[Graphic News] Declining marriage rate

As the annual marriage rate in Seoul has declined by over 30 percent in the past 20 years, the average age of men and women walking down the aisle for the first time has also markedly risen, a survey by Seoul Metropolitan City showed.

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2013

[Graphic News] Fall foliage peak dates

Hikers and picnickers are likely to enjoy the changing foliage this fall starting around Sept. 30, according to the National Weather Service. The foliage season will reach its peak starting around Oct. 12, a few days later than last year, weather officials said.

Social AffairsSept. 17, 2013

[Graphic News] Nonimmigrant entries to U.S. increase

More than 1.5 million South Koreans entered the U.S. as visitors for the first time while Mexicans topped the list of nonimmigant entries into the U.S. California (19 percent), Florida (13 percent), Texas (13 percent) and New York (13 percent) were the most frequented destinations by visitors.

Foreign AffairsSept. 16, 2013

[Graphic News] Twitter Inc. to go public

Twitter Inc. filed for an initial public offering last week, gearing up for the most high-profile debut in the tech sector since Facebook’s last year. Global attention is also being paid to whether Twitter shares will decline following its IPO as Facebook did.

TechnologySept. 15, 2013

[Graphic News] Arctic ice ice increases 60% in 2013

NASA satellite images showed about 6.9 million square kilometers of the Arctic Ocean covered in ice in 2013, a whopping 60 percent increase from 2012, stoking debate over whether it is a sign of global warming stopping or just a recovery from last year’s lowest level since 1979.

TechnologySept. 12, 2013

[Graphic News] Emerging markets’ currency fluctuation after ‘Bernanke shock’

After U.S. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke hinted at a possible tapering of its quantitative easing in May, the currency values of major emerging economies have sharply lost ground against the greenback. Unlike them, however, Korea’s won rose the most among major Asian currencies against the U.S. dollar as investors have relocated their investment to safer destinations.

Sept. 11, 2013

[Graphic News] Foreign residents growing

The number of Seoul districts and provincial cities with more than 10,000 foreign residents stood at 44 as of Jan. 1, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration data showed Tuesday. The data also showed that foreign residents accounted for more than 5 percent of the population in 22 regions, with the figure being highest in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo-gu where 13.7 percent of the population was of non-Korean nationality.

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2013

[Graphic News] Pension lottery sales plunge

According to data from the Finance Ministry, total sales of lotteries reached 1.63 trillion won during the first half of this year, an increase of 0.45 percent from a year earlier. But sales of pension lottery products nearly halved in the same period, allegedly due to a decrease in public interest in the monthly payouts.

Sept. 9, 2013

[Graphic News] Satisfaction with married life

A report on the quality of family life compiled by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs showed that 50.5 percent of surveyed married couples said they were “generally satisfied” with their lives. The report said household income, legal marital status and educational background played a significant role in the level of satisfaction.

Social AffairsSept. 8, 2013

[Graphic News] Billion won deposits decline

The number of bank accounts with more than 1 billion won deposited has been decreasing since the second half of last year, according to a Yonhap News report that compiled data from the Bank of Korea and major banks. Analysts attribute the decline to continued low interest rates and depositors’ concerns about the government moving to step up tax probes into the underground economy.

Sept. 5, 2013

[Graphic News] Korea’s FX reserves hit record high

According to the Bank of Korea, the nation’s foreign-exchange reserves hit a fresh record high in August due to gains in investment profits. The foreign reserves amounted to $331.09 billion as of end-August, up $1.38 billion from the previous month.

Sept. 4, 2013

[Graphic News] Major countries’ market cap

Bloomberg’s data indicates that Korea’s stock market has not been much swayed by the U.S.’ move to relax quantitative easing and financial woes in some emerging economies. The report said Korea’s market capitalization amounted to $1.09 trillion as of Sept. 1, running ahead of all BRICs except for China.

Sept. 3, 2013

[Graphic News] Fall delayed by climate change

A study by the Korean Meteorological Agency has found that the average start of autumn was Sept. 26 for Seoul in the 2000s, seven days later than in the 1970s. The KMA attributed the change to global warming and urbanization.

Sept. 2, 2013

[Graphic News] Japan eyes defense budget increase

Japan’s Defense Ministry is looking for its biggest budget hike in two decades, partly to create a Marines-like force, as neighbors fret about Tokyo’s rising assertiveness.

Sept. 1, 2013

[Graphic News] Major countries’ financial funds and net assets

The number of Korean funds managed by local financial firms reached 9,193 as of March to become the world’s second after Luxembourg. But Korea remained far behind in net assets, taking up only 1 percent of the world’s combined value of $27.8 trillion.

Aug. 29, 2013

[Graphic News] Two Koreas gear up for first family reunion in 3 years

The two Koreas will hold reunions of separated families at the Mount Geumgangsan resort Sept. 25-30. The first such event was held in 1985. After a 15-year hiatus, it resumed in 2000 and continued through 2010, allowing 3,829 families to meet in person and 557 via video call.

North KoreaAug. 28, 2013

[Graphic News] Bank employees’ pay increases

According to data from the Financial Consumer Agency, the nation’s major banks raised the salaries of their full-time employees by double-digit percentages for the past two years despite falling profits. Hana Bank raised the pay of its workers by a whopping 57.46 percent between 2011 and 2012, followed by Citibank Korea with a 36.04 percent on-year increase and a 24.69 percent rise at Woori Bank.

Aug. 27, 2013

[Graphic News] Workers at small and medium firms on the rise

According to data from Statistics Korea, the number of workers employed at small and medium-sized companies reached 12.6 million in 2011, accounting for 50.3 percent of the nation’s 25 million economically active population. It is the first time that the number surpassed 50 percent since the government agency started compiling such data in 2000.

Aug. 26, 2013

[Graphic News] Sodium and potassium content in food

The Korea Consumer Agency analyzed the nutritional content of kimchi sold in retail giants and found that it contains 643 mg of sodium per 100 g. The amount is higher than those of smoked ham and sausage. Excessive intake of sodium can cause high blood pressure.

Aug. 25, 2013

[Graphic News] TV broadcasters’ viewer ratings

According to data from the Korea Communications Commission, the public broadcaster KBS topped viewer ratings with 36.16 percent of broadcast TV audiences last year. Among cable networks, CJ E&M came in first with 9.38 percent, followed by TV Chosun, run by the daily Chosun Ilbo, with 8.79 percent, and JTBC, run by JoongAng Ilbo, with 7.88 percent.

Aug. 22, 2013