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WorldNews
[Graphic News] Global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz

The steady flow of Gulf oil to Europe, the US and Asia through the narrow Strait of Hormuz has created the world’s largest oil transit chokepoint. After decades, the US and Israel launched a major attack on Iran, and Tehran’s ability to disrupt the strait has rattled markets and choked trade. Oil prices have already spiked and are expected to remain high as conflict threatens supplies. More than 20 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels passed through the strait daily last year. OPEC mem
March 4, 2026 - 08:00:00
K-pop
[Graphic News] 9 in 10 BTS fans motivated to study Korean

More than 9 in 10 overseas BTS fans have studied Korean, with their love for the group cited as the main motivation, a recent survey shows. The Multicultural Convergence Research Institute surveyed fans from 69 countries and found that 93.4 percent had learned Korean, mostly at the beginner level. Only 7.8 percent attended in-person classes, with most using apps and online videos. Over half had studied for less than a year, with 54 percent aiming for TOPIK 4 level proficiency, which is high inte
Feb. 27, 2026 - 08:00:01
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Tea market expands on demand from young consumers

South Korea’s long-standing corporate drinking culture is rapidly giving way to a more mindful “tea culture” among younger consumers, industry data shows. According to local community platform Karrot, the number of tea-related gatherings and participants surged 200 percent as of January 2026 from a year earlier. The trend is largely driven by people in their 20s and 30s, with searches for “tea ceremony” and “tea utensils” on the platform spiking over the same period. The shift in lifestyle is mi
Feb. 26, 2026 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Templestay sees record high participation last year

The Templestay program saw a record 349,219 participants in 2025, including 293,704 Koreans and 55,515 from abroad, marking a 5.1 percent increase from 2024, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest Buddhist sect, has reported. Including repeat visits, total attendance reached 625,304. Launched in 2002 during the Korea-Japan World Cup to promote traditional culture, the Templestay program allows participants to experience daily life at Buddhist temples. Foreign participation, wh
Feb. 25, 2026 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Per capita rice consumption falls to record low

Per capita rice consumption in South Korea fell more than 3 percent last year, reaching a record low of 53.9 kilograms, according to the 2025 Grain Consumption Survey released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure dropped 1.9 kilograms from a year earlier and is roughly half the level recorded in 1995. Rice consumption has been declining for four decades, reflecting long-term changes in dietary habits. Total per capita grain consumption, including wheat and other grains, also fell t
Feb. 24, 2026 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin named Korea’s top female CEO

The Asia Brand Research Institute, a big data evaluation agency, announced that Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin has been named the top female CEO on its K-Brand Index. The index measures brand influence by combining multiple indicators, including media exposure, social media activity, public sentiment, community engagement and artificial intelligence-based metrics. The assessment analyzed roughly 52.43 million online data points collected in December 2025, focusing on the top 30 female CEOs in Kore
Feb. 23, 2026 - 08:00:00
More sports
[Graphic News] Global survey shows record 82% have positive view of Korea

More than 8 out of 10 of respondents in an international survey expressed a favorable view of Korea, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The ministry’s 2025 Survey on Korea’s National Image showed that overall favorability rose 3.3 percentage points from the previous year to 82.3 percent, the highest level since the survey began in 2018. By region, people in the Middle East and Southeast Asia showed the strongest fondness for Korea. The United Arab Emirates ranked first at
Feb. 20, 2026 - 08:00:00
More sports
[Graphic News] Olympic first: Ski mountaineering

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the 25th edition of the Winter Games, features eight sports and 16 disciplines, with 116 gold medals up for grabs, including the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering. Long practiced in the Alps, the sport was approved by the International Olympic Committee in 2019 upon lobbying by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, which emphasized its growing global participation, sustainability and natural fit with the host region’s alpine terrain. Ski mount
Feb. 19, 2026 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Japan tops Koreans’ Lunar New Year travel searches

According to global travel platform Skyscanner, Japan was the most searched destination among Korean travelers ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, known locally as Seollal, accounting for 51.6 percent of total searches. China and Vietnam followed, each scoring 12.7 percent, highlighting a strong shift toward short-haul overseas travel. The trend marks a sharp contrast from last year, when a temporary public holiday created a nine-day Lunar New Year break. The extended holiday boosted domestic t
Feb. 13, 2026 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Prices of ingredients put squeeze on Dubai chewy cookie craze

Prices of kadayif and pistachios, the main ingredients in the viral Dubai chewy cookie, or “dujjonku” — popular especially with people in their 20s and 30s — have surged sharply, putting pressure on small business owners. Pistachio imports spiked to 372 metric tons in December last year, up sharply from 93 tons in August, while the import price per ton nearly doubled from $8,800 to $16,800. Kadayif prices also rose about 85 percent, from 13,000 won ($8.90) per kilogram late last year to around 2
Feb. 12, 2026 - 08:00:00
WorldNews
[Graphic News] Portugal leads world in wine consumption

The world’s highest wine consumers are not the French or Italians — it is the Portuguese, according to recent data. A 2024 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Organization of Vine and Wine shows that Portugal’s average wine consumption was 61.1 liters per person, far above Italy (42.7 liters) and Luxembourg (41.8 liters) on a per capita basis. Portugal’s top ranking reflects the country’s long-standing wine culture. The top rankings are d
Feb. 11, 2026 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Lunar New Year table costs shift

An improved supply of fruits and vegetables has slightly lowered the cost of preparing the Lunar New Year ancestral table. According to the Korea Price Information Agency, the average cost for a four-member family is 296,500 won ($203) at traditional markets, down 1.98 percent from last year, and 406,880 won at major retailers, down 0.64 percent. Overall, fruit and vegetable prices fell. In traditional markets, three pears cost 18,000 won (down 33 percent), 400 grams of jujubes are 6,000 won (do
Feb. 10, 2026 - 08:00:03
More sports
[Graphic News] S. Korea’s key events at Winter Games

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the 25th edition of the Winter Games, will begin with an opening ceremony Friday at San Siro Stadium in Milan, officially launching the competitions that run through Feb. 22 across venues in northern Italy. The ceremony will carry the theme “Armonia” ("harmony") and feature performances and artistic segments designed to showcase Italian culture. According to reports from Korean media and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, South Korea’s Olympic delegatio
Feb. 6, 2026 - 08:00:00
More sports
[Graphic News] Majority of Koreans want more Paralympics broadcast coverage

The Korean Paralympic Committee has released the results of a nationwide survey examining public awareness of the Paralympics and demand for expanded broadcast coverage. The online survey was conducted by Micromill Embrain from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, polling 2,000 adults nationwide through quota sampling. According to the survey, 76.6 percent of respondents said they were familiar with the Paralympics, while 63.1 percent said broadcast coverage of the Games should be expanded. More than half (55.2 p
Feb. 3, 2026 - 08:00:00
World Business
[Graphic News] Apple leads global brand value rankings; Samsung is 8th

Apple has maintained its position as the world’s most valuable brand for a third consecutive year, while Samsung ranked eighth, down two places from a year earlier. According to the Global 500 rankings released by brand valuation firm Brand Finance, Apple ranked No. 1 in 2026 with a brand value of $607.6 billion, up 6 percent from $574.5 billion in 2025. The increase was driven by steady demand across the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, reinforcing Apple’s top position. The to
Feb. 2, 2026 - 08:00:00