[Graphic News] Number of farming households on decline

The number of farming households in the nation is decreasing, according to government data Tuesday. Statistics Korea said the number of households engaging in agriculture was 1.38 million in 2000, but the figure fell to 1.21 million in 2005, 1.17 million in 2010 and 1.08 million in 2015. Officials said the decrease is largely due to rapid aging in the farming sector, with the median age of farm owners at 65.6 years old in 2015, up 3.3 years from 2010.

IndustrySept. 27, 2016

[Graphic News] Koreans own W34 million on average in net financial assets: report

Korea’s net per capita financial assets stood at 33.88 million won ($30,750) in 2015, far behind its Asian peers Singapore and Taiwan, a report showed Monday.Switzerland came in first at 211.46 million won, followed by the US and the UK, while Korea ranked No. 21 among 53 countries, according to the Germany-based Global Wealth Report published by Allianz.Financial assets grew by double-digit percentages only in Asia, the report emphasized, noting Singapore and Taiwan’s inclusion in the top 10 li

IndustrySept. 26, 2016

[Graphic News] Korea ranks 35th in health and living standards: report

South Korea ranked No. 35 among 188 countries in a health and living standards report published last week in the Lancet medical journal.South Korea scored an overall 73 points on the Sustainable Development Goal index while North Korea ranked No. 116 with 55 points. Seoul won full points in six sectors, including stunting and wasting.Reflecting Korea’s worrisome suicide rate, highest among 34 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member nations, its suicide index stood at 25 poin

IndustrySept. 25, 2016

[Graphic News] Overseas orders for Korean builders may hit lowest level in 10 years

Overseas orders won by South Korean builders this year is expected to drop to the lowest level in a decade possibly due to the impact of low oil prices and a protracted global economic slump, a trade association said Thursday.This year’s combined overseas orders came to $18.47 billion by Wednesday, according to data compiled by the International Contractors Association of Korea.The figure represents 53.7 percent of the $34.59 billion posted during the same period of last year, and also compares

Sept. 22, 2016

[Graphic News] Desktop ads to be hardest hit by smartphones

Global spending on ads for desktops will soon be hit hard by the rise of smartphones, data showed Wednesday.In 2015, expenditure on desktop advertising made up 19.5 percent of total global ad spending, while the proportion of mobile advertising stood at 10.4 percent, according to research provider Zenith in France.However, the proportion of mobile advertising is expected to sharply increase to 23.3 percent by 2018, in line with the surge in smartphone users. Meanwhile, the figure for desktop adv

IndustrySept. 21, 2016

[Graphic News] A Twosome Place tops in sales among franchise coffee brands

Among 10 major franchise coffee brands in Korea, CJ Group’s A Twosome Place posted the highest annual sales per store, while Ediya Coffee operated the most number of franchises in 2015, government data showed Tuesday. A Twosome Place recorded some 482 million won ($431,500) in average yearly sales per store last year, according to a report by the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Committee.Trailing behind, SPC‘s Cafe Pascucci shops earned 370 million won on average, and Hollys Coffee posted 350 million

IndustrySept. 20, 2016

[Graphic News] Korean exports' global market shares shrink

The global market shares of major Korean export products like ships and display panels are dwindling, indicating that their international competitiveness is weakening, according to a report on Sunday.The market share of Korea‘s top 13 export items accounted for 5.3 percent in the global market in 2015, shedding 0.4 percentage points from 2011, the Korea International Trade Association said in a report. The key export items include semiconductors, autos, ships, steel, flat panel displays, wireles

Sept. 19, 2016

[Graphic News] Korean life expectancy rapidly increases

South Korea’s life expectancy has increased at a rapid rate over the past two decades, largely on advances in medical services, a report showed last week.According to the Korea Insurance Research Institute, South Korea’s life expectancy came to 81 years as of end-2013, up 8.6 years from 72.5 years in 1990.KIRI officials attributed the large increase to medical advances, with the life expectancy of people diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases growing an average 3.9 years, according to the report

Sept. 18, 2016