Articles by Nam Kyung-don
Nam Kyung-don
don@heraldcorp.com-
[Graphic News] South Korea’s gas, coal imports hit record high in 2022: data
South Korea’s imports of gas and coal hit an all-time high last year on surging global energy prices, data showed. The value of gas imports came to $56.7 billion last year, the highest since 1956 when the government began compiling the related data, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The previous record of $36.6 billion was set in 2014. The import value of coal also reached an all-time high of $28.1 billion, surpassing the previous record of $18.3 billion logged in 20
Mobility Feb. 22, 2023
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[Graphic News] Number of workers taking parental leave up 18.6% in 2022: data
The number of South Korean workers who took time off to take care of their children rose 18.6 percent in 2022 from a year earlier on the back of more government support for parental leave, government data showed. A total of 131,087 workers took parental leave to take care of their children last year, up 20,532 from the previous year, according to the data by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Women accounted for 71.1 percent of the workers on leave last year, far outnumbering their male count
Social Affairs Feb. 21, 2023
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[Graphic News] S. Korean oil refiners’ exports hit fresh high in 2022
South Korean oil refiners’ exports hit a record-high in 2022, data showed, on the back of soaring global energy prices amid the protracted war between Russia and Ukraine. The combined exports of local oil refiners reached $57 billion in 2022, up 71.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Petroleum Association. It marked the highest level since $53.2 billion posted in 2012. By destination, South Korea shipped petroleum products to 64 countries last y
Industry Feb. 20, 2023
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[Graphic News] Most Americans think Biden should not run for reelection in 2024
The public continues to be largely opposed to President Joe Biden seeking reelection, including most Democrats. Few adults have a great deal of confidence in Biden’s ability to handle various aspects of his job, including managing government spending, accomplishing policy goals, or working effectively with either Congressional Republicans or Democrats. In January 2022, 48 percent of Democrats wanted the president to run for a second term, and in October, 52 percent of them said Biden shoul
World News Feb. 17, 2023
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[Graphic News] Cigarette sales up in S. Korea in 2022
Sales of cigarettes in South Korea edged up 1.1 percent in 2022 from a year before, the Finance Ministry said, despite the government’s anti-smoking campaign. South Korean smokers purchased 3.63 billion packs of 20 cigarettes in 2022, up from the 3.59 billion packs tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The amount, however, marked a 16.8 percent drop from 2014, a year before the government raised the price of cigarettes by 80 percent in January 2015 from
Technology Feb. 15, 2023
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[Graphic News] What to do during an earthquake
The death toll from last week’s massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria has now reached more than 28,000. Deadly earthquakes are unusual here, but South Korea is not in a safe zone. Recently, a 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, Saturday. Fortunately, no damage has been reported. Following is what you should do in the case of an earthquake:
Social Affairs Feb. 14, 2023
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[Graphic News] S. Korean senior citizens remain mired in poverty: report
The poverty rate among South Korean senior citizens has been on the mend but is still high among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a report showed. The relative poverty rate of South Koreans aged 65 and older stood at 37.6 percent in 2021, down 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier, according to the report on sustainable development goals by Statistics Korea. The figure for male senior citizens came to 31.3 percent, while that for women amounted to 4
Social Affairs Feb. 13, 2023
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[Graphic News] S. Korea’s kimchi imports hit new high in 2022
South Korea’s imports of kimchi touched an all-time high in 2022 amid galloping consumer inflation in the country, government data showed. Inbound shipments of the spicy Korean traditional side dish came to $169.4 million last year, up 20.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Customs Service. The on-year growth rate was the highest since the 53.8 percent surge recorded in 2010. Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish normally made of fermented cabbage, salt and h
Consumer Feb. 10, 2023
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[Graphic News] World’s deadliest earthquakes since 2000
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 8,000 people. Here is a list of some of the world’s deadliest earthquakes since 2000:
World News Feb. 9, 2023
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[Graphic News] Global smartphone shipments plunge to lowest level in a decade
Global smartphone shipments suffered their worst quarterly drop on record in a clear sign of cooling consumer demand that signals more pain for manufacturing hubs like South Korea and Vietnam. Shipments declined 18.3 percent in the December quarter compared to a year earlier, to a little over 300 million units, Needham, a Massachusetts-based IDC said. For the year, shipments fell 11.3 percent and marked the lowest total for a decade, the researchers said. Turmoil in Apple’s main Chinese pr
World Business Feb. 8, 2023
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[Graphic News] Messi named best player of 2022
A panel of 206 judges have selected the world’s top-100 male soccer players of 2022. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory for the first time since 1986, was voted the No. 1 player of 2022, with Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe coming in at second place and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema at third, according to British newspaper The Guardian. South Korea’s Son Heung-min placed at 26th, climbing 13 ranks from 39th place the previous year.
Soccer Feb. 7, 2023
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[Graphic News] S. Korean population falls for 3rd consecutive year in 2022
South Korea’s population shrank last year, continuing its downward trend for three years in a row with the number of single-person households close to 10 million, government data showed. The Ministry of Interior and Safety said the country’s registered population stood at 51,439,038 as of Dec. 31 of last year, down 0.39 percent from a year earlier. Single-person households continued to rise to 9,724,256, accounting for 41 percent of the total of 23,705,814 households. Combined with t
Social Affairs Feb. 6, 2023
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[Graphic News] Exports of soju up 13.2%
Exports of soju, South Korea’s traditional distilled liquor, increased 13.2 percent in 2022 from a year earlier, data showed, rebounding for the first time in three years. Outbound shipments of soju reached $93.3 million in 2022, rising sharply from $82.4 million tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. In terms of volume, exports advanced 12.7 percent to reach 67,104 metric tons, the data showed. Soju is a clear, distilled liquor made with grain
Consumer Feb. 3, 2023
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[Graphic News] S. Koreans become world’s biggest spenders on luxury goods
South Koreans consumed the most luxury goods in the world last year, according to a report. Morgan Stanley estimated that total spending on luxury goods by Koreans on-year grew around 24 percent to $16.8 billion, or $325 per capita, which is much more than the $55 and $280 on luxury goods spent per capita by Chinese and Americans, respectively. Moncler said sales in Korea more than doubled in the second quarter of last year compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Cartier owner Richemont Group
World Business Feb. 2, 2023
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[Graphic News] 7 out of 10 S. Koreans support independent development of nuclear weapons: poll
Seven out of 10 South Koreans see the need for Seoul to independently pursue its own nuclear weapons development program, a survey showed, amid concerns over escalating military threats from Pyongyang and a lack of trust in denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. According to a Gallup Korea poll of 1,000 adults, commissioned by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, 76.6 percent replied that the South needs to develop nuclear weapons independently to counter Pyongyang’s intensify
Defense Feb. 1, 2023
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