While medical ethics education across Korea’s medical, dental, and nursing schools has undergone quantitative growth since the 2000s, qualitative development remains limited. This commentary advocates for the establishment of a Korean-adapted competency framework for medical ethics educators, drawing on international models that emphasize curriculum design, moral reasoning, and reflective practice. The approach proposed in this article includes developing shared core competencies across disciplines, implementing systematic faculty development programs, and establishing institutional support structures. Ultimately, the qualitative transformation of medical ethics education depends on cultivating educators capable of facilitating ethical reflection and interdisciplinary collaboration, supported by structural reforms that position medical ethics as an essential component of health professions curricula.

Informed consent for whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based newborn screening presents distinctive ethical and legal challenges, particularly in balancing parental consent given on behalf of the child with the progressive realization of children’s rights. This study examines the issues discussed in the literature and proposes consent frameworks that are responsive to evolving clinical and societal contexts. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, analyzing 19 empirical, normative, and legal studies. The synthesis identified persistent tensions between safeguarding parental autonomy and ensuring the child’s future selfdetermination, alongside challenges in determining the scope, timing, and format of genomic information disclosure. International models increasingly adopt dynamic consent processes, such as staged consent or re-consent upon reaching legal capacity. These approaches illustrate the feasibility of aligning clinical utility, public health objectives, and rights-based ethics within largescale genomic programs. Based on its findings, this study recommends the implementation of staged consent mechanisms, transparent disclosure protocols, and procedural safeguards tailored to domestic legal and political frameworks. Such evolving consent practices are expected to support the development of ethically robust and socially sustainable governance for WGS-based newborn screening.

Objective: This study aims to systematically review the ethical and legal discussions regarding the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for patient triage and resource allocation in emergency medicine, and to identify the current state of discussions, their limitations, and future research directions. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted following scoping review methodology. Relevant literature published after January 2020 was searched in the Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases. Based on a PCC (population, concept, and context) framework (emergency patients/medical staff; triage, resource allocation; and emergency medicine with AI application), a final selection of 27 articles was analyzed. Results: The selected literature raised various ethical and legal issues related to the introduction of AI triage systems and AI utilization in emergency medicine, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, automation dependency, accountability, and explainability. In response to these issues, human-centered design, implementation of explainable AI, establishment of regulatory frameworks, continuous verification and evaluation, and ensuring human-in-the-loop were discussed as major solutions. However, discussions on the risks of “persuasive AI” that could mislead users, ethical issues of generative AI, and social validation and patient and public involvement were found to be insufficient. Conclusion Ethical and legal discussions regarding AI in emergency medicine are evolving toward seeking concrete solutions at technical, institutional, and relational dimensions. However, in-depth research on ethical challenges, such as reflecting the specificity of rapidly developing AI and the values of emergency medicine, is urgently required.

: This research focuses on the experiences of social workers who assist socially isolated households to prevent solitary deaths. The study aims to understand their support-related experiences, examining both the perceptions and practices of these workers. It highlights the importance of tailored support for isolated households, especially considering the unique challenges faced by middle-aged individuals in this demographic. Methods : The study employed purposive sampling to recruit social workers in Seoul who are actively engaged in supporting socially isolated households. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather in-depth insights into their experiences. The research methodology was rooted in qualitative analysis, specifically using Giorgi’s method. Results : Analysis of the interview data led to the identification of 12 sub-components and 5 upper components: “implementation of support for socially isolated households different from previous experience,” “feeling helpless in the face of inevitability,” “sympathy and communication with the heart,” “discovering challenges and opportunities in the field,” and “slowly, waiting for change.” These findings underscored the complexities and emotional challenges faced by social workers. Conclusion : The study highlights a significant gap in resources and manpower for supporting isolated households. It suggests the need for long-term, specially designed support systems, emphasizing improvements to better aid socially isolated individuals and the social workers who support them.