SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – As South Korea grapples with relentless summer heat, an unlikely battleground has emerged: the thermostat. In office buildings and on subways, debates over air-conditioning settings have intensified, exposing a deep divide in how people experience temperature — and how they express it. Commuters trade complaints online, with some lamenting [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – A government policy aimed at reducing smoking through tobacco tax increases appears to have only short-term impact, with a recent study revealing that the sales drop triggered by higher prices typically vanishes within four months. According to a new report released Monday by the Korea Institute for Health and [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Employees at South Korea’s internet giant Naver Corp. earned nearly 100 million won (US$72,000) each in just the first six months of the year, far outpacing the average income of their local rival Kakao Corp., data showed Monday. According to industry data and company filings, Naver employees earned an [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — As Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo grabs global headlines with a 7 billion won diamond engagement ring, South Korea is witnessing its own wave of extravagant marriage proposals. Social media is awash with images of luxury handbags, five-star hotel suites, and designer jewelry, reflecting a growing trend of high-end courtship [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South Korean teenagers receiving treatment for anxiety disorders has soared by more than 60% over the past four years, reflecting mounting mental health concerns among the nation’s youth. According to data released Friday by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), 41,611 individuals aged 10 [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans’ sentiment toward Japan has warmed significantly, reaching levels not seen since the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, according to a new Gallup Korea poll released Thursday, marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. In the nationwide survey conducted August 12–14 [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Young South Koreans weigh more factors — and express greater concerns about economic strain and lost opportunities — when deciding whether to have children than their counterparts in Germany, Japan, France and Sweden, a new study shows. They are also more likely to perceive their society as unfair and [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Seoul Metro is appealing for commuter cooperation as it struggles to manage a flood of complaints over subway heating and cooling, with the vast majority concerning uncomfortably hot trains. From May to July this year, the operator received more than 340,000 temperature-related grievances — an average of 3,520 per [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly 80 years after Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a majority of South Koreans believe remnants of pro-Japanese collaboration remain unaddressed, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI). The nationwide poll, conducted August 1–7 by Korea Data World, found that 70.9% [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Heavy rain alerts were issued in some parts of the nation Wednesday, with downpours of around 150 millimeters per hour forecast for the greater Seoul region until the following day, the weather agency said. More than 100 mm of torrential rain pounded the Seoul metropolitan area, with 149.2 mm [...]