SEOUL, April 23 (Korea Bizwire) — As anticipation builds for South Korea’s May “golden holiday,” new data reveals a stark reality for many franchise workers: more than 60% of franchise outlets nationwide operate without a single regular day off. According to figures released on April 23, 2025, by Statistics Korea through the national statistics portal (KOSIS), [...]
SEOUL, April 22, (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s per capita health insurance spending rose by 28% over the past decade, driven largely by higher treatment costs rather than more frequent medical visits, according to a report released Monday by the Korea Development Institute (KDI). The report, titled “Factors Behind Health Insurance Spending Growth and Policy [...]
DAEJEON, South Korea, April 19 — A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has proposed a groundbreaking approach using artificial intelligence to design enzymes that do not exist in nature — a move that could transform the future of bioengineering and industrial biotechnology. According to KAIST’s announcement on April [...]
SEOUL, April 18 (Korea Bizwire) — A high-stakes legal battle between South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and major tobacco companies is approaching its conclusion, with a final appeals court hearing set for next month. The case, which pits public health costs against personal responsibility, could reshape the nation’s tobacco policies and set a powerful [...]
SEOUL, April 17 (Korea Bizwire) — The government on Thursday announced its decision to return the nation’s medical school enrollment quota for 2026 to the former level of 3,058 from two years ago, in a bid to resolve a 14-month standoff with trainee doctors and medical students. Since February last year, thousands of trainee doctors [...]
POHANG, South Korea, April 15 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean scientists has developed a groundbreaking sensor capable of detecting all major variants of COVID-19 in real time, offering a significant advancement in the field of infectious disease diagnostics. The research team, led by Professors Oh Seung-soo and Woo Sung-wook of POSTECH’s Department [...]
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced Thursday the launch of South Korea’s first in-apartment meditation booths designed exclusively for individual use, a move aimed at enhancing mental wellness and emotional stability among residents. Branded as the H Calming Booth, the new feature will debut at Hillstate Homeasil, a Hyundai apartment [...]
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly 40 percent of medical dispute cases filed in South Korea last year failed to proceed to mediation because hospitals declined to participate, according to new data released Wednesday by the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency (KMDA). In its annual report for 2024, the agency disclosed that [...]
SEOUL, April 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The defense ministry issued a malaria advisory Wednesday for troops serving near the border with North Korea, citing new cases involving those who had been stationed in border areas. The joint advisory with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) came after two discharged soldiers who served in [...]
SEOUL, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is grappling with a shrinking pool of blood donors as demographic challenges and shifting social incentives undercut participation, despite a modest rebound in total donations since the pandemic. According to 2024 data released by the Korean Red Cross and Statistics Korea, the number of individuals who donated blood [...]