SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of young people employed is forecast to shrink to 42.5 percent of the 2021 level by 2050, a report showed Monday, renewing concerns that the fast-aging demographic transition could pose a drag on South Korea’s economy. According to the recent report by the National Assembly Budget Office, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — More than six out of 10 South Koreans seeking reunions with family members split by the 1950-53 Korean War are aged 80 or older, government data showed Friday. The data demonstrates the urgency of offering them a chance to meet their families on the other side of the Demilitarized [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of cigarettes in South Korea almost remained unchanged last year from a year earlier, but demand for electronic cigarettes rose amid the protracted pandemic, the finance ministry said Friday. South Korean smokers purchased 3.59 billion 20-cigarette packs in 2021, similar to the number logged the previous year, according [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s imports of leisure goods rose 36.5 percent last year from a year earlier as the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand for indoor activities, customs data showed Friday. Imports of goods used for leisure activities, including tablets and TVs, came to US$9.56 billion last year, compared with $7 billion [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans’ consumption of rice hit an all-time low in 2021, but the decreasing rate slowed on the back of a growing demand for home meals amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Thursday. The average South Korean consumed 56.9 kilograms of rice last year, down 1.4 percent or 0.8 [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Retail sales in South Korea rose 11.3 percent on-year in 2021 on the back of strong appetite for consumption and growing online transactions amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the industry ministry said Thursday. The combined sales of local offline retailers climbed 7.5 percent on-year from the previous year, and [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports of autos rose to the highest point in seven years last year due to the low base effect and strong demand for eco-friendly cars, customs data showed Thursday. The country’s outbound shipments of cars came to US$42.6 billion last year, up 23 percent from the previous [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of foreign nationals staying in South Korea shrank nearly 4 percent on-year in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Korea Immigration Office said Wednesday. The number was tallied at 1.96 million as of the end of last year, a 3.9 percent decrease from 2.04 million in 2020 [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Drug smuggling caught by South Korea’s customs agency hit a record high last year as trafficking via non-contact delivery means shot up amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Wednesday. The Korea Customs Service said it confiscated a total of 1,272 kilograms of drugs in 2021, up 757 percent from [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of babies born in South Korea fell to a record low in November last year, data showed Wednesday, underpinning the country’s gloomy demographic situation with the chronically low birth rate. A total of 19,800 babies were born in November, down 1.3 percent from the previous year, according [...]