Living and entertainment news about South Korea. We bring you the latest information on what is happening in Korea today.
SEOUL, May 30, 2025 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South Koreans enrolling in government-run smoking cessation clinics has halved over the past decade, while quit rates have also dropped significantly — raising concerns about waning public engagement with anti-smoking efforts. According to new data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea [...]
SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Smoking-related deaths in South Korea exceeded 70,000 in 2022, with the associated socioeconomic costs reaching 13.6 trillion won (approximately $10 billion), according to new government data released Friday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the figures were derived from an analysis of cohort studies and national mortality [...]
SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study suggests that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds in South Korea are significantly more likely to take multiple gap years (“N-sus”) and enter university through standardized test-based admissions — raising concerns that recent reforms aimed at fairness may be deepening educational inequality. According to a report published [...]
SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Biawire) — South Korea’s declining school-age population has led to a steady drop in university enrollment, with vocational and technical colleges bearing the brunt of the demographic shift. In response, universities are increasingly recruiting nontraditional students — including adult learners and international students — to fill empty seats, a new government [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Ministry of Environment has launched a new industry-wide council aimed at addressing the mounting environmental damage caused by clothing production and disposal. The inaugural meeting of the “Apparel Environmental Council” was held on May 29, 2025, in Yongsan, Seoul, with 21 organizations in attendance, including five major [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — After three years of steady decline, exposure to secondhand smoke in South Korea is once again on the rise — particularly in indoor workplaces and public spaces — prompting renewed calls for stronger tobacco control measures. According to new data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) – K-pop boy group Seventeen placed third on Billboard’s 2025 midyear Top Tours chart, earning $120.9 million from ticket sales. According to Billboard’s midyear boxscore report released on Wednesday (U.S. time), Seventeen sold 842,000 tickets across 30 shows on its latest “Right Here” world tour legs. The report covers the [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — SM Entertainment will expand its strategic partnership with Tencent Music Entertainment Group, following the Chinese streaming giant’s move to become SM’s second-largest shareholder. SM announced Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Tencent Music to broaden cooperation beyond music distribution. The partnership will include the co-production of new [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — J-Hope of K-pop supergroup BTS will release a new digital single next month, his agency said Thursday. The song titled “Killin’ It Girl (feat. GloRilla)” will drop June 13 at 1 p.m., according to BigHit Music. The agency described it as a hip-hop song that candidly captures the thrill [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Hybe, the K-pop company behind BTS, Seventeen and Enhypen, has set up a Chinese subsidiary to support its artists’ expansion into the market, the company said Thursday. Hybe China Co., Ltd. was launched April 2 in Beijing, becoming Hybe’s fourth overseas branch after those in Japan, the United States [...]