Growth-hormone prescriptions in Korea rose from 895,011 in 2020 to 1,621,154 in 2024, an increase of about 81%, according to Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service figures cited by Dong-A Ilbo. The rise is drawing renewed concern that injections may be seen too casually as a way to make otherwise healthy children taller. Medical experts stress that growth hormone is a prescription treatment for diagnosed conditions, not a routine height booster. Parents worried about a child's growth are advised to seek medical assessment rather than assume shorter-than-average height automatically requires injections.