Articles by Nam Kyung-don
Nam Kyung-don
don@heraldcorp.com-
[Graphic News] 6 in 10 office workers want 4-day workweek: survey
A recent survey shows that over 60 percent of South Korean office workers are in favor of introducing a four-day workweek. Commissioned by Rep. Park Hong-bae, a member of the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, the survey was conducted by Global Research Aug. 1-9 and polled 1,000 office workers. The results indicate that 63.2 percent of respondents support introducing a 4-day workweek. Among the age groups, workers in their 20s showed the highest approval rate at 74.2 pe
Social Affairs Oct. 1, 2024
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[Graphic News] Ronaldo tops 2024 Instagram earnings list
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the highest-paid celebrity on Instagram, according to a survey by British data analyst Hopper HQ. Ronaldo can earn up to $3.43 million per post. Following closely behind is Lionel Messi, while Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner and Dwayne Johnson round out the top five. Hopper HQ reveals how much your favorite celebrities are earning from sponsored posts this year, using internal data, agency rates and publicly available information. Notably, all four membe
World News Sept. 30, 2024
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[Graphic News] Beer gains ground as whiskey and wine imports decline
The imported liquor market in South Korea is undergoing rapid changes. Wine and whiskey, which had gained popularity during the trends of drinking alone or at home, are seeing a decline, while beer is making a resurgence. Analysts suggest that the market, which experienced significant fluctuations due to external factors like COVID-19, is now entering a period of adjustment. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, whiskey imports fell 21 percent year-on-year to 6,624 tons in the seco
Market Sept. 26, 2024
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[Graphic News] World produces 52m tons of plastic pollution annually: study
A recent study reveals that the world generates 52 million metric tons of plastic pollution each year, with a significant portion coming from countries in the Global South. This staggering amount could fill New York City’s Central Park to the height of the Empire State Building. The study, led by the University of Leeds, examined waste production across more than 50,000 cities and towns globally. More than two-thirds of this pollution comes from countries with poor waste collection servi
World News Sept. 25, 2024
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[Graphic News] Google and Bing capture over 40% of Korean search engine market share
Google and Microsoft’s Bing are steadily gaining traction in the South Korean web search market, with their combined market share surpassing 40 percent, according to data from Internet Trend. As of Aug. 9, Naver retained the top position with a 54.73 percent share, followed by Google at 37.2 percent and Bing at 3.6 percent. Bing recently overtook local portal Daum, which was at 3.33 percent, continuing its downward trend. Google and Bing together now command 40.8 percent of the market, m
Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2024
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[Graphic News] Number of international flight passengers rises 19.9% in July-Aug.: data
The number of international flight passengers during the summer vacation season this year increased 19.9 percent on-year to fully recover to the prepandemic level, data showed. A total of 15.69 million people used international flights at South Korean airports in July and August, up nearly 20 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Korea Airports Corp. and the Incheon International Airport Corp. This year’s figure came to about 97 percent of that logged in 2019. By
Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2024
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[Graphic News] Soaring rent in Seoul’s university areas strains students
Rampant rental deposit fraud and high loan interest rates are driving university students to opt for paying monthly rent instead of lumpsum “jeonse” deposits for leased housing. However, with a surge in the monthly rent due to limited property availability in university areas and more demand, students are facing significant financial pressure. As of July 2024, real estate big data from Dabang shows the average monthly rent in major university areas in Seoul has risen to 608,000 won
Social Affairs Sept. 19, 2024
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[Graphic News] Recent S. Korean wins in LPGA
South Korea’s Yoo Hae-ran claimed her first LPGA Tour win in nearly a year at the FM Championship in the United States. On Sept. 2, Yoo shot an impressive 8-under-par 64 in the final round at TPC Boston, closing with nine birdies and one bogey. Yoo finished tied with fellow South Korean Ko Jin-young at 15-under-par 273, but won in a playoff by making par on the first extra hole while Ko bogeyed. This marks Yoo’s first LPGA victory in 11 months. The victory breaks South Korea’
Golf Sept. 12, 2024
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[Graphic News] Fruit leads as top Chuseok gift choice
A survey conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on "Chuseok Gift Purchase Intentions" among 1,000 consumers aged 20 and older revealed that 56.2 percent of respondents plan to spend a similar amount on gifts as last year, while 29.1 percent indicated they would spend more. Fruit emerged as the most preferred Chuseok gift, chosen by 43.8 percent of respondents across all age groups. Following fruit were health supplements (32.4 percent), meat (30.5 percent), processed
Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2024
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[Graphic News] Korea’s electricity demand soars to record high in August
South Korea’s electricity demand hit a historic peak in August, driven by the intense summer heat wave. According to the Korea Power Exchange, the nation’s peak power demand averaged 87.8 gigawatts, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year. This surge in energy consumption was largely attributed to increased air conditioning usage amid the sweltering conditions. The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that August experienced 16 days where temperatures exceeded 33 degr
Social Affairs Sept. 10, 2024
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[Graphic News] How to use emergency descent device
An investigation into the Bucheon hotel fire on Aug. 22 revealed that, despite the presence of emergency descent devices, none of the guests used them. This underscores the critical importance of understanding how to properly use these life-saving tools. Emergency descent devices are designed to safely lower individuals from heights of up to 10 floors using their body weight. In situations where rescue personnel may be delayed, these devices can be vital in preventing loss of life.
Social Affairs Sept. 9, 2024
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[Graphic News] Number of foreign nationals entering Korea to study exceeds 200,000
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
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[Graphic News] Nearly 60% of Koreans see AI's benefits outweighing risks
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
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[Graphic News] 1 in 3 workers taking parental leave are dads
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
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[Graphic News] Kyochon tops brand rankings for chicken franchises
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
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