SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — As soaring prices and rising gold costs strain household budgets, South Korea’s long-standing tradition of lavish first-birthday celebrations for infants, known as doljanchi, is steadily giving way to smaller, more private observances. Once marked by banquet halls, elaborate ceremonial tables and gold rings given as gifts, doljanchi has increasingly been [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — A large majority of South Koreans believe food delivery platforms should be the first targets of government regulation, reflecting growing public frustration over rising delivery fees and platform commissions, according to a new nationwide survey. More than 87 percent of respondents said they agree that delivery apps require stronger oversight, [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean young adults are feeling growing pressure and unfairness from traditional gender-role expectations at home and in the workplace, according to findings released Thursday by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The results stem from “Soda Pop,” a series of five public talk concerts held from late October [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly three-quarters of South Korean consumers have tried at least one artificial intelligence service, underscoring how rapidly AI tools are becoming part of everyday life, according to a new survey released on Thursday. The study, conducted by Consumer Insight, a telecommunications research firm, found that 74 percent of mobile phone [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Foreign visitors to South Korea are increasingly favoring “value-for-money” shopping aligned with personal tastes, signaling a shift away from the high-end, big-ticket purchases that once dominated tourist consumption, according to new data released by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). An analysis of foreign credit card transactions from 2018 through September [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Most South Koreans want to remain in their homes or local communities as they age or face illness, but many say the country’s local care systems are not prepared to support that preference, according to a new nationwide survey released Tuesday. The survey of 1,500 adults, conducted earlier this month [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of South Korean children and teenagers are embracing makeup as part of their everyday culture, driven by social media trends, easy access to inexpensive cosmetics and a loosening of school restrictions. The shift has sparked concern among parents and educators who worry about the deepening pressures [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A dispute over cultural appropriation flared again this week after online sellers on Amazon—believed to be based in China—were found marketing traditional Chinese garments, or hanfu, as hanbok, Korea’s traditional dress. Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University known for his advocacy on Korean cultural issues, said on Tuesday [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Job stability, higher incomes and access to home ownership are strongly correlated with higher marriage and birth rates among younger South Koreans, according to a government study released on Tuesday. The findings add new statistical weight to concerns that worsening economic insecurity is feeding the country’s demographic decline. The [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A majority of South Korean adults believe a new infectious disease outbreak is likely in the near future and would persist for an extended period, even as willingness to be vaccinated continues to decline, according to a government-commissioned survey released Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) asked [...]