The number of people suffering a condition called forward head posture has been steadily rising over the last few years.
Experts say one of the factors contributing to the trend is the excessive use of smartphones and computers.
Cho Sung-min reports.
According to the National Health Insurance Service, as of 2016, there were around 2-point-7 million people in Korea diagnosed with forward head posture.
The agency gathered data for five years starting in 2011... and found an annual rise of 2-point-4 percent... meaning a total of 300-thousand new cases.

Forward head posture, to be specific, is when the vertebrae in the neck slant forward so much that the ears are in front of the shoulder blades.
It's also called "scholar's neck," and "reader's neck."
And as you might expect, common symptoms include headaches, and pain in multiple parts of the torso, shoulder blades and neck.

Health experts blame the excessive use of mobile devices and computers, long hours at the desk and underdeveloped back muscles as some of the main factors.
Data show that the people most affected by scholar's neck were in their fifties, accounting for more than 23-percent of the total,... followed by those in their forties, thirties, and seniors over sixty.
Significantly, the number of younger patients in their twenties and thirties has surged
That could be because they spend more time on their smartphones than any other age group.

Experts warn that posture problems at a young age can lead to more serious neck and spinal problems down the road,... and they recommend not hunching over a smartphone or computer screen for longer than an hour at a time.
Cho Sung-min, Arirang news.