[Graphic News] 16,000 died awaiting reunions with cross-border family in 5 years

Approximately 16,000 elderly South Koreans are presumed to have died over the past five years while awaiting reunions with family members in North Korea who were separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, data showed. According to data from the Unification Ministry, around 3,400 to 3,700 people have died every year since August 2018, when the last face-to-face family reunion event was held, with the estimated total number of deaths coming to around 16,000. The data was released by Rep. Yang Kyung-sook

North KoreaJuly 11, 2023

[Graphic News] Majority of S. Koreans hold positive view of US, Biden: poll

A majority of South Koreans hold a positive view of the United States and President Joe Biden while more than 7 out of every 10 South Koreans also believe the US contributes to global peace and stability, a poll showed. In a 23-nation survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, 79 percent of those polled in South Korea said they hold a positive opinion of the US, significantly higher than the 23-country median of 59 percent. The reading for South Ko

World NewsJuly 10, 2023

[Graphic News] Most livable city is Vienna; Seoul ranks 4th among Asian cities

Vienna has been ranked the world’s most liveable city for the second year in a row, while Seoul and Busan respectively claimed the fourth and sixth spots among Asian cities. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Vienna achieved a score of 98.4 out of 100 on the annual Global Livability Ranking, followed closely by Copenhagen in Denmark and Melbourne with scores of 98 and 97.8, respectively. Seoul and Busan fell slightly short of the 90-point threshold, placing them lower than Londo

World NewsJuly 7, 2023

[Graphic News] 60% of Americans say gun violence is ‘very big’problem: poll

A Research Center poll shows 60 percent of Americans believe gun violence is a very big and growing national problem. But the poll also shows an even split as to whether gun ownership increases or decreases safety. The majority, 58 percent, said US gun laws should be more strict. A bare majority of 51 percent of white Americans wanted stricter laws, while 77 percent of Black Americans supported stricter gun laws. The vast majority - 88 percent - supported keeping mentally ill people from buying

World NewsJuly 6, 2023

[Graphic News] Number of EV chargers in S. Korea hits 240,000: data

The number of chargers for electric vehicles in South Korea has surpassed 240,000, data showed, amid the growing popularity of eco-friendly cars in the country. Fast chargers accounted for 10.6 percent of the 240,695 installed electric vehicle charging stations in South Korea, Rep. Park Sang-hyuk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said, citing data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Environment in May. Considering chargers that are n

Social AffairsJuly 5, 2023

[Graphic News] Asia’s billionaire club takes heaviest hit in 2022

Billionaires in Asia faced the steepest drop in membership in 2022 at 7.1 percent, more than any other region, according to data firm Wealth-X Analytics. This decline, when contrasted with North America’s modest 2.3 percent dip, reflects a year of heightened economic volatility. South Korea and Taiwan’s tech sectors bore the brunt of Asia’s decline, while market sentiment was constrained by China’s stringent zero-COVID policy, the report explained. Against a backdrop of g

World NewsJuly 4, 2023

[Graphic News] Births hit new low, extending population decrease

The number of babies born in South Korea hit yet another fresh low in April, data showed, further extending the decline in the population of Asia's fourth-largest economy. Only 18,484 babies were born in April this year, sinking 12.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the monthly report from Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest number for any April since the statistics agency started compiling monthly data in 1981. The number of babies born in South Korea has been falling on-year f

Social AffairsJuly 3, 2023

[Graphic News] Palgongsan designated as 23rd national park

Palgongsan, a 1,193 meter-high mountain straddling the border between the southeastern city of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, was granted national park status, becoming Korea’s 23rd national park on May 23. The Ministry of Environment approved the designation in a meeting of its national park committee, two years after the city of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province made the recommendation. It marks the first designation of a national park in seven years after Taebaeksan, spanning th

TravelJune 30, 2023

[Graphic News] Migrant deaths in Middle East, North Africa hit highest since 2017

Last year marked a grim milestone as migrant deaths within and from the Middle East and North Africa region surged to nearly 3,800 people, the highest number since 2017, according to data released by the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project. This unsettling trend was mainly spurred by a shift in migratory paths, as increasing interceptions by the Libyan Coast Guard have forced desperate migrants to seek alternative and often perilous sea routes from North Afr

World NewsJune 29, 2023

[Graphic News] Number of Seoul airport bus passengers surges to over 2m in 5 months

The number of airport bus passengers in Seoul has exceeded 2 million during the first five months of this year, driven by the expansion of travel demand as COVID-19 measures have been lifted, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. From January to May, a total of 2.11 million people used airport buses, nearly double the previous year’s total of 1.23 million. Airport bus usage has been steadily increasing for 14 consecutive months since April last year, data from the city government showed.

Social AffairsJune 28, 2023

[Graphic News] New York tops world’s most expensive cities for expats

New York has leapfrogged Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive city to live in as an expat, while skyrocketing rents saw Singapore crash into the top five, according to a new study. Soaring inflation and rising accommodation costs were cited as reasons for New York topping ECA International’s Cost of Living Rankings for 2023, while Geneva and London remained in third and fourth place, respectively. Seoul, which rose from 10th to 9th place this year due to increased housing and acco

World NewsJune 27, 2023

[Graphic News] Foreign ownership of S. Korean land rises 1.8%

Foreign ownership of South Korean land rose 1.8 percent in 2022 from a year earlier, the Land Ministry said. Foreigners owned 264.01 square kilometers - slightly more than four times the size of Manhattan - at the end of December. It represents 0.26 percent of South Korea’s total land area, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. The value of land held by foreigners also increased 2.6 percent to 32.88 trillion won ($24.8 billion) over the cited period, the s

Social AffairsJune 26, 2023

[Graphic News] Over 6m enjoy ‘temple stay’ programs for past 2 decades

　Over 6 million have participated in temple-life experience programs over the past decades, with foreigners accounting for 11 percent of the total, data showed. 　According to data compiled by Rep. Song Eon-seok of the ruling People Power Party, a total of 6.44 million have visited temples across the country as of 2022 to experience temple life since the programs’ launch in 2002. Some 695,000 foreign tourists also enjoyed the temple stay programs. 　Temple stay gives visitors a fuller exp

TravelJune 23, 2023

[Graphic News] Global airlines more than double 2023 profit outlook

  Global airlines more than doubled their 2023 industry profit forecast to $9.8 billion from $4.7 billion, spurred on by strong travel demand as the sector recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic years are behind us and borders are open as normal,” Director General Willie Walsh of the International Air Transport Association said. But profit margins, clocking in at 1.2 percent, were still too thin to ensure the industry’s long-term financial robustness, he added

World BusinessJune 22, 2023

[Graphic News] South Korea’s exports of tractors hit fresh record in 2022

South Korea’s exports of agriculture tractors hit a record high in 2022 by advancing 23 percent on-year, data showed, amid growing demand for small-sized models. The value of tractors shipped overseas came to $1.24 billion in 2022, rising from $1 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. The amount also marked a sharp rise from $657 million posted in 2020, the data showed. The customs office said the increase was driven by rising demand fo

MobilityJune 21, 2023

[Graphic News] Number of foreign patients increases

According to a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 248,000 patients from abroad visited South Korea for medical treatment last year, up 70 percent from 146,000 in 2021. In 2019, just a year before the pandemic, 497,000 foreign patients entered Korea. Recently, the ministry has released a set of strategies for attracting up to 700,000 foreign patients a year to Korea by 2027. In order to meet its goal by 2027, the government will implement four different strategies: improving i

TechnologyJune 20, 2023

[Graphic News] Following BTS’ footsteps in Seoul

K-pop boy band BTS is in the midst of two weeks of events for “2023 BTS Festa” at various venues in Seoul until next Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary since its debut. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation have rolled out the “Seoul BTS Tour Map - Map of the SEOUL,” featuring 13 important locations the iconic group has visited along with filming locations for web series “Run BTS.” The map will be available at six Seoul Tourism In

K-popJune 19, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s Asian Games baseball roster

　The Korea Baseball Organization, the national governing body of professional baseball, announced the 24-man roster for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in September, which had been postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 　The team, composed of 24 players, features not only veteran talent but rising young stars. The infield is fortified by players like Kang Baek-ho of KT Wiz, while the outfield boasts talents like Lee Jung-hoo from Kiwoom Heroes, at 23 and 24 years old respectively. 　The

BaseballJune 16, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s household debt ratio highest among 34 economies

South Korea’s household debt-to-gross domestic product ratio stood at the highest level among 34 major economies in the first quarter, global financial data showed. The ratio stood at 102.2 percent in the January-March period, followed by Hong Kong with a ratio of 95.1 percent, Thailand with 85.7 percent, Britain with 81.6 percent and the United States with 73 percent, according to the Institute of International Finance. Korea was the only country where household debt exceeded its GDP in t

Social AffairsJune 15, 2023

[Graphic News] Canadian fires in context of century’s catastrophic wildfires

In the throes of Canada’s raging wildfires, a glance at this century’s major blazes paints a troubling picture of a globe marked by climate change. The 21st century has seen many of these destructive events, with Australia’s 2019-20 season and Russia’s 2021 wildfires scorching immense tracts of land. The fire seasons of 2009 and 2015, one in Australia and another in Russia, saw an alarming loss of life, unlike most other major fires. The current Canadian situation, althou

World NewsJune 14, 2023