The time high in the first half of this year, exceeding 200,000. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 204,000 people visited for such purposes — a 50.6 percent increase from the same period last year. This growth is largely attributed to global interest in Korean culture, with visitors from China leading the way at 112,724 (55.2 percent). Other top countries include Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Experts credit the surge to the worldwide popularity of Korean music, film

Social Affairs Sept. 5, 2024

A recent survey conducted by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT found that 57 percent of South Korean nationals believe the benefits of artificial intelligence technology surpass its risks. Additionally, 23.7 percent of respondents felt that the risks and benefits were roughly equal, while 19.1 percent expressed concern that the potential risks outweighed the benefits. When asked about AI’s advantages, 30.6 percent of respondents highlighted “improved convenience in da

Social Affairs Sept. 4, 2024

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, one in three workers who took parental leave in the first half of this year were fathers. From January to June, 69,631 workers began receiving parental leave benefits, excluding civil servants and teachers not enrolled in employment insurance. This represents a 3.2 percent increase from the same period last year, which had 67,465 recipients. By gender, 47,171 women (67.7 percent) took parental leave, a slight decrease of 1.8 percent from last

Social Affairs Sept. 3, 2024

Recent data from the Korea Fair Trade Commission showed that franchises had grown to account for over 70 percent of the local fried chicken market. According to a recent big data analysis by Rankify, Kyochon Chicken claimed the leading position in the brand index rankings for South Korean chicken franchises, earning 20,135 points. Goobne Chicken followed in second place with 11,110 points. BHC Chicken secured third place, with 60Gye Chicken in fourth and Norang Tongdak rounding out the top fiv

Social Affairs Sept. 2, 2024

The cost of purchasing a book in South Korea is approaching 20,000 won ($14.80), according to recent research by the Korean Publishers Association. In 2023, the average book price was 18,633 won. Books in the miscellaneous category were the most expensive, with an average price of 24,517 won. Other high-priced categories included history (24,289 won), social science (24,203 won), and descriptive science (24,157 won). The study also revealed that 62,865 books were newly published in 2023, a 2.8

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2024

The Paris 2024 Paralympics will take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, marking the 17th edition of the international sports event and the first time Paris will host the Summer Paralympics. It is also France’s second time hosting a Paralympics, the first being the Tignes-Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympics. This year, for the first time, the Paralympics and Olympics will share the same logo: a combination of the Olympic rings and Paralympic Agitos symbol. South Korea aims to secure at least

More Sports Aug. 28, 2024

South Korea’s exports of foodstuffs rose 9.2 percent on-year in the first seven months of 2024, data showed, led by sharp growth in instant noodle and processed rice products. Outbound shipments of food products came to $5.67 billion over the January-July period, compared with $5.18 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. By product, exports of instant noodles jumped 34 percent over the period to hit $699 million, with those of sn

Market Aug. 27, 2024

Singapore has once again claimed the title of the world's most powerful passport, according to the Henley Passport Index. Singaporean citizens can enjoy visa-free access to 195 countries, maintaining the city-state's top position from 2023. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain share the second spot, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227. Meanwhile, an unprecedented seven-nation group holds the third position, with citizens from Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxemb

World News Aug. 26, 2024

The average daily commute for South Korean workers takes 48.4 minutes, with those living in Gyeonggi Province spending the most time on the road and experiencing the highest stress levels, according to a survey by Job Korea. The online recruiting company polled 1,010 people nationwide to assess the current status of work commutes. Workers in Gyeonggi Province reported the longest average commute at 58.2 minutes. Seoul residents followed with an average of 46.8 minutes, while those living outsi

Social Affairs Aug. 23, 2024

The number of registered dogs and cats in South Korea rose 7.6 percent on-year in 2023, data showed. The figure reached 3.28 million in 2023, up from 3.05 million the previous year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Dogs accounted for 3.24 million of the registrations, while cats made up approximately 40,000. In 2023, the number of newly registered dogs and cats came to 271,000, a decrease of 10.4 percent compared with the previous year. In Kore

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2024

The number of foreign medical doctors in South Korea has been on a steady increase, data showed, amid a prolonged walkout by doctors and trainee doctors here over a government-proposed spike in the medical school quota. The report comes amid plans by the Health Ministry to allow foreign medical doctors to practice medicine in the country without obtaining a local license. According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the ruling People Power Party, the n

Social Affairs Aug. 21, 2024

Over 18,700 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox have been reported across Africa as of Saturday, according to the African Union’s health agency. The cases span three strains of the virus, including the new and deadlier Clade 1b, which led the World Health Organization to declare an international health emergency. So far, more than 3,100 confirmed cases have been reported from 12 African Union member states, resulting in 541 deaths - a fatality rate of about 2.9 percent, the Africa Cente

World News Aug. 20, 2024

South Korea’s total population rebounded in 2023 thanks to the growing number of foreign residents after two years of on-year declines, though the country continued to experience falling birth rates and rapid aging, data showed. The country’s total population rose 0.2 percent, or 82,000, from a year earlier to 51.77 million as of Nov. 1, according to the 2023 census by Statistics Korea. It marked the first on-year increase in three years. The country logged its first on-year popula

Social Affairs Aug. 19, 2024

The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur, India, has been named the world’s best hotel in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best 100 Hotels” for 2024. Renowned for its luxurious accommodations, including private gardens and plunge pools, the hotel offers a serene environment where guests can enjoy morning yoga and a variety of spa services. Visitors have praised the property as a “truly magical place.” The rankings were based on a survey of 186,000 readers, who cast ov

World News Aug. 16, 2024

Amid record hot summer weather and soaring consumer prices, more Koreans are choosing to enjoy samgyetang, or chicken soup with ginseng, at home using convenient home meal replacements (HMRs). According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the average price of samgyetang at Seoul restaurants has risen to 16,885 won ($12.32) this year, a 2.8 percent increase from last year’s 16,423 won. In 2015, the dish cost 13,591 won, and through 2022, it remained around 14,000 won. However, following the e

Food Aug. 14, 2024