Korean Ophthalmological Society urges lifelong myopia management

The Korean Ophthalmological Society has released its ‘2026 Eye Day Fact Sheet,’ emphasizing that myopia should be managed throughout a person's entire life rather than treated merely as a matter of vision correction through glasses.

A study analyzing 519,703 males aged 19 who underwent their first military physical examinations in Seoul between 2013 and 2022 found a myopia prevalence rate of 73.69% in 2022. High myopia, defined as a spherical equivalent refractive error of -6.0 diopters or lower in at least one eye, accounted for 22.04% of the group.

The Society recommends proactive measures across different life stages: children without myopia should engage in approximately two hours of outdoor activity daily to prevent onset; those with existing myopia should consider progression-inhibiting treatments; and adults with high myopia must monitor for complications involving the retina, macula, and optic nerve.