SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s whiskey market is showing clear signs of polarization as prolonged inflation and a weak won reshape consumer behavior, with shoppers increasingly gravitating toward either budget bottles or high-end labels while shunning midpriced options. Data released Monday by major supermarket chains indicate that sales of whiskeys priced under 30,000 [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — As winter cold snaps, flu outbreaks and school holidays pushed blood donations to critically low levels across South Korea, an unlikely solution emerged: a viral dessert. Blood centers nationwide have begun offering a highly sought-after treat known as the “Dubai chewy cookie” — or dujjonku — as a donation incentive, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s artificial intelligence–based labor law consultation service recorded more than 117,000 inquiries last year, underscoring growing demand for round-the-clock guidance on wages, working hours and employment rights, the Labor Ministry said Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, usage of the AI-powered service rose sharply in 2025, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s unexpectedly strong start to the year is beginning to reshape investor sentiment, as retail traders scale back bets on a market downturn and shift cautiously toward products that track the rise of the benchmark index. Data released Wednesday by Yonhap Infomax showed that individual investors last week reduced [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A large majority of South Korean workers say the rapid spread of artificial intelligence is likely to widen labor-market inequality and deepen wealth polarization, according to a new nationwide survey. The poll, conducted in October 2025 by research firm Global Research on behalf of the labor advocacy group Workplace Abuse [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Young workers in South Korea are increasingly gravitating toward large corporations, even as employment at small businesses shrinks to historic lows — a widening divide that is reshaping the country’s labor market. Government microdata from the Economically Active Population Survey show that in 2025, the number of people in their [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, Coupang, is facing a growing backlash from civil society groups over its compensation plan for a massive personal data breach, with activists urging customers to reject the company’s offer and, in some cases, leave the platform altogether. A coalition of 135 civic and social organizations, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s retail investors are increasingly positioning themselves against rising oil prices and a surging stock market, even as geopolitical tensions and earnings momentum continue to push both higher. Data from the Korea Exchange show that individual investors have poured money this month into inverse exchange-traded notes and funds tied [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — A large majority of South Korean teachers are seeking to establish personal brands rooted in their professional expertise, reflecting a growing interest in entrepreneurship and self-directed career development within the education sector. According to a survey released this month by the Korea Federation of Enterprises’ Center for Entrepreneurship Development, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Applications to artificial intelligence–related majors surged in South Korea’s 2026 regular university admissions cycle, underscoring the growing perception of AI as a gateway to future employment and industrial relevance. According to an analysis released Monday by Jongro Academy, the number of applicants to AI-related departments at 20 leading universities rose [...]