SEOUL, April 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s top food delivery app Baemin is facing mounting criticism from small business owners after it began charging a 6.8% service fee on takeout orders this week—a move seen as a reversal of the hard-won compromise on delivery commissions reached in 2024. On April 14, the first day the [...]
SEOUL, April 16, (Korea Bizwire) — After a brief slowdown at the end of 2024, South Korea’s budget mobile phone market is rebounding in early 2025, buoyed by new low-cost 5G data plans and increased government support. According to data released Monday by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the number of mobile subscriptions under [...]
SEOUL, April 15, (Korea Bizwire) — In an effort to protect consumers from online shopping mishaps, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has introduced a new self-assessment service designed to help residents identify and prevent potential e-commerce risks before making purchases. The interactive service, launched through the city’s E-Commerce Center, draws on an extensive database of 7,000 [...]
SEOUL, April 14 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of young South Koreans are choosing to forgo marriage due to financial strain and evolving personal values, according to a government-backed survey released Monday. The 2nd National Population Behavior Survey, conducted in October 2024 by the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association, revealed that 41.5% of unmarried [...]
SEOUL, April 14 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea enters an early presidential race, a recent survey has revealed that the top policy demand among labor experts is the full application of the Labor Standards Act to all workers, including those at small businesses and in freelance or non-standard roles. In a poll conducted by labor [...]
SEOUL, April 11 (Korea Bizwire) — As global tech giants intensify efforts to dominate the humanoid robotics race, South Korea has launched a national consortium of over 40 universities, research institutions, and companies with the goal of becoming a global leader in humanoid technology by 2030. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced [...]
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean exporters are bracing for economic turbulence as the United States imposes sweeping reciprocal tariffs, effective April 9. The new trade measures levy a 25% tariff on South Korean exports—casting a shadow over high-performing sectors like K-food, K-beauty, and fashion that have found strong demand in the U.S. market. [...]
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A majority of South Korean parents believe they bear responsibility for their adult children’s successes and failures, reflecting the enduring grip of familial duty in a society navigating intergenerational shifts in wealth, education, and independence. According to a 2024 study released Wednesday by the Korea Institute for Health and [...]
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Most Seoul residents now view 70 as the threshold of old age, and nearly 9 in 10 support extending the retirement age, according to the latest annual “Seoul Survey” released by the city government on Wednesday. The 2024 edition of the wide-ranging study, which polled 5,000 citizens, found that [...]
SEOUL, April 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Global demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries rose sharply in the first two months of 2025, driven largely by the continued expansion of China’s battery giants, even as the broader EV market faces a temporary slowdown, often referred to as the “EV chasm.” South Korea’s major battery manufacturers, however, [...]