pandemic Archives | Be Korea-savvy
Gaming Craze Cools in South Korea as Pandemic Boom Fades

Gaming Craze Cools in South Korea as Pandemic Boom Fades

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – The percentage of South Koreans who play video games has dropped below 60% for the first time in a decade, marking a significant decline from its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic when nearly three-quarters of the population were gaming. According to a new survey released on December 16 by the [...]

Court Upholds Airline’s Pilot Layoffs During Pandemic, Citing Economic Hardship

Court Upholds Airline’s Pilot Layoffs During Pandemic, Citing Economic Hardship

SEOUL, Jul. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – A South Korean court has ruled that an airline’s decision to lay off pilots during the COVID-19 pandemic was justified, given the severe economic challenges faced by the aviation industry. The Seoul Administrative Court recently dismissed a lawsuit filed by 29 pilots who were laid off from Airline A in [...]

South Korean Youth Enjoying Improved Family Ties and Outlook After Pandemic

South Korean Youth Enjoying Improved Family Ties and Outlook After Pandemic

SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) – With the Covid-19 pandemic waning in South Korea, a government survey has found that most aspects of teenagers’ daily lives, including relationships with friends and family as well as school experiences, are undergoing positive changes.  Adolescents have reported spending significantly more time confiding in their parents about their concerns, sharing [...]

South Korea’s Industrial Structure Turned More Service-Oriented During Pandemic

South Korea’s Industrial Structure Turned More Service-Oriented During Pandemic

SEOUL, Apr. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s industrial makeup grew more service-driven during the Covid-19 pandemic as the healthcare and remote service sectors expanded while manufacturing contracted, central bank data has revealed.  The share of services in the country’s total output climbed 4.4 percentage points to 49.3% in 2020 from 44.9% five years earlier, according [...]

Pandemic Stress: Higher Suicide Impulses in Women in Their 30s, Survey Shows

Pandemic Stress: Higher Suicide Impulses in Women in Their 30s, Survey Shows

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, South Korean women in their 30s experienced suicidal impulses at a rate twice that of their male counterparts, a recent survey has revealed. Despite awareness of government mental health support projects, over 80% of these individuals hesitated to use services like suicide [...]

South Korea’s Pandemic Success Masks Challenges Faced by Public Hospitals

South Korea’s Pandemic Success Masks Challenges Faced by Public Hospitals

SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – Amidst the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea stood out as an exemplary nation in its approach to combating the novel coronavirus. In a May 2020 article focused on global health policy, CNN highlighted South Korea and Germany as shining examples of how to navigate a world transformed by [...]

N. Korea Allows Citizens Abroad to Return After Reopening Border

N. Korea Allows Citizens Abroad to Return After Reopening Border

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea has lifted an entry ban imposed on its citizens staying abroad over COVID-19 concerns, state media reported Sunday, reopening its border following more than three years of its stringent virus restrictions. The North’s national emergency epidemic prevention headquarters announced that North Korean “citizens abroad have been allowed [...]

Household Excess Savings Up Over 100 tln Won During Pandemic

Household Excess Savings Up Over 100 tln Won During Pandemic

SEOUL, July 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean households have saved an additional 100 trillion won (US$77.7 billion) or over during the COVID-19 pandemic from before the pandemic on reduced consumption and increased government support, a central bank report showed Monday. Excess savings made from 2020-2022 totaled between 101 trillion won and 129 trillion won, [...]