[Graphic News] 1 in 4 Seoul citizens obese

Nearly 25 percent of adult citizens in Seoul were found to be obese in 2012, with the proportion on the rise for the fourth consecutive year, according to a survey of 23,165 citizens aged 19 or older. Korea considers people obese when their body mass index measurement exceeds 25 and with extreme obese when their BMI exceeds 30.

TechnologyJune 27, 2013

[Graphic News] Education spending

Expensive tuition fees and the government’s limited support for public education put heavy burden on Korean students and parents, according to the OECD’s 2013 Education at a Glance survey.

Social AffairsJune 26, 2013

[Graphic News] Smartphone penetration rate

According to data compiled by Strategy Analytics, Korea had the highest level of smartphone ownership in the world last year backed by rising demand for the device and faster Internet networks.

TechnologyJune 25, 2013

[Graphic News] Per capita meat consumption

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on Sunday that Koreans consumed a total of 2.17 million tons of meat including beef, pork and chicken last year. This translates to meat consumption of 43.7 kg per person

June 24, 2013

[Graphic News] Number of sex crimes

A report from Statistics Korea showed that sexual crimes including rape are increasing in Korean society.

June 23, 2013

[Graphic News] Nuclear warheads worldwide

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday called on Russia to agree strategic nuclear weapons cuts of up to a third and to also rein in strategic atomic arms.

DefenseJune 20, 2013

[Graphic News] Korea still in an exclusive group of soccer powers

By qualifying for its eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup finals Tuesday, South Korea maintained its standing in an exclusive group of football powers. The country lost its final qualifying match to Iran 1-0 Tuesday but still gained a ticket to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil on goal difference. Only five other countries ― Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Spain ― have had more successive qualifications. Brazil is a distant leader with 20 straight qualifications from 1930 to 2014, followed

SoccerJune 19, 2013

[Graphic News] Migrant workers’ pay much higher than at home

Asian migrant workers in Korea were found to receive much higher wages than they had been paid in their native countries, a poll showed this week.According to the survey of 1,058 foreign laborers from 10 Asian countries, their average monthly earnings, including overtime pay and other extra bonuses, were 1.62 million won ($1,430). This was 6.4 times the average wage of 250,000 won ($222.4) they had received in their home countries.Korea’s legal minimum wage (1.09 million won) is 4.4 times the av

June 18, 2013

[Graphic News] Average smartphone now less than $300

The average selling price of smartphones worldwide dropped below $300 for the first time, according to data released Monday by Strategy Analytics.The average price for a smartphone in the first quarter of this year marked $299, down from $342 and $333 in the same quarter in 2011 and 2012, respectively.Aside from the fourth quarters of 2011 and 2012, the average price has been on a downward trend since early 2011.The data suggested that increasing numbers of smartphone users in China, India, Braz

June 17, 2013

[Graphic News] Smartphone addiction jumps to 18.4% among teens

A new survey showed that 18.4 percent of Korean teenagers are addicted to their smartphone, a sharp rise from last year’s 11.4 percent. The corresponding figure for those aged 20-49 stood at 9.1 percent, also up 1.8 percentage points from last year, according to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. The survey also showed that smartphone users spend an average of four hours a day browsing the Internet, sending messages and playing games, but those who are addi

North KoreaJune 16, 2013

[Graphic News] Seoul 27th-cheapest city for luxury night out

A lavish night stay in Seoul costs $304 (340,000 won) on average, according to data released by TripAdvisor on Wednesday.Seoul ranked the 27th-least expensive city to stay overnight among 49 cities worldwide. The cost includes a one-night stay at a four-star hotel for two persons, a dinner with a bottle of wine, cocktails at a five-star hotel and taxi fare traveling 6.4 kilometers. At $158, or half of the cost of Seoul, Bulgaria’s capital Sofia was found to be the least expensive city for a luxu

TravelJune 13, 2013

[Graphic News] Korea rated less peaceful than 2007

South Korea ranked 47th out of 162 countries on the 2013 Global Peace Index produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace, an Australia-based think tank. It marked a 15-slot drop from 2007 when the index was first published, due to the growing nuclear threat from North Korea and historical rifts with Japan. The annual survey is based on 22 indicators that also include crime, demonstrations, political instability and weapons trade. Europe was found to be the most peaceable region with 13 count

Social AffairsJune 12, 2013

[Graphic News] Seoul walking trail to be finished by 2014

Seoul City said Tuesday it would complete a project to build a 157-kilometer-long walking trail (“dullegil” in Korean) around the city by late 2014. Of the eight courses, three sections with an length of 57.5 kilometers, have been completed connecting Mount Daemosan in southern Seoul and Anyang Stream in southwestern Seoul, Four other courses along Mount Yongmasan in the eastern part of Seoul through Mount Bukhansan in the northern part of the city will be finished late this year. “Seoul Dullegi

Social AffairsJune 11, 2013

[Graphic News] Korea’s credit card use ranks No. 1 in world

Credit card usage in South Korea topped a list of major countries in 2011, data showed Monday.With usage at 129.7 transactions annually per capita, Korea ranked first among the 15 major members of the Bank for International Settlements. Canada and the U.S. came in second and third, respectively, with 89.6 and 77.9 per capita usage of credit cards in the same year.In 2007, the average Korean made 68.3 credit card payments, less than the average American or Canadian who swiped 78.4 and 71.8 times,

June 10, 2013

[Graphic News] Cross-border travel reflects inter-Korean relations

The two Koreas’ agreement to hold the first government-level talks in two years last week raised hopes that it will spur wider travel across the border, starting with Sunday’s working-level talks at the truce village of Panmunjeom.Throughout the past two administrations, the number of South Koreans traveling to the North remained relatively high due to various inter-Korean projects including the Gaeseong industrial complex.The number of North Koreans traveling to the South, however, has dwindled

North KoreaJune 9, 2013

[Graphic News] U.S. marks record trade gap with Korea

The United States’ monthly trade deficit with Korea widened to a record high in April, raising the possibility that Washington may face calls for measures to supplement the year-old free trade agreement between the two countries.According to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington imported Korean products worth $5.58 billion and exported goods worth $3.27 billion to Seoul in that month.The United States’ combined trade deficit with Korea from January to April amounted to $6.98

June 6, 2013

[Graphic News] Korea more dependent on foreign investment

The nation’s reliance on foreign capital has been rapidly increasing, indicating that its economy could be greatly swayed by external shocks, data showed Wednesday.According to a report from the private Nonghyup Economic Research Institute, the ratio of foreign investment to gross domestic product came to 81.9 percent in March. This was a 16.6 percentage points increase from December 2008.The ratio soared dramatically during the global recession in 2008 and 2009. It gradually dropped to 75.1 per

June 5, 2013

[Graphic News] Korea has 5th-most nuclear plants

Global nuclear power capacity grew rapidly between the 1960s and 1980s. The number of global power plants has surged to around 440 today, according to a report released by International Atomic Energy Agency. The United Sates has the most nuclear reactors with 104, followed by France and Japan. The U.S. generates more than 30 percent of the world’s nuclear energy, according to a report by World Nuclear Association. The U.S. is planning to build four to six more by 2020, it added. European countri

June 4, 2013

[Graphic News] Nuclear plants’ operation rate declines

When it comes to nuclear power plants, Korea had maintained a higher operation rate than other countries. But the recent suspension of four nuclear reactors over the use of faulty parts or maintenance tarnished the nation’s image as an atomic energy powerhouse.According to the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Korea’s operation rate of nuclear power plants has sunk to below 80 percent for the first time in its history.The company said from January to April this year, Korea’s nuclear r

June 3, 2013

[Graphic News] Korean carmakers’ slice of pie continues to shrink

Domestic carmakers’ local market share continued to contract in the face of foreign brands’ aggressive marketing, according to data released on Saturday by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association.Since their combined market share fell below 90 percent for the first time in the third quarter of last year, the nation’s five automakers ― Hyundai, Kia, GM Korea, Renault Samsung and Ssangyong ― have seen a continued drop in sales.Industry observers said the trend was expected to continue as im

IndustryJune 2, 2013