SEOUL, April 1(Korea Bizwire) — The number of executives at South Korea’s top 30 conglomerates declined last year amid an economic slowdown, while that of employees increased, a market tracker said Tuesday. According to an analysis of 2024 business results released by 235 affiliates of the 30 conglomerates, the number of executives at the 235 [...]
SEOUL, April 1 (Korea Bizwire) — For the first time, a majority of South Korea’s top 100 publicly listed non-financial companies are paying their employees an average annual salary of over ₩100 million, signaling a sharp rise in corporate pay and deepening the wage gap between large conglomerates and smaller businesses. A comprehensive review of [...]
SEOUL, March 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of imported vehicles registered in South Korea has exceeded 3.5 million for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s evolving automotive landscape. According to data released Wednesday by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA), a total of 3,508,876 imported vehicles were registered as [...]
SEOUL, March 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South Korean companies with liabilities exceeding their assets has surged to its highest level in six years, signaling deepening concerns over corporate health amid delayed economic recovery and persistently high interest rates. According to a report released on Sunday by the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), 4,466 [...]
SEOUL, March 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly half of South Koreans over the age of 50 who transitioned from wage employment to self-employment are earning less than the country’s minimum wage, highlighting the precarious financial situation of older entrepreneurs. According to a report released on Sunday by the Korea Employment Information Service, analysis of Korea Welfare [...]
SEOUL, March 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s manufacturing production fell more than 4 percent from a year earlier in January, marking the sharpest drop in 18 months, data showed Sunday. The Manufacturing Production Index stood at 103.7 points in January, down 4.2 percent from a year ago, according to the data from Statistics Korea. [...]
SEOUL, March 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly one in three newly minted Ph.D. holders in South Korea last year remained unemployed, a record-high figure that underscores a tightening job market even for the country’s most highly educated individuals. According to data from Statistics Korea, only 70.4% of Ph.D. recipients who graduated in 2024 had secured employment [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — Small business owners in South Korea saw their income drop more than 10 percent from a year earlier in 2024 amid sluggish consumer sentiment, a poll showed Tuesday. According to the survey conducted by Mono Research from January 20 to February 7 on 500 small business owners, the level [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of self-employed individuals in South Korea who failed to repay their debts increased by 35% in 2024, as high interest rates and prolonged domestic economic stagnation deepened financial distress, new data shows. The burden was particularly severe for those aged 60 and older, with defaults in this group [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — As the use of industrial robots grows across South Korean workplaces, so too does the number of related workplace accidents, sparking calls for stronger safety measures. According to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), industrial robot-related accidents resulted in 10 fatalities between 2020 and August 2024. All victims [...]