Articles by Nam Kyung-don
Nam Kyung-don
don@heraldcorp.com-
[Graphic News] Feb. movie admissions plummet to 16-year low
The number of moviegoers in South Korea last month dropped to its lowest level for the month of February in 16 years, as people stayed home over growing fears of the novel coronavirus. According to the Korean Film Council, just over 7.34 million people went to the movies in February, the lowest for the month since 3.11 million watched films in February 2004. In February 2019, almost 22.3 million tickets were sold across the nation. (Yonhap)
Social Affairs March 3, 2020
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[Graphic News] S. Korea’s total birthrate hits new low in 2019
South Korea’s birthrate hit an all-time low in 2019, government data shows, a clear sign of a coming population decline down the road. The country’s total birthrate, which refers to the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, came to 0.92 last year, down from 0.98 a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Korea. Last year marked the second consecutive year for the rate to fall below 1. South Korea was the only member of the Organization for Economic
Social Affairs March 2, 2020
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[Graphic News] Coffee market grows 2.2%
The South Korean market for coffee drinks expanded more than 2 percent in 2019 thanks mainly to strong sales of bottled products, a market tracker said. Sales of coffee drinks came to 1.32 trillion won ($1.1 billion) last year, up 2.2 percent from the previous year, according to Nielsen Korea. Shipments of bottled coffee drinks shot up 60.1 percent on-year to 185.8 billion won in 2019, leading the overall market growth. In contrast, sales of canned products shrank 6.1 percent on-year
Food March 1, 2020
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[Graphic News] Ronaldo becomes 1st person to reach 200m Instagram followers
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first person in the world to reach 200 million Instagram followers. Ronaldo follows just 434 accounts but had more than 200,468,000 followers as of Jan. 30. Singer Ariana Grande has the second-most Instagram followers, at 173 million, followed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Selena Gomez. (UPI)
World Feb. 27, 2020
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[Graphic News] Samsung tops global TV market for 14th year
Samsung Electronics topped the global TV market for the 14th consecutive year in 2019, industry data showed Wednesday, on the back of robust sales of its QLED TVs. The South Korean tech giant took up 30.9 percent of the global TV market last year in terms of sales revenue, up 1.9 percentage points from a year earlier, according to data compiled by industry tracker IHS Markit. Samsung was followed by its local rival LG Electronics and Japan’s Sony. According to data, Samsung wa
Industry Feb. 26, 2020
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[Graphic News] Rice consumption dips to all-time low in 2019
South Korea’s per capita annual rice consumption fell to a record low in 2019 amid changes in diet and eating habits, data showed. Per capita average annual rice consumption hit a fresh low of 59.2 kilograms last year, down 3 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the first time for the amount to fall below the 60-kilogram threshold. The latest figure indicates Koreans consumed around 162 grams of rice on a daily basis. (Yonhap)
Food Feb. 25, 2020
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[Graphic News] Beer imports down for first time in decade
South Korea’s beer imports fell sharply in 2019 from a year earlier due mainly to a boycott of Japanese products here amid a bilateral trade row, data showed. Beer imports reached $280 million in 2019, down 9.3 percent from $309 million a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Korea Customs Service - the first on-year decrease since 2009. The drop was largely attributable to the ongoing “No Japan” campaign by Korean consumers, who have been boycotting Japanes
Business Feb. 24, 2020
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[Graphic News] Average monthly wage of NK defectors hits record high of 2 million won
The average monthly wage of North Korean defectors living in South Korea exceeded 2 million won ($1,684) for the first time last year, the Unification Ministry said. Defectors earned 2.04 million won ($1,720) per month on average in 2019, compared with 1.89 million won in 2018, according to a report released by the Unification Ministry. (Yonhap)
North Korea Feb. 23, 2020
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[Graphic News] COVID-19 helps toy sales
Sales of toys are surging in South Korea as children stay home longer and people pay more attention to their health due to the prolonged scare over COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus, industry sources said. Online shopping site Auction said its sales of toys for toddlers and children skyrocketed from a year earlier in the seven-day period to Feb. 9. Sales of ball tents and toy blocks surged 285 percent and 72 percent, respectively, with those of mobile toys like
Business Feb. 20, 2020
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[Graphic News] COVID-19 death toll surpasses that of SARS
The new coronavirus that emerged in central China at the end of last year has now killed more than 2,000 people and spread around the world. The latest figures from China show there were more than 74,185 people infected in the country as of Wednesday. SARS was also a coronavirus, and that outbreak started in a wet market too. It infected 8,098 people and killed 774 between November 2002 and July 2003.
Technology Feb. 19, 2020
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[Graphic News] Foreign ownership of Jeju land falls 1.4%
The amount of land owned by foreigners on the South Korean island of Jeju decreased slightly last year, official data showed. According to the data released by Jeju’s provincial government, foreigners owned 22.6 square kilometers in 14,644 plots on Jeju Island as of the end of last year. The volume marked a reduction of 1.4 percent from 22.9 square kilometers at the end of 2018. By region, foreign land ownership in the city of Jeju amounted to 11.1 square kilometers, compared wi
Business Feb. 18, 2020
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[Graphic News] Number of foreign subscribers to state health insurance soars in 2019
The number of foreign subscribers to the state health insurance program surged in 2019, topping the 1 million mark, after Korea required long-term-stay foreigners to sign up for it. According to data from the National Health Insurance Service, there were slightly over 1.21 million foreign subscribers to the mandatory health insurance plan last year, up some 266,000 from the previous year. Last year marked the first time the figure surpassed 1 million. The number had been on a steady ri
National Feb. 17, 2020
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[Graphic News] Online stores boost retail sales 4.8% in 2019
Retail sales in South Korea rose 4.8 percent last year on the back of brisk sales at online malls, while revenue from offline stores lost ground, data showed. The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 132.9 trillion won ($113 billion) last year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Of the volume, 13 online stores accounted for roughly 54.7 trillion won, up 14.2 percent from a year earlier, amid a rising number of consumers
Business Feb. 16, 2020
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[Graphic News] Trending ‘Parasite’ filming locations after Oscar wins
Locations that appeared in director Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece “Parasite” are trending, with fans visiting the venues in celebration of the film’s historic Oscar wins. - Where “Parasite” begins Doijissal Supermarket Address: 32, Songijeong-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. daily Directions: Subway Line Nos. 2 & 5, Exit No. 6 of Chungjeongno Station, walk 10 minutes - Stairs connecting to President Park’s house Stair
Culture Feb. 13, 2020
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[Graphic News] Online dating goes mainstream despite doubts: US survey
Americans’ use of apps and dating websites to meet potential partners is growing despite concerns about such platforms, a survey showed. A report by the Pew Research Center showed 31 percent of US adults have used a dating app or service. The figure is close to half among adults under 30 years old and people who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Twelve percent of those surveyed said they had married or been in a committed relationship with someone they met through a dating sit
World News Feb. 11, 2020
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