SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans in their 20s have seen the weakest real income growth of any generation over the past decade, according to a new analysis, underscoring concerns over job quality and rising living costs that continue to weigh heavily on the country’s youth. The Korea Economic Association (HanKyungHyup) reported on [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — The relative poverty rate among South Korea’s retired population reached the highest level among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), data showed Monday. For those aged 65 and older, the relative poverty rate stood at 39.8 percent in 2023, up 0.1 percentage point from [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Obstruction of official duties against South Korean police officers remains alarmingly frequent, with more than 9,000 cases recorded last year — nearly 25 incidents every day — according to newly disclosed government data. Figures released by Rep. Seo Beom-soo of the People Power Party, citing the National Police Agency, [...]
SEJONG, Sept. 26 (Korea Bizwire) —South Koreans earn the most at age 45 but begin running deficits by 61, as consumption outpaces income in later life, according to new government data that underscores the economic strains of an aging society. The National Statistics Office said Wednesday in its release of the 2023 National Transfer Accounts [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — More than 100 citizens staged a counter-rally in Seoul’s Daerim neighborhood on Thursday evening to oppose a far-right demonstration marked by anti-Chinese sentiment, with members of the Chinese Korean community publicly speaking out for the first time. Gathered outside Exit 5 of Daerim Station, parents, residents, and civic groups denounced [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — A Seoul court has ruled that a sauna operator must compensate an elderly customer who fractured his hip after slipping on a wet towel placed under a leaking air conditioner in the facility’s locker room. The Seoul Southern District Court on September 5 ordered the operator to pay 13 [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Pastor Son Hyun-bo of Busan’s Saegero Church, a central figure in South Korea’s far-right Christian movement, faces a bail review this week following his arrest earlier this month on charges of violating election laws. While conservative leaders and evangelical groups denounce his detention as “religious persecution,” the sweeping mobilizations [...]
GANGNEUNG, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — In Gangneung, where South Korea declared its first-ever “state of disaster” caused by drought, a group of local young people has organized under the unlikely name “Toilet Demon Hunters.” Their mission is both urgent and practical: teaching citizens how small changes in daily habits can conserve vast amounts of water. The [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A string of attempted child abductions in recent weeks has triggered a surge in demand for self-defense products among South Korean parents, with online marketplaces reporting sharp increases in sales. According to e-commerce platform 11st, purchases of key personal safety items between September 2 and 11 jumped 2.5 times compared [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Naver’s livestreaming platform Chzzk has permanently suspended the channel of a 12-year-old elementary school “Vtuber,” citing a violation of its rule barring anyone under 14 from joining. The decision has reignited debate over child safety and regulation in the fast-growing world of virtual broadcasting. The girl, born in 2013, [...]