SEOUL, May 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s birthrate continues to decline, but a growing number of unmarried adults now say they still intend to marry—offering a potential, if modest, glimmer of hope in the nation’s battle against population decline. According to a comprehensive 2024 survey released Sunday by the Korea Institute for Health and Social [...]
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean consumers reined in spending on everyday items and luxury goods in the first quarter of 2025, while showing a notable willingness to spend on travel-related expenses, according to new data from mobile analytics platform IGAWorks. The firm’s Mobile Index data, based on estimated credit and debit card transactions [...]
SEOUL, May 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of imported vehicles sold in South Korea last month dropped slightly from a year earlier, but eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for a record 81 percent of the total, industry data showed Thursday. According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association [...]
SEOUL, May 7 (Korea Bizwire) — More than half of South Korean adults are experiencing prolonged emotional distress, with widespread perceptions of unfairness fueling rising levels of societal resentment and mental health strain, according to a nationwide survey released by Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health. The study, conducted in April 2025 and involving [...]
SEOUL, May 8 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has raised concerns about the limited diversity and expertise of outside directors at South Korean listed companies, warning that their heavy concentration in academia and the public sector may be undermining corporate governance compared to global standards. According to a report released Tuesday by the Korea Chamber [...]
SEOUL, May 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has dropped one spot to 20th in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) latest Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, despite a slight improvement in its overall score, highlighting growing international competition and widening inequality between countries. According to the 2025 Human Development Report released Tuesday by the UNDP, [...]
SEOUL, May 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean households raising infants and toddlers spend significantly less on adult leisure and cultural activities than their childless peers, highlighting the personal sacrifices many parents make in the early years of childrearing. According to a new report released Tuesday by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, the [...]
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s beauty industry continues its explosive global ascent, with overseas direct purchases of Korean cosmetics and perfumes — commonly referred to as K-beauty — nearly doubling in 2024 to approach $1 billion, according to newly released customs data. The Korea Customs Service, in data submitted to Rep. Park Sung-hoon [...]
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Seven in 10 households made online purchases of processed foods in 2024, a survey showed Tuesday, marking a sharp increase from a year earlier and a significant change in where and how people shop. According to the survey conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, 72.3 percent of households [...]
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Elderly dementia patients in South Korea hold assets worth a combined 153.5 trillion won (US$110.9 billion), which is equivalent to about 6.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), data showed Tuesday. The assets had been owned by 1.24 million dementia patients aged 65 and above as of [...]