Articles by Nam Kyung-don
Nam Kyung-don
don@heraldcorp.com-
[Graphic News] Milestones in space exploration
The era of space tourism is on the horizon 60 years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space. From Yuri Gagarin to the first man on the moon and the robot that landed on a comet, we look at 10 key dates in space exploration. (AFP) 1. 1957: Sputnik Moscow launches the first satellite, Sputnik 1, Oct. 4, 1957, ushering in the Cold War tussle for the cosmos. The beach ball-sized aluminum sphere takes 98 minutes to orbit the Earth and sends back the first mes
World April 15, 2021
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[Graphic News] 1 in 4 Seoul citizens reports ‘revenge spending’ amid pandemic
One in 4 Seoul citizens turned to “revenge spending” to make up for missed shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, a study has shown. According to a report by the Seoul Institute, a think tank for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 24.3 percent of those surveyed in the first quarter said they had spent more than usual on certain goods due to pent-up demand during COVID-19 isolation. About a third, or 30.2 percent, said their revenge spending happened in the fourth quarter
Business April 14, 2021
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[Graphic News] S. Korea 3rd-largest chip materials market in 2020: report
South Korea, home to chipmaking giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, was the world's third-largest market for semiconductor materials in 2020, a report showed, moving down one spot from a year earlier after posting an under-par industry average growth. The country's chip materials market grew 3.9 percent on-year to $9.23 billion in 2020, according to the report from SEMI, a global industry association representing companies in the electronics design and manufacturing supply c
Business April 13, 2021
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[Graphic News] Half of younger Koreans see no need to have kids after marriage: report
More than half of South Koreans in their teens and 20s think it is not necessary to have kids after marriage, a report showed, adding to concerns about the country’s chronic low birth rate. As of 2020, 32 percent of Koreans aged 13 or older said it is not necessary to have children after getting married, up from 30.4 percent two years earlier, according to the report on social indexes by Statistics Korea. All age groups felt less need to have kids after marriage, but in particular
National April 12, 2021
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[Graphic News] Instant noodle makers see 2020 sales jump amid pandemic
Sales of South Korea‘s top instant noodle makers posted strong sales in 2020 thanks to brisk demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. Nongshim said its sales of instant noodles, or “ramyeon” in Korean, came to 2.09 trillion won ($1.85 billion) last year, up 16.3 percent from the previous year, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service. It marks the first time for Nongshim’s ramyeon sales to top the 2 trillion-won mark and the amount acc
Business April 9, 2021
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[Graphic News] Finland world's happiest country despite pandemic
COVID-19 has done little to alter the ranking of the world’s happiest countries, with Finland at the top for a fourth year running, an annual UN-sponsored report said. The researchers behind the World Happiness Report, now in its ninth year, used Gallup data asking people in 149 countries to rate their own happiness, also taking into account measures such as GDP, social support, personal freedom and levels of corruption to give each nation a happiness score, which is an average of t
World April 8, 2021
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[Graphic News] Korean automotive LED makers up presence in 2020 despite market decline
South Korea’s two major automotive light-emitting diode makers saw their revenues increase last year despite an overall market slump amid the pandemic, a report showed. Seoul Semiconductor and Samsung Electronics maintained their status as the world’s fifth- and seventh-largest automotive LED suppliers, respectively, in 2020, but their market shares and sales grew, according to market researcher TrendForce. Seoul Semiconductor’s revenue jumped 3.2 percent to $130 mil
Business April 7, 2021
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[Graphic News] S. Korea's pet fish market to grow 35% by 2025
South Korea said it will seek to expand the size of the local pet fish market by 35 percent through 2025 by developing more homegrown species while encouraging the public to adopt them. Under the goal, the size of the local pet fish market will reach 657 billion won ($581 million) in 2025, up 35 percent from 487.3 billion won tallied in 2020, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Over the period, the number of farms raising pet fish will increase to 186 from the current 151
Business April 6, 2021
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[Graphic News] Number of marriages hits new low in 2020
The number of South Koreans getting married fell at a double-digit rate to an all-time low in 2020, amid young people’s changing attitude toward marriage and the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed. The number of couples tying the knot in Asia’s fourth-largest economy reached 214,000 last year, down 10.7 percent from the previous year, according to data from Statistics Korea. The figure is the lowest since 1970, when the statistical agency b
National March 31, 2021
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[Graphic News] Residents' foreign currency deposits rise in Feb.
Foreign currency deposits at banks in South Korea rose in February, mainly due to a gain in corporate holdings of US dollar deposits, central bank data showed. Outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits held by residents amounted to $90.03 billion as of end-February, up $650 million from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea. Residents include local citizens and foreigners staying here for more than six months, as well as foreign companies. The data ex
Business March 30, 2021
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[Graphic News] Number of stock accounts tops 40 million
The number of stock trading accounts in South Korea has risen sharply over the past year to surpass the 40 million mark amid a buying craze by retail investors, industry data showed. Active stock accounts in Asia‘s fourth-largest economy numbered 40.07 million as of March 19, up from 35.48 million at the end of last year. It marks the first time that the country’s number of active stock accounts has exceeded the 40-million level. The number has increased by approximately 1
Business March 29, 2021
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[Graphic News] China’s imports of South Korean goods unfazed by pandemic
China’s imports of South Korean products last year stayed nearly the same as the previous year despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, a report showed, as the world’s second-largest economy bought more consumer goods like cosmetics. China imported $173.5 billion worth of goods from South Korea in 2020, only 0.03 percent down from 2019, according to the report from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. China spent $10 million or more on each of 59 items from South Ko
Business March 26, 2021
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[Graphic News] UAE now among world‘s fastest-growing tax havens
The United Arab Emirates, a magnet for the globe’s ultrarich, has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing corporate tax havens, according to a study that highlighted a $200 billion-plus money flow to the country. The index by the Tax Justice Network, which highlights countries that attract companies to shrink their tax bills, added the United Arab Emirates to its top-10 ranking that includes Switzerland and Bermuda. Britain’s offshore territories of the British Virgin Isl
World March 25, 2021
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[Graphic News] Number of health & beauty shops dips for 1st time in 2020 amid pandemic
The number of big-name retailers’ beauty stores in South Korea declined for the first time in 2020, as more customers turned to online shopping amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. The country’s three major health and beauty chains - Olive Young, Lalavla and LOHB’s - had a combined 1,484 outlets across the nation as of end-December last year, down 31 from a year earlier, according to data posted on the electronic disclosure system of the Financial Supervisory Serv
Business March 24, 2021
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[Graphic News] S. Korean air exports soar amid pandemic
South Korea’s airfreight exports jumped to account for 36 percent of the country’s overall exports last year, industry data showed, on higher demand for chips and bio-health products. Of the country’s combined exports of $512.5 billion in 2020, air transport accounted for $183 billion, according to the data compiled by the Korea International Trade Association. While maritime transport still accounted for the majority of $325.8 billion, the portion of air cargo rose 5
Business March 23, 2021
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