[Graphic News] Tainan predicted top destination for South Koreans in 2025

Travel app Skyscanner has unveiled its Travel Trends 2025 report, capturing tourism insights based on a survey of 20,000 travelers worldwide. According to the report, next year’s key travel theme is predicted to be “shared experiences with others,” in which people will pursue experiences that can be shared with others who have similar interests. Among the survey participants, 1,000 South Koreans shared their preferred travel destinations, favoring shorter flights. Taiwan&rsqu

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

[Graphic News] Korea’s app users spend more time on YouTube, Instagram

US-based social media platforms YouTube and Instagram saw their usage time among South Korean app users rise sharply in September from a year earlier, data showed, while locally based platforms like KakaoTalk and Naver lost ground. The total hours spent by Korean users on YouTube, the most popular app here, came to 1.8 billion hours in September, up 9.5 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by industry tracker Wiseapp. Instagram also saw its combined usage time reach 378 mill

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2024

[Graphic News] Dengue fever cases surge among S. Korean travelers

The number of dengue fever infections has spiked this year, with a South Korean university student recently dying from the mosquito-borne infection in Pakistan. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, South Korea has recorded 170 cases of dengue fever as of Oct. 26, a 16.4 percent increase from last year, with most cases caught while abroad. By country, Indonesia has the most cases, with 64 (37.6 percent of the total), followed by the Philippines with 44 cases (25.9 perce

World NewsNov. 12, 2024

[Graphic News] Rising wedding costs raise cash gift expectations

Amid “weddingflation” in South Korea, wedding expenses have surged, leaving guests uncertain about how much to give as cash gifts. Koreans commonly base cash gifts on the cost of the wedding meal and their closeness to the couple. In Seoul, most wedding meals now cost between 70,000 and 80,000 won ($51-$59), raising concerns for guests planning to give only 50,000 won. A Shinhan Bank survey found that people in their 20s to 40s primarily determined cash gift amounts based on their

Social AffairsNov. 11, 2024

[Graphic News] Cancer leads causes of death in S. Korea

Cancer remained the leading cause of death among South Koreans last year, according to data from Statistics Korea. A total of 352,511 deaths were recorded in 2023, a decrease of 5.5 percent from the previous year, marking a decline after three years of increases. The decline in the total number of deaths is partly attributed to the country’s COVID-19 measures. However, excluding deaths due to COVID-19, the overall number of fatalities actually increased. COVID-19, which was the third lea

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

[Graphic News] Average lunch over 10,000 won

The average amount workers spend on lunch has risen back above 10,000 won ($7.24), according to data from food tech company SikSin. The survey found that the average amount spent on lunch at restaurants nationwide was 10,037 won. After surpassing 10,000 won for the first time in the first quarter of this year, it dipped slightly to 9,902 won in the second quarter, but has since increased again. Other statistics reflect tighter household budgets. Notably, there has been a significant rise in wo

Social AffairsNov. 5, 2024

[Graphic News] MS tops Forbes’ Best Employers List, Samsung ranks 3rd

Microsoft topped Forbes’ World’s Best Employers list for 2024, surpassing Samsung Electronics, which had previously held the top spot for four consecutive years since 2020. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, secured second place, with Samsung ranking third. The list, based on a survey conducted by Forbes in collaboration with German polling firm Statista, polled over 300,000 employees from more than 50 countries, focusing on multinational companies with over 1,000 employees o

World BusinessNov. 4, 2024

[Graphic News] ‘Gimjang’ cabbage prices set to exceed 5,000 won

Cabbage prices during the traditional kimchi-making - or “gimjang” - season before winter are expected to surpass 5,000 won ($3.63) per head for the first time, driven by a supply shortage due to this year’s lengthy heat wave. The Korea Price Research Center forecasts that the average retail price of one cabbage in November will be 22.5 percent more than last year. Based on trends in cabbage supply and cost-of-living surveys, they estimate that cabbage will sell at an average

Social AffairsOct. 31, 2024

[Graphic News] Lottery sales on constant increase to hit all-time high in 2024: data

Lottery sales in South Korea rose 7 percent on-year during the first half of this year to reach an all-time high, data showed. Sales of lottery tickets stood at 3.62 trillion won ($2.67 billion) in the January-June period of 2024, compared with 3.38 trillion won the previous year, according to the data from the Finance Ministry. The figure has been on a constant increase, surging 38 percent in four years. Sales came to 2.62 trillion won in the first half of 2020, 2.94 trillion won in the same

Social AffairsOct. 30, 2024

[Graphic News] ER patients with heat-related illnesses up 31%, seniors most affected

The number of heat-related emergency room patients increased by 31.4 percent this year compared to the previous year, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Between May 20 and Sept. 30, 3,704 people were treated for heat-related illnesses in ERs, marking a sharp rise from last year. This year, 34 people reportedly died from heat-related conditions, a 6.3 percent increase from the previous year. The most cases occurred in 2018, with 4,526 patients, making 2024 t

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2024

[Graphic News] Majority of postpartum centers in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province

More than half of South Korea’s postpartum care centers are concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The cost of these services has surged, with the highest prices reaching up to 17 million won ($12,600) in areas like Gangnam, Seoul. The price gap between regions has widened significantly, with Gangnam’s costs being more than ten times higher than in other areas. In Korea, new mothers typically spend around two weeks at a care center receiving medical attention and nutrition to

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2024

[Graphic News] South Korea tops culinary travel destinations in Asia

A recent survey by the digital platform Agoda.com has revealed that South Korea is Asia’s leading culinary travel destination. Among over 4,000 travelers who booked through the platform, 64 percent cited “experiencing Korean food” as their primary reason for visiting. Taiwan closely follows in second place with 62 percent, while Thailand ranks third at 55 percent. Japan and Malaysia come in fourth and fifth, with 52 percent and 49 percent, respectively. In recent years, South

World NewsOct. 24, 2024

[Graphic News] Dodgers, Yankees meet in first World Series in 43 years

The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured a spot in the World Series for the first time in four years after defeating the New York Mets. With the Dodgers claiming the National League Championship, a World Series showdown between two of Major League Baseball’s most prestigious teams, the New York Yankees and the Dodgers, will take place for the first time in 43 years. The Dodgers triumphed over the Mets 10-5 in Game 6 of the 2024 MLB National League Championship Series on Monday.

BaseballOct. 23, 2024

[Graphic News] Convenience store sales approach department stores

A recent report reveals that the sales gap between convenience stores and department stores has narrowed to less than 1 percentage point. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, convenience stores accounted for 16 percent of sales in the first half of the year compared to department stores’ 16.6 percent. In contrast, large supermarkets held an 11.3 percent share of sales. Convenience stores surpassed large supermarkets in annual sales for the first time in 2021 and have

Social AffairsOct. 22, 2024

[Graphic News] Korean police nab 474 suspects over deepfake sex crimes; 80% teens

Police have rounded up 474 people connected to deepfake sex crimes so far this year, the Korean National Police Agency said. Police received 921 reports related to deepfake sex crimes between January and Oct. 14, and they have arrested 474 suspects during this period, according to the NPA. Over half of the reports, or 476 cases, were filed after police launched an intensive crackdown on such crimes in late August after the issue made national headlines following a string of similar cases on Te

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2024

[Graphic News] S. Korea rises to 26th in World Talent Ranking

South Korea ranked 26th out of 67 countries in the World Talent Ranking 2024 report by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland, scoring 63.56 points. This marks a notable improvement, as the country had previously dropped from 34th in 2021 to 38th in 2022, before rebounding to 34th last year and climbing eight places this year. The ranking scores countries’ development, retention and attraction of a domestic and international highly-skilled workforce to eval

World NewsOct. 17, 2024

[Graphic News] School violence reports reach 11-year high

A national survey by the Ministry of Education revealed that reports of school violence among elementary, middle and high school students in 2024 have increased for the fourth consecutive year, reaching the highest level in 11 years. The survey, conducted on 3.98 million students from fourth grade through high school and across 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices, showed that 2.1 percent of students experienced school violence. Up from 1.9 percent last year, this represents the hi

Social AffairsOct. 16, 2024