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Posted on Sep 05, 2006, 8 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
The South Korean government is funding the search for the fountain of youth. The Science and Technology Ministry will provide 20 billion won (US$20.9 million;
The Science and Technology Ministry will provide 20 billion won (US$20.9 million; €16.31 million) to scientists over the next nine years for research to develop technologies to help people avoid the effects of aging.
The main areas for the work will be how to improve cardiovascular fitness, prevent diabetes and other aging-related diseases and prevent oxidation-reduction reaction in cells, the main cause of aging, a ministry official in charge of the project said Monday.
"This project is aimed at helping people live long, healthy lives," the official said on condition of anonymity, citing policy. "We gave this project a higher priority when selecting new projects, considering the problem of aging society."
South Korea is seeing its population rapidly age while birth rates have dropped to among the lowest in the world, with just an average of 1.08 babies per woman last year. The government is implementing a variety of incentives to encourage people to have more children.
