[Graphic News] Hong Kong illegal wildlife trade on rise

　Illegal wildlife trade in Hong Kong is booming, according to a new study. 　In a report, conservation groups said Hong Kong has become a hub for wildlife crime, as millions of animals, plants and their derivatives are trafficked through the city every year by organized smugglers who rarely face stiff penalties.　 According an analysis of seizures for three commonly trafficked species since 2013, the volume of animal parts could equate to the death of 3,000 elephants, 65,000 pangolins and 51 rhino

World NewsFeb. 7, 2019

[Graphic News] Asian tourists favor Myeong-dong, but Americans and Europeans prefer Seoul’s palaces

　Foreign tourists in Seoul prefer different sightseeing spots depending on nationality, a research paper showed.　Visitors from Asia prefer Myeong-dong, one of the capital’s main shopping districts, while European and American tourists are most impressed by royal palaces, according to the paper jointly published by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Kyung Hee University.　Chinese and Americans gave high marks to Seoul for safety, while Japanese said they were satisfied with the food and Europea

TravelFeb. 6, 2019

[Graphic News] Koreans had more leisure time last year

　Koreans are surveyed to have had more leisure time and spent more money on leisure activities on average in 2018 than previous years. 　On average, people had 3.3 hours of free time per weekday and 5.3 hours per weekend, the Culture Ministry said, citing the outcome of its 2018 survey on national leisure activities of 10,498 people aged over 15 in 17 cities across the nation via one-on-one interviews.         　The figures were increases from 3.1 hours and 5 hours in 2016, respectively, according

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2019

[Graphic News] Planes operated by S. Korea LCCs hit 140 in 2018

　The combined number of passenger planes operated by South Korea’s six low-cost carriers extended to 140 airplanes last year, challenging the 167 airplanes owned by the national flag carrier Korean Air Lines, the government said. 　The six LCCs -- Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul, Eastar Jet and T’way Air -- have aggressively expanded their fleet to meet growing travel demand on short-haul routes to Asian cities. 　The budget carriers and two full-service carriers -- Korean Air and Asiana A

BusinessJan. 30, 2019

[Graphic News] No. of Japanese visitors to S. Korea jumps more than 28% in 2018

　The number of Japanese visitors to South Korea increased at the fastest rate in nine years in 2018. 　According to data from Statistics Korea, the number of Japanese visitors to the country spiked 28.1 percent on-year to more than 2.92 million in 2018. The rate of increase was the highest since 2009, when the figure rose 28.7 percent from the previous year. 　On the other hand, the rise in the number of South Korean visitors to Japan slowed from a year earlier, according to data from the Japanese

NationalJan. 29, 2019

[Graphic News] "Living Coral" is 2019 color of the year

　Following 2018’s dramatic Ultra Violet, Pantone’s Color of the Year 2019 is Living Coral.　Pantone Color Institute describes the color that “Living Coral is a bright pink-orange hue with a soft, golden undertone, making it a more livable shade of coral than we’ve seen in the past.”　Pantone announces a new color of the year every December, based on its trend-forecasting research.

WorldJan. 28, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea 3rd-largest importer of US weapons

　South Korea bought US weapons worth a total of $6.73 billion from 2008 to 2017, becoming the third-largest importer of arms produced by its ally, according to an annual analysis of the defense market.　According to the 2018 Global Defense Market Yearbook by the state-run Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, Saudi Arabia topped the list of importers of US weapons, followed by Australia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.　In the decade starting 2008, Saudi Arabia imported $10.63 billi

DefenseJan. 27, 2019

[Graphic News] More than 8 in 10 foreigners have positive image of Korea

　According to an online survey of 8,000 people in 16 countries, including South Korea, 80.3 percent of foreign respondents positively rated the nation’s image.　Notably, 34.6 percent expressed a “very positive” impression of the nation, the survey showed. It was jointly conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the affiliated Korea Culture and Information Service.　Forty percent of foreign respondents said Korea’s most representative image was in Korean cuisine, 22.8 percent in

NationalJan. 24, 2019

[Graphic News] London retains tech startup crown

　London is Europe’s most attractive city for technology startups, despite a sharp slowdown last year, a study showed.　With Brexit looming, the mayor’s promotional agency, London & Partners, said 1.8 billion pounds ($2.3 billion) had been invested in fledgling tech businesses in 2018.　That represented a near 30 percent slump compared with 2017 and was the first slowdown in six years, L&P said in a statement.　But London’s 2018 total was still double that of Berlin, which stood in second place, whi

World BusinessJan. 23, 2019

[Graphic News] Eating out declined in 2018: survey

　South Koreans dined out less frequently in 2018 compared with 2017, according to a recent survey.　The survey involved 3,014 people aged 20-69, and revealed that Koreans dined out an average of 20.8 times per month last year. The comparable figure a year earlier was 21.8.　They made an average of 13.7 visits to restaurants per month, with delivered or takeout meals accounting for the remainder.　Average spending on eating out stood at 292,689 won ($260.40) per month, about 11,000 won lower than la

NationalJan. 22, 2019

[Graphic News] Poll shows 8 in 10 exposed to secondhand smoke from neighbors

　As many as 8 in 10 South Koreans have experienced exposure to secondhand smoke from neighbors, but most refrained from complaining, a poll showed.　The survey of 1,542 residents of Gyeonggi Province -- the nation’s most populous province, which surrounds Seoul -- found that 1,197 respondents, or 78 percent, had been subjected to harm as a result of smoking by their neighbors.　The poll was conducted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government from Dec. 21-27 last year on its online site.　Seventy-four p

Social AffairsJan. 21, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea to increase defense spending

　South Korea will increase defense spending by an average of 7.5 percent each year over the next five years, the Defense Ministry said.　The ministry announced its defense blueprint for the 2019-2023 period, when it intends to spend 270.7 trillion won ($241 billion) -- 94.1 trillion won on improving defense capabilities and the rest on managing troops, equipment and facilities.  　Under the plan, the ministry seeks to increase the country’s defense budget, which stands at 46.7 trillion won this ye

DefenseJan. 20, 2019

[Graphic News] Number of abandoned pets increases in S. Korea

　The number of abandoned animals continued to increase in South Korea, amid the growing number of households raising pets, government data shows. 　The number of abandoned animals stood at 102,593 in 2017, gradually rising from 81,147 in 2014. The number of households raising pets also increased from 4.57 million in 2015 to 5.39 million in 2017, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.　On average, 281 pets were abandoned every day in 2017.　In the wake of a

Social AffairsJan. 17, 2019

[Graphic News] US shutdown sends economy into uncharted waters

　The US government shutdown became the longest in history when it entered its 25th day Tuesday.　Trump was unmoved in the White House, his border wall unbuilt, and around 800,000 federal workers were still without pay and facing mounting hardships.

WorldJan. 16, 2019

[Graphic News] Global OLED TV market grows twofold every year since 2015

　The global market for organic light-emitting diode TVs has surged twofold every year since 2015.　IHS Markit said sales of OLED sets are estimated to have reached some 2.6 million units in 2018, up from just 335,000 in 2015. Data showed that sales reached 724,000 units in 2016, followed by 1.59 million units in the following year.　Total sales may rise to 3.6 million units this year, nearly double to reach 7 million units in 2020 and surpass 10 million units in 2021.　The market researcher said OL

BusinessJan. 15, 2019

[Graphic News] Fine dust blankets South Korea

　Fine dust filled South Korea’s sky Sunday, prompting authorities to take countermeasures and issue advisories. 　The fine dust level stood at 79 micrograms per cubic meter for Seoul as of 10 a.m., according to Air Korea.　The density level was likely to hover above 50 micrograms per cubic meter on average for the day in most of Seoul and the surrounding regions, the weather agency predicted. 　In response to the dust, the Ministry of Environment required thermal power plants in the affected areas

NationalJan. 14, 2019

[Graphic News] Number of global 'hallyu’ fans soars close to 90 million

　The number of dedicated global fans of “hallyu,” or the Korean Wave, is estimated to have surged to about 90 million at the end of last year, a government-affiliated foundation said.　The Korea Foundation said in a report that there were 1,843 hallyu fan clubs in 113 countries worldwide, excluding South Korea, as of December 2018.　The global hallyu fan clubs had a total of 89.19 million members, marking a surge of 22 percent, or 16.07 million, from 73.12 million in 2017, said the foundation, whi

CultureJan. 13, 2019

[Graphic News] Korean teens spend 2 hours daily on online broadcasts

　South Korean teenagers spend two hours a day watching online broadcasts streamed by individual creators, a survey showed, with YouTube being the most popular platform.　According to the survey of 1,058 respondents conducted by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, South Korean teenagers spend 114.9 minutes every day watching such online video content. 　By platform, YouTube accounted for 36.4 percent of the content, followed by AfreecaTV with 16.8 percent and Twitch with 16.6 percent. V

Social AffairsJan. 10, 2019

[Graphic News] Mobile number portability hits 13-year low in 2018

　The number of South Koreans who switched mobile carriers reached a 13-year low in 2018 due to weaker subsidy competition, industry data showed.　The country‘s three major mobile carriers -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- and budget carriers posted a combined 5.67 million in number portability last year, according to data from the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association.　The tally was down 19.3 percent from the previous year and the lowest level since 2005.　The figure translates into aroun

BusinessJan. 9, 2019

[Graphic News] Korea’s performing arts market grew 23% last year

　South Korea’s performing arts market grew 23 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, on the back of ticket sales for musicals and K-pop concerts.　According to ticket distributor Interpark, sales of tickets for performing arts reached 544.1 billion won ($486 million) in 2018, up from 441.1 billion won the previous year. 　Sales of tickets for musicals rose 29 percent on-year to 257.1 billion won, while sales of concert tickets rose 22 percent to 223.3 billion won. The two genres led the ov

NationalJan. 8, 2019