Articles by Nam Kyung-don
Nam Kyung-don
don@heraldcorp.com-
[Graphic News] Mobile payments at convenience stores spike this year
Mobile payments at Korean convenience stores have more than doubled this year due to greater use of smartphones and the expansion of mobile payment services, a market player said. South Korea’s top convenience store chain CU said the number of “easy mobile payments” at its outlets soared 121.5 percent on-year in the first 10 months of the year. Convenience store chain operators in Asia’s fourth-largest economy adopted the easy mobile payment system in 2011, but the service only started to take
Social Affairs Nov. 25, 2018
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[Graphic News] Copenhagen named world's top city to visit by Lonely Planet
Denmark's capital Copenhagen has been chosen as the world's No. 1 city to visit in 2019, according to travel publisher Lonely Planet. The Best in Travel report, now in its 14th year, is based on the nominations of editors, researchers, locals and influencers, whose selections are then ranked by a panel of judges. The "Silicon Valley of China" Shenzhen has been ranked No. 2 on the list followed by Serbia's Novi Sad, Miami and Kathmandu.
World News Nov. 22, 2018
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[Graphic News] World wine output rises 13% after disastrous year
Global wine production rose 13 percent this year after a catastrophic 2017 marked by heat waves, early frost and hailstorms, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) said. The OIV estimated production at 279 million hectoliters this year, calling it one of the highest yields since 2000. Following a congress in Punta del Este in Uruguay, the OIV said Italy was the world's top producer with 48.5 million hectoliters, followed by France with 46.4 million and Spain with 40.9 million. Th
World Nov. 21, 2018
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[Graphic News] India to see highest GDP growth rate in Asia
The Asian Development Bank projected that India would see the highest gross domestic product growth rate in Asia in 2018 at 7.3 percent, though this is lower than the nation's growth rate of 6.7 percent in 2017. Vietnam and Bhutan are forecast to see the second-highest GDP growth rate in Asia at 7.1 percent. The former's growing workforce has been instrumental to its growth, boosted by export expansion, rising domestic consumption, strong investments, and a strengthening agriculture sector. Bh
World Business Nov. 20, 2018
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[Graphic News] Crimes against S. Koreans overseas rise
More than 40,000 South Koreans fell prey to crime or traffic accidents overseas between 2013 and 2017 and the number of victims has increased every year, said a lawmaker citing a National Police Agency report. The report, submitted by the agency to Rep. Kim Young-woo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, showed that 41,035 Koreans had become victims of crime or traffic accidents while overseas during those years. The number of Koreans affected by crime or traffic accidents abroad rose fr
Social Affairs Nov. 19, 2018
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[Graphic News] Singapore Airlines named world’s best airline for 2019
After launching the world's longest flight route this year and introducing some of the most advanced aircraft into its fleet, Singapore Airlines has been lauded as the world’s best airline for 2019. The editors at AirlineRatings.com recently announced their picks for their annual Airline Excellence Awards, and Singapore Airlines got the top honor. The launch of a nonstop flight from Singapore to New York City played a part. It was the first time at the top of the list for the Asian carrier, wh
World Nov. 18, 2018
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[Graphic News] Southeast Asia top spot for S. Korean winter tourists
Southeast Asia has emerged as the most popular tourist destination for South Koreans planning on overseas trips in December, a leading travel agency said. Hana Tour, the largest travel agency in South Korea, said that as of Wednesday, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations accounted for slightly over 54 percent of all reservations for overseas travel in the coming month. The portion is up sharply from 34.1 percent for December last year. Japan followed with 18 percent, trailed by 12.8 percen
Travel Nov. 15, 2018
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[Graphic News] Ratio of unredeemed student loans edges up in 2017
The ratio of South Korea's unredeemed student loans rose in 2017 for the first time amid the country's unstable job market, government data showed. According to data from the National Tax Service, 14.5 billion won ($12.8 million) in student loans that should be repaid after borrowers' employment was not paid back last year, accounting for 8.1 percent of the total of such loans, tallied at 179.4 billion won. The ratio was up from 7.3 percent the previous year, marking the first on-year increase
Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2018
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[Graphic News] S. Korea's suicide rate drops but still tops OECD
Despite declining in recent years, the suicide rate in South Korea remains the highest among developed nations, according to statistics. An analysis of health data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Insurance Service, showed that as of 2016, 25.8 out of 100,000 South Koreans had taken their own lives. The number is the highest among member countries of the OECD, whose average suicide rate was 1
Social Affairs Nov. 13, 2018
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[Graphic News] China most visited among Asian nations
China attracts the highest number of tourists in Asia, with a record inflow of 59.27 million people in 2016. The Southeast Asian region receives the highest number of travelers, with China topping the list of countries, according to the World Tourism Organization report. Tourism has been among the growing economic sectors across the world. According to the report from the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals increased from 25 million globally in 1950 to 278 million in 19
World News Nov. 12, 2018
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[Graphic News] Less than 50% of South Koreans say marriage necessary: survey
A majority of Koreans over 13 years old regard marriage as a choice, not a necessity. According to a survey of 39,000 people over 13 years old by Statistics Korea, 48.1 percent thought they should get married, down from 51.9 percent two years earlier and 56.8 percent in 2014. Fifty-six percent of South Koreans answered that a couple can live together without getting married, up sharply from 48 percent in 2016 and 46.6 percent in 2014, data showed.
Social Affairs Nov. 11, 2018
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[Graphic News] Multicultural population exceeds 1.85 million
According to the 2017 data from Statistics Korea, people from multicultural backgrounds residing in the country totaled 1,861,084 as of Nov. 1, 2017, up 96,420, or 5.5 percent, from a year ago. The number, which accounts for 3.6 percent of the country’s total population of 51,422,507, broken down to 1,479,247 long-term foreign residents (79.5 percent), which includes migrant workers; 212,302 children who were born in the country (11.4 percent); and 169,535 naturalized citizens (9.1 percent). C
National Nov. 8, 2018
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[Graphic News] Air pollution kills 600,000 children each year: WHO
Exposure to toxic air both indoors and out kills some 600,000 children under the age of 15 each year, the World Health Organization warned Monday. Data from the UN health body shows that every day, 93 percent of children under the age of 15 -- a full 1.8 billion youngsters, including 630 million under the age of 5 -- breath dangerously polluted air. According to WHO data, more than 9 out of 10 people on the planet breathe dangerously toxic air, causing some 7 million premature deaths each year.
World News Nov. 7, 2018
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[Graphic News] S. Koreans rank No. 1 in OECD in hospital visits
South Koreans rank first among major economies in terms of visits made to hospitals in 2016, government data showed. According to the data by the National Health Insurance Service, South Koreans visited the doctor's office an average of 17 times in 2016, much higher than the average of 6.9 times by citizens of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries. Japan came in second with 12.8 visits, with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany rounding out the top
Technology Nov. 6, 2018
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[Graphic News] Number of S. Korean landowners up more than 10% in 2017
The number of South Koreans who owned land in the country jumped 10.3 percent in 2017 from 2012, government data showed. The data compiled by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that 16.9 million South Koreans owned 46,968 square kilometers of land -- slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey -- at the end of last year, accounting for 32.6 percent of the 51.7 million population. In comparison, 15.32 million South Koreans owned 47,504 square kilometers of land in 2012, the
Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2018
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