[Graphic News] 70% of S. Koreans believe couples can live together without tying the knot: survey

Nearly 7 in 10 South Koreans believe that couples can live together without getting married, and almost 40 percent support having children without getting married first, a government report showed, signaling a substantial shift in perceptions around marriage and having children. The report was based on a survey, conducted by Statistics Korea in May 2024, involving 36,000 respondents aged 13 years and older. The survey is conducted biennially. The findings showed that 67.4 percent of respondent

Nov. 20, 2024

[Graphic News] Most firms favor raising retirement age

A recent survey by online recruiter Saramin showed that 8 out of 10 companies favor raising companies' retirement age. Conducted among 461 firms, 79.8 percent of respondents were in favor of raising the retirement age, with an average ideal age of 65.7 years. Over half of those surveyed, 57.9 percent, saw age 65 as optimal retirement age, citing the value of retaining experienced employees. Furthermore, 52.9 percent indicated openness to hiring workers in their 50s and 60s, to benefit fro

Nov. 19, 2024

[Graphic News] Sea temperatures around S. Korea rise nearly double global average

The average temperature of South Korea’s surrounding seas has risen at nearly twice the global average rate over the past 56 years, according to a government report. The National Institute of Fisheries Science stated in its report, “2024 Impact of Climate Change in Fisheries Sector,” that sea temperatures around South Korea have increased by 1.44 degree Celsius between 1968 and 2023, compared to the global average rise of 0.7 C. The East Sea experienced the most significant i

Nov. 18, 2024

[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

Nov. 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

Nov. 13, 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

Nov. 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

Nov. 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

Nov. 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

Oct. 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

Oct. 30, 2024