[Graphic News] Increase of multiple jobholders in Korea

Data from Statistics Korea has shown that the number of multiple jobholders, who engage in one or more side jobs, is rapidly increasing, particularly among the younger generations and those in their 40s. For the first quarter of this year, the number of employed individuals who have engaged in side jobs increased by 22.4 percent (101,000) compared to the same quarter last year, reaching a total of 552,000 people. Although multiple jobholders in the workforce are not yet prominent, the growth t

Social AffairsMay 20, 2024

[Graphic News] How much do Korean adults read?

A survey by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that around 6 out of 10 Korean adults did not read a single book in the past year. According to the survey, only 43 percent of Korean adults read at least one book in 2023. This was a 4.5 percent decrease from the results of the previous survey in 2021, and the lowest it has ever been since periodic surveys on reading began back in 1994. The decrease in book reading was especially pronounced among people aged 60 a

Social AffairsMay 17, 2024

[Graphic News] UK tops global chart for child alcohol use

One in three 11-year-olds in England has tried alcohol (34 percent of girls, 35 percent of boys), according to a World Health Organization report, which warned it is a “serious public health threat” to the country. The organization examined data from 280,000 children aged 11, 13, and 15 from 44 countries, and the England topped the list of child alcohol use. Romania, Slovenia and Greece also placed high on the list. Even worse for the England, by the time children reach 13 years

World NewsMay 16, 2024

[Graphic News] 1 out of 5 restaurants closed last year

The closing rate of restaurant businesses in South Korea exceeded 20 percent last year, higher than during the height of the COVID-19 period. According to the FinTech company Pinda's big data business analysis platform, “Open Up,” 176,258 out of 818,867 restaurants closed last year, with a closing rate of 21.52 percent. This means that more than 1 out of 5 restaurants closed. The number of restaurants that closed last year surged by 82.6 percent from 96,530 in 2020. The closin

Social AffairsMay 15, 2024

[Graphic News] Only 34% of S. Korean elites favor nuclear arms

About a third of South Korean academics, experts and other elites support nuclearization of their country, a US think tank poll showed, a finding that contrasts with greater support shown in surveys of the general public. The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report on the outcome of the poll conducted with over 1,000 “strategic elites” in South Korea from Jan. 15 to March 17. The report, titled “Breaking Bad, South Korea’s Nuclear Option,”

DefenseMay 14, 2024

[Graphic News] Over 80% of people filing bankruptcy in Seoul in their 50s and older

More than 8 out of 10 people who filed for bankruptcy in Seoul last year were in their 50s and older, with many of them found to be male and people living alone, data showed. Of the 1,361 valid applications filed with the Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center last year, 86 percent were from those in their 50s or older, and 83.5 percent were recipients of basic living allowances from the government, according to survey results from the center. Of them, 64.4 percent were male, while single-p

Social AffairsMay 13, 2024

[Graphic News] Beer the most favored alcoholic drink by Koreans

The most preferred alcoholic drink among South Koreans was beer, receiving more than double the support of the runner-up, soju, according to a recent survey by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. The 2022 General Information Report of the Korean Alcohol and Liquor Industry indicated that 43.7 percent of respondents chose beer as their most preferred alcoholic beverage, while diluted soju came in second place with 20.2 percent. Third place went to traditional alcohol, with 18.6 p

Social AffairsMay 10, 2024

[Graphic News] 90% of global citizens want to ban unrecyclable plastic

Ninety percent of global citizens say that types of plastic that are not recyclable should be banned, according to a study. The World Wildlife Fund’s latest report is based on a survey of around 25,000 people from 32 countries, asking for their opinions about unrecyclable plastic products and their negative impact on human health. In Korea, 1,000 people participated in the survey. In the survey, 87 percent of respondents are against the use of unrecyclable plastic products, and 85 percen

World NewsMay 9, 2024

[Graphic News] 1 in 4 US teachers experiences gun-related school lockdown

With school shootings in the United States reaching 82 cases in 2023, a majority of the country's teachers worry about the possibility of a shooting occurring at their school. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of US public school teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade, or K-12, say they are at least somewhat worried about such an occurrence. Among them, 7 percent say they are extremely worried. About a quarter of teachers report experiencing a gun

World NewsMay 8, 2024

[Graphic News] Diesel vehicles rapidly lose luster

In the first quarter of this year, the proportion of domestically registered diesel cars fell below 10 percent for the first time. As more consumers in South Korea avoid diesel cars due to decarbonization regulations and the need to import urea for them mainly from China, the decline in sales is expected to accelerate this year. According to data from the Carisyou data research institute, a total of 39,939 diesel vehicles were registered in the domestic market during the first quarter of this

IndustryMay 7, 2024

[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%

The number of franchised coffee branches in South Korea rose by more than 3,000 on-year in 2022 on growing demand for food and beverages with the ebbing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of budget brands, the antitrust regulator said. The country had 26,217 franchise coffee shops as of the end of 2022, up 13 percent from the previous year's 23,204, according to data from the Fair Trade Commission. It marked the highest growth among all kinds of food and beverage franchises in 202

Social AffairsMay 3, 2024

[Graphic News] 23% of US adults have used ChatGPT

The latest survey from Pew Research Center showed that artificial intelligence chatbot use is ticking up in the US. The survey showed that 23 percent of US adults have used ChatGPT, an increase from 18 percent in the previous July 2023 survey. Adults under the age of 30 stood out the most, with 43 percent of them having some type of experience in using ChatGPT. However, there was also a slight increase in older age groups as well. Despite the overall increase in usage, Americans tend still to

World NewsMay 2, 2024

[Graphic News] National Museum of Korea 6th most-visited museum globally

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul ranked sixth among museums and art galleries worldwide in terms of its total number of visitors in 2023, according to the UK-based Art Newspaper. The annual number of visitors in 2023 reached 4,180,285. The number of visitors to the National Museum of Korea increased by 22.5 percent last year from 3,411,381 a year earlier. This is the largest number of visitors since its opening in 1945. The museum has a collection of 420,000 artifacts from ancient times t

World NewsMay 1, 2024

[Graphic News] Samsung tops global smartphone market in Q1

Samsung Electronics has reclaimed the top spot in global smartphone sales, surpassing Apple. According to market research firm IDC, Samsung Electronics ranked first in market share (20.8 percent), with 60.1 million smartphones sold, in the first quarter of this year. Apple, which sold 50.1 million smartphones, retreated to second place in Q1 with 17.3 percent of the market share. Samsung’s sales fell by 0.7 percent compared to the first quarter of last year, but Apple sales showed a shar

World BusinessApril 30, 2024

[Graphic News] Korean farming households fall below 1m for first time in 2023

The number of farming households in South Korea fell below 1 million for the first time ever in 2023, and half of farmers were aged 65 or older, data showed. The number of farming households came to 999,000 as of December 2023, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the first time that the figure has fallen below the 1 million mark since 1949 when the agency began compiling related data, though the data has a margin of error of about

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

[Graphic News] Exports of cosmetic products hit record high in Q1

South Korea’s exports of cosmetic goods rose more than 20 percent on-year to reach an all-time high in the first quarter of 2024, amid the growing popularity of Korean culture, data showed. Outbound shipments of cosmetics totaled $2.3 billion during the January-March period, up 21.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the data by the Korea Customs Service. It marked the highest level ever for any first-quarter figure. Overseas sales of South Korean cosmetic goods reached a yearly h

World NewsApril 26, 2024

[Graphic News] Traffic deaths drop to record low

The number of traffic deaths in South Korea dropped to a record low of around 2,500 last year, nearly half the figure recorded a decade ago, data showed. A total of 2,551 people died from road accidents in 2023, a 6.7 percent decline from the 2,735 deaths recorded the previous year, according to the National Police Agency. It marks an 81 percent drop compared with 1991, when the death toll hit the highest at 13,429, and nearly half the rate from a decade ago, when fatalities from vehicle crash

Social AffairsApril 24, 2024

[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent

A recent survey from the employment platform Catch revealed that around 8 out of 10 Koreans in their 20s and 30s were still economically dependent on their parents. According to the survey conducted on 1,903 job-seekers in their 20s and 30s, 77 percent replied that they were still economically dependent on their parents, and only 23 percent replied that they were independent. At a closer look, 43 percent of the participants replied they still live with their parents and 41 percent said they re

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

[Graphic News] Hallyu boosting image of Korea: survey

Two-thirds of overseas residents reported a positive change in their perception of Korea thanks to Korean cultural content, a government report showed. The 2024 report issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its affiliate, the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, showed that 66.1 percent of respondents who had engaged with Korean content, such as TV dramas and films, said it had a favorable impact on their perception of Korea. The report was based on an onli

World NewsApril 22, 2024

[Graphic News] French bulldog most popular breed in US, Maltese most popular in Korea

The French bulldog has been chosen as America’s most popular dog breed for the second year in a row, according to the data collected by the American Kennel Club. The Labrador retriever, which held the top place for 31 years before being dethroned by the French bulldog in 2022, came in at second place once again. The French bulldog has seen a rapid rise in popularity since 2015, when it first entered the top 10 list in 100 years. The top 5 dog breeds in 2023 remained the same as 2022 with

World NewsApril 19, 2024