful effect on children's mental health," a HIRA official said. The recent data was based on insurance records reviewed and approved by the national health insurance audit agency during the cited period. Under the NHIS, patients pay only a portion of their medical costs at the time of treatment. The remaining amount is billed to the HIRA by the medical provider. Before the payment is made, the agency reviews the claim to determine whether the treatment was appropriate and eligible for coverage. Meanwhile, the high concentration of English-language kindergartens in the Gangnam area reflects the district's strong academic zeal. Of the total 240 English kindergartens across Seoul as of last year, 59, or nearly 25 percent, are located in Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu and Songpa-gu. Gangnam-gu accounted for the largest share with 25, followed by Songpa-gu with 21 and Seocho-gu with 13. Many English kindergartens in Gangnam-gu offer toddler programs for children as young as 2 or 3, with some parents preparing their children for entrance exams at top-tier kindergartens. 'At a time when children should be simply learning how to play and grow, they are suffering under excessive academic pressure and stress from competition," the lawmaker said. "There needs to be a thorough review of early private education, and real action to ease the burden on our youngest learners."
Korea Herald
25-03-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Growth hormone injection spending soars as South Korean parents ‘invest' in kids' height
Parents in Korea are paying up to 10 million won ($6,800) a year for growth hormone injections given nightly for up to three years In South Korea, height is increasingly seen not just as a physical trait, but as a lifelong asset — and parents are spending thousands of dollars on growth hormone injections to give their children even the slightest edge. Originally designed for children with serious hormonal disorders or genetic conditions, these treatments are more widely used by kids growing normally. Government health data shows a sharp rise in growth hormone prescriptions nationwide. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of prescriptions almost doubled in just three years — from 138,537 in 2021 to 269,129 in 2024. The number of individual patients more than doubled from 16,711 to 34,881 over the same period. But these figures only tell part of the story. HIRA's data covers only treatments eligible for coverage under South Korea's strict national health insurance rules, which apply to children who fall below the 3rd percentile in height and have a diagnosed hormonal deficiency or specific medical conditions like Turner syndrome. These cases make up just a small fraction of actual users. In reality, it is estimated that around 97 percent of growth hormone prescriptions are paid for privately — suggesting the true demand is far higher. Outside the health insurance coverage, the costs are steep. A month's supply of growth hormone injections averages 700,000 Korean won (about $470) and a full year of treatment can exceed 10 million won (about $6,800). The therapy typically involves nightly injections -- up to 7 days per week -- usually continued for one to three years after initial hormone testing. Despite the cost and burden, many Korean parents view the treatment as an investment in their child's future. In wealthier households, it has become part of what some refer to in jest as the 'premium parenting package,' along with orthodontics and Ortho-K lenses — overnight contact lenses that reshape the cornea to reduce nearsightedness temporarily. These treatments are favored by parents who are willing to spend on what they believe will benefit their children, even if it's costly. A look at the distribution of prescriptions reveals a growing market catering to these parents. In 2020, 54.4 percent of growth hormone prescriptions were issued by major university hospitals. By 2024, that number had fallen to 38.2 percent, while prescriptions from small neighborhood clinics nearly tripled — from 4.0 percent to 11.3 percent. Referred to as 'growth clinics,' these small clinics which often promote growth hormone therapy as part of a broader child development strategy, have surged in number in recent years. Pharmaceutical sales data from global healthcare analytics firm IQVIA shows that South Korea's market for growth hormone injectables nearly doubled in value, rising from 145.7 billion won in 2019 to 277.5 billion won in 2023. The firm estimates that the market crossed 300 billion won in 2024.
Korea Herald
18-02-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
6 in 10 medical residents now employed at other hospitals: data
After resigning en masse last year, many junior doctors now work elsewhere Six in 10 medical residents who resigned from their hospitals a year ago to protest the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's medical school enrollment quota hike have since become re-employed at medical institutions as general practitioners, data showed Tuesday. According to Health Ministry data received by Rep. Kim Sun-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party, 5,176 of 9,222 medical residents (56.1 percent) who resigned or declined appointments at training hospitals since February last year have gotten jobs at other medical institutions as of last month. Their resignations came after the government announced its plan to add 2,000 places to medical school admissions quotas on Feb. 6 last year. Two weeks later, medical residents turned in their resignations and ceased working at hospitals en masse. In June, the government withdrew its order prohibiting the acceptance of these resignations, leading hospitals to process doctors' resignations from July — making it possible for junior doctors to get hired as general practitioners elsewhere. In South Korea, a general practitioner refers to a doctor who has graduated from medical school and passed the national medical licensing exam but has not undergone residency training. To become a specialist, a general practitioner must complete an internship and residency in a specific field and pass the specialist exam. By type of medical institution, 3,023 out of 5,176 medical residents (58.4 percent) are now working at private clinics. Of them, two-thirds have found jobs in the greater Seoul area, including 998 in Seoul, 827 in Gyeonggi Province and 205 in Incheon. Only 88 doctors (1.7 percent) are now working at top-tier general hospitals — institutions with over 500 beds and more than 20 medical departments — whereas another 815 (15.7 percent) found positions at general hospitals and 763 (14.7 percent) at smaller regional clinics. Another 383 (7.4 percent) were re-employed at nursing hospitals and 58 (1.1 precent) were at traditional Korean medicine hospitals. Meanwhile, 4,046 of 9,222 medical residents who have resigned remained outside the medical workforce. Another government data also showed that such resignations and re-employment of medical residents have significantly impacted the country's overall medical workforce. According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, as of the end of last year, the number of general practitioners working at medical institutions nationwide had surged by 76.9 percent to 10,684, up from 6,041 at the end of 2023, before the junior doctors resigned en masse. The number of general practitioners at private clinics rose from 4,073 to 7,170 (up 76.0 percent), while those working at hospitals more than quadrupled from 204 to 842 over the past year. In contrast, the number of interns at medical institutions nationwide plummeted by 96.4 percent compared to the end of 2023, while the number of medical residents dropped by 88.7 percent. The number of specialists increased by 1.8 percent over the past year, but due to the ongoing resignations, the number of candidates passing the first stage of this year's specialist exam has plunged to 18 percent of last year's figure.
