SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea recorded a 16th consecutive month of year-on-year growth in births in October, but the pace of increase slowed to its weakest level this year, underscoring how fragile the country’s demographic rebound remains. A total of 21,958 babies were born in October, a 2.5 percent increase from a [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — More than seven in 10 foreign nationals running small businesses in South Korea are Chinese, highlighting the growing role of Chinese entrepreneurs in the country’s local service economy, according to a new report released Tuesday. An analysis by the Korea Immigration Policy Institute found that Chinese nationals accounted for 72.5 [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) reported a record number of visitors this year driven by hit exhibitions, the museum said Wednesday. The MMCA said over 3.37 million people visited the national museum, a 15 percent increase from the previous year. The most popular exhibition was [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — “Culinary Class Wars: Season 2″ debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s weekly non-English series chart, the streaming service said Wednesday. The hit cooking competition, released last Tuesday, topped the category with 5.5 million views for the week ending Dec. 21, according to data from Netflix’s official site Tudum. The [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The families of Koreans who were forcibly conscripted by Imperial Japan during World War II and later enshrined at Japan’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine have filed a lawsuit in a South Korean court, seeking the removal of their relatives’ names and damages for what they describe as an ongoing violation of [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The share of South Koreans who play video games has fallen to its lowest level on record, underscoring a rapid shift in leisure habits as streaming platforms and short-form video content gain dominance, according to a new government-backed survey. A nationwide study released Monday by Korea Creative Content Agency found [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — As weight-loss drugs gain popularity in South Korea, gyms that once thrived on New Year’s diet resolutions are beginning to feel the strain. Fitness centers across Seoul report a noticeable shift in consumer behavior as more people turn to prescription obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro instead of exercise [...]
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. 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) — Jogye Temple, the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, lit its annual Christmas tree on Thursday evening in a ceremony emphasizing interfaith harmony amid global and domestic tensions. The event, held at the temple’s main gate in central Seoul, brought together leaders from Korea’s major religious communities, [...]