Principles I Follow When Writing About Health

Health writing is a responsibility

A sentence can send someone to a doctor — or away from one. I take that seriously.

My 8 principles

1. Start with experience, not a textbook

Readers connect with stories; they trust balanced stories backed by facts.

2. Never claim cures or prevention guarantees

"May support" and "may help" where appropriate — not "will prevent."

3. Always include a medical disclaimer

Every article. No exceptions.

4. Say when professional care is needed

Clear, specific triggers — not vague "consult your doctor" only at the end.

5. Cite public, credible sources when stating facts

WHO, national health institutes, peer-reviewed research — not influencer chains.

6. Disclose conflicts

If I ever recommend a product I benefit from, I'll say so. Currently this blog has no sponsored product posts.

7. Correct mistakes publicly

Health information ages. Updates and corrections build trust.

8. Respect privacy — mine and others'

Family health stories are shared carefully and without identifying details.

Phrases I avoid

• "Doctors don't want you to know"
• "Miracle" / "breakthrough" / "guaranteed"
• "Instead of medicine"
• "Big Pharma doesn't want..."

Phrases I use

• "In my experience"
• "Research suggests" (with citation)
• "This may help some people"
• "Seek urgent care if..."

What I learned

Trust is built slowly and lost in one careless headline. I'd rather publish less often and get it right.

These are my editorial standards for The Korea Wave.