SEOUL, May 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Roughly 230,000 foreign nationals worked in South Korea’s construction industry in 2024, accounting for 14.7% of the sector’s total workforce, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Construction Workers Mutual Aid Association. Of these, over 83% were ethnic Korean Chinese, or Joseonjok, highlighting their dominant role in [...]
SEOUL, May 17, 2025 (Korea Bizwire) — Despite the growing presence of Chinese e-commerce giants like AliExpress and Temu, a majority of South Korean consumers still prefer domestic online platforms for their perceived reliability and product quality—even at higher prices, a government report revealed Friday. According to a report published by the Korea Information Society Development [...]
INCHEON, May 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has begun construction on a state-funded facility dedicated to advancing animal-free toxicity testing methods, a move that signals the country’s commitment to ethical science, chemical safety, and animal welfare. The Ministry of Environment held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the Korea Environment Corporation headquarters in Seo-gu, Incheon, to [...]
GWANGMYEONG, May 17 (Korea Bizwire) — In a pioneering move to combat suicide, the city of Gwangmyeong, just southwest of Seoul, has equipped 10 rental cars with carbon monoxide detectors, becoming the first municipality in South Korea to adopt such a measure. The city government announced Thursday that it partnered with local company K Rent-a-Car to [...]
Gwangju, South Korea, May 16 (Korea Bizwire) – The rain came and went over Gwangju’s northern hills, but the students kept walking—518 of them, a symbolic number etched into the nation’s memory. On this overcast morning, just two days before the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, they made their quiet way through the [...]
SEOUL, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) of South Korea has imposed a ₩1.36 billion (approximately $990,000) fine on Chinese e-commerce platform Temu for violating the country’s data protection laws, including the unauthorized overseas transfer of personal data belonging to South Korean users. The penalty, announced on May 15, comes [...]
SEOUL, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — In a bid to ease mounting labor shortages in its service industry, the South Korean government announced Thursday an expansion of permissible job roles for foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (E-9 visa), particularly in delivery services, restaurants, and the hospitality sector. At the 47th Foreign Workforce Policy [...]
SEOUL, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Two years after the high-profile suicide of a young elementary school teacher at Seoul’s Seoi Elementary School sparked national outrage, according to new survey results released ahead of Teachers’ Day. A nationwide poll of 8,254 teachers conducted by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions between April 23 and May 7 [...]
SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly 6 out of 10 South Korean companies report that new employees leave within one to three years of joining, underscoring growing concerns over early attrition in the workforce, according to a new survey released by HR tech firm Incruit. The study, based on responses from 446 HR professionals, found [...]
SEOUL, May 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday unveiled its new Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone, featuring an ultra-slim design, advanced camera technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The new smartphone measures 5.8 millimeters thick, significantly thinner than the Galaxy S25′s 7.2 mm and the Galaxy S25 Plus’ 7.6 mm, according to the company. [...]