{
  "id": 19767935,
  "title": "'Soju should not exist': Surgeon warns of addiction risk from cheap, strong alcohol",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/soju-should-not-exist-surgeon-warns-of-addiction-risk-from-cheap-19767935",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-13T06:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/health/20261113/soju-should-not-exist-surgeon-warns-of-addiction-risk-from-cheap-strong-alcohol"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A practicing surgeon has warned against the dangers of soju, a popular traditional Korean alcohol that is now mass-produced, drawing from his own personal experience with severe alcohol addiction. On the YouTube channel Doctor Dinho, Dr. Lee Jun-suh stated, \"Soju is a drink that should not exist.\" He explained that its high alcohol content, relative to its low cost, contributes to alcohol addiction. Gastroenterologist Kim Tae-kyun echoed this sentiment, asking if soju should be considered a drug instead of an alcoholic beverage. Dr. Lee noted that such cheap, high-alcohol drinks are unusual and make it too easy for people to consume alcohol. He shared that even while treating patients with end-stage liver and pancreatic diseases, he once underestimated the seriousness of his own addiction. Despite his professional expertise, Dr. Lee felt he was somehow different. At the time, there was a social acceptance of soju consumption that he now regrets.",
  "summary": "com. A practicing surgeon has issued a strong warning about the dangers of soju — a popular traditional Korean alcohol that is now mass manufactured — drawing on his own experience of severe alcohol addiction. Lee Jun-suh, a hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon, appeared on the YouTube channel Doctor Dinho on Tuesday and said, \"Soju is a drink that should not…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}