SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — More than one in 10 young South Koreans who rarely leave their homes — so-called “hikikomori” or socially withdrawn youth — reported having contemplated suicide, four times the rate of their peers, according to new government-backed research. The findings, published Tuesday in the Health and Welfare Forum by the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Once regarded as isolated personal misfortunes, “lonely deaths” — people dying alone and unnoticed — are increasingly being understood in South Korea as symptoms of systemic failure. A government-commissioned study released Friday portrays the phenomenon as a “social disaster” demanding urgent intervention. According to the report, prepared by the Korea [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has seen its marriage and birth patterns shift dramatically over the past three decades, with the number of marriages nearly cut in half, births falling by two-thirds, and cross-cultural unions rising sharply, government data showed Wednesday. According to Statistics Korea, marriages peaked at 434,900 in 1996 but dropped [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans are marrying later, living more often in single-person households, and reporting higher life satisfaction than in past decades, even as chronic illness and suicide remain persistent challenges, new government data show. A report released Wednesday by Statistics Korea’s National Statistical Research Institute traced sweeping social changes since the [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea now has one of the highest rates of multiple births in the world, even as its overall fertility rate continues to plunge, according to new research released Monday. A study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that in 2023 South Korea recorded 26.9 [...]
A total of 8.64 million people aged 65 and older, accounting for 90.9 percent of the age group, received pension payments from at least one type of pension program, including the state pension, as of 2023, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea. The average monthly pension amount marked a 6.9 percent increase from [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean universities are becoming markedly more international, with foreign students now accounting for more than 20 percent of enrollment at a growing number of institutions, according to a new government-affiliated study released Thursday. The Korea Immigration Policy Institute, analyzing data from the Korean Educational Development Institute, found that [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent survey has highlighted significant challenges disabled individuals face when using self-service kiosks in South Korea, with many preferring to order through human assistance rather than automated systems. The findings, released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on August 8, were part of a study assessing the [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent Billboard survey reveals that while a significant share of U.S.-based K-pop fans are spending heavily on albums and merchandise, far fewer are attending live concerts—a disconnect shaped largely by geography and cost. According to the report titled “K-POP Fandom in the U.S.”, 41% of American K-pop fans spend [...]
SEJONG, August 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s elderly workforce continues to grow, with the number of economically active people aged 55 to 79 surpassing 10 million for the first time, fueled by longer life expectancies, rising living costs, and inadequate pension income, according to new government data released Tuesday. The report, published by Statistics [...]