SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — In a strategic move to increase profitability and attract new customers, South Korea’s travel agencies are rapidly expanding their offerings of premium package tours. These upgraded travel experiences remove common frustrations found in budget packages, such as mandatory shopping trips, optional tour fees, and guide tipping, instead emphasizing quality and [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the most desired product in the new subscription application product category among consumers in their 20s and 30s, a poll showed Wednesday. According to the survey conducted recently on 1,000 adults by market research firm Macromill Embrain, 94.8 percent of respondents said [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean users of the popular short-video app TikTok are on the rise despite concerns over possible data leakage, an industry data tracker said Wednesday. The monthly active users (MAU) of TikTok and TikTok Lite, which are owned by China-based ByteDance, reached 4.89 million and 4.79 million, respectively, in [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Gold and dollar deposits at South Korea’s major banks have reached record highs as investors seek safe-haven assets amid global economic uncertainty and a strong U.S. dollar. According to financial industry data released on February 18, the combined balance of dollar deposits at the country’s five largest banks—KB Kookmin, Shinhan, [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Once a popular and low-barrier entry point for entrepreneurs, South Korea’s café industry is now facing an intense survival challenge due to market oversaturation, rising costs, and regulatory pressures. Despite the industry’s rapid expansion, data shows an alarming rate of closures. According to Statistics Korea, as of 2022, the number [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — A stark disconnect exists between how elderly South Koreans hope to spend their final days and where they actually die, according to a comprehensive study released on February 17 by the National Health Insurance Service Research Institute. The analysis found that while 67.5% of elderly long-term care recipients wish to [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Subscription-based services in South Korea saw significant growth in 2024, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) leading the surge, according to a recent analysis by KB Kookmin Card. The financial institution reported that total subscription transactions increased by 12.9% in 2024 compared to the previous year, while spending on subscription services [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Faced with the worst economic downturn in 21 years, South Korean consumers are increasingly turning to supermarkets over big-box retailers, preferring to buy necessities in smaller quantities rather than bulk purchases. According to data from Statistics Korea and industry sources, total retail sales fell by 2.2% in 2024, marking [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Until the late 1990s, the gray uniforms of Daewoo Motors workers in Bupyeong, Incheon, were a symbol of pride. These “Daewoo men” were welcomed everywhere in town, representing not just local economic vitality but South Korea’s industrial might. That era came to an abrupt end when Daewoo Motors defaulted in [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of young couples in South Korea are breaking from traditional wedding customs, choosing efficiency and personal meaning over long-established practices that some view as outdated or burdensome. Take Oh, 29, who recently decided to skip the customary bouquet toss at her wedding. “I was concerned about the [...]