[Graphic News] Population mobility unchanged in May amid coronavirus pandemic

　The number of South Koreans who changed residences to different regions remained unchanged in May, data showed, even as the coronavirus outbreak restricted public movement. 　The number of people who changed their residences was unchanged from a year ago at 569,000 in May, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea. 　In April, the figure rose 4.6 percent on-year, as the nation eased social distancing rules with the stabilization of the coronavirus outbreak. (Yonhap) 

Social AffairsJune 29, 2020

[Graphic News] Coronavirus cuts church attendance, giving in S. Korea: poll

　Attendance and donations at presbyterian churches in South Korea have been sharply reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey showed. 　In the survey of 1,135 member pastors of the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea, 68.8 percent said church donations have decreased due to COVID-19, while 30.1 percent said there had been no change and 1 percent said it had increased. 　During the period between March and early April, when infections spiked, attendance at in-person servi

NationalJune 26, 2020

[Graphic News] South vs. North Military might

  <During the 6.25 War> (1) Army troops South Korea: 96,140 / North Korea: 191,680 (2) Army Infantry 8 divisions / 10 divisions (3) Marines 1 unit / - (4) Howitzers 91 / 552 (5) Anti-tank guns 140 / 550 (6) Mortars 960 / 1,728 (7) Armored fighting vehicles 27 / 54 (8) Tanks - / 242 (9) Others Support units / 1 tank brigade, armor, patrol units, special forces Navy (10) Total forces 7,715 / 4,700 (11) Patrol ships 28 / 30 (12) Auxiliary ships 43 / 80 Air Force (13) Total forces 1,89

DefenseJune 25, 2020

[Graphic News] Americans maintain virus precautions as states reopen: poll

　Most Americans say they are wearing masks. They are still by and large avoiding restaurants. And the vast majority are still staying at least 2 meters from others when out and about. 　Even as states and metropolitan areas throughout the country relax restrictions on social and economic life during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a new poll finds that most Americans aren't yet ready to abandon the public health behaviors that protect themselves and the people around them from contracting

World NewsJune 24, 2020

[Graphic News] 1 in 10 youths have experienced unwanted sexual inducement online: poll

　One out of 10 teenagers in South Korea has experienced a form of sexual inducement online in the past three years, such as being asked to provide a video of their body 　In the survey of 6,423 middle and high school students nationwide, conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family between May and November last year, 11.1 percent said they had experienced sexual inducement against their will from August 2016 to July last year. 　As for unwanted inducements requested online, 9.3 pe

Social AffairsJune 23, 2020

[Graphic News] Moviegoers trickle to cinemas in May

　The number of moviegoers in South Korea rebounded from a month earlier in May on the back of an extended holiday and relaxed social distancing, data showed. 　A total of 1.53 million movie tickets were sold in May, up from an all-time low of 970,000 tallied in the previous month, according to data from the Korean Film Council. 　It is the first on-month growth in 2020, since the film industry has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The monthly figure came to 16.84 million in Ja

NationalJune 22, 2020

[Graphic News] Number of animals used for experiments triples in decade

　The number of animals used for experiments in South Korea nearly tripled in 2019 from 10 years earlier, data showed, with private firms carrying out most of the related research. 　South Korea used 3.71 million animals for research purposes last year, up sharply from just 1.32 million in 2010, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The figure, however, remained nearly flat from 3.72 million in 2018. 　Rodents accounted for the majority at 87 percent in 2019, follo

TechnologyJune 19, 2020

[Graphic News] Total monthly unemployment benefits above W1tr for 1st time

　According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the government paid 1.16 trillion won ($954 million) in benefits to those struggling to find jobs in May, marking a 33.9 percent increase from 758.7 billion won paid in the same month last year. 　The May figure marked the first time for the monthly unemployment benefit payments to top 1 trillion won since the introduction of unemployment insurance in 1995. It also marked the highest unemployment rate for four months. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsJune 17, 2020

[Graphic News] US dollar deposits at banks rise 30% over pandemic

　US dollar-denominated deposits at South Korean banks have risen nearly 30 percent since February, as investors have chased safer assets amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, industry data showed. 　Outstanding dollar deposits at five local banks reached $47 billion as of June 11, up 28 percent from $36.6 billion tallied at the end of February, according to the data. 　A rise in the foreign currency deposits came as investors bet on a stronger US dollar amid pandemic-caused economic uncertain

BusinessJune 16, 2020

[Graphic News] Auto exports fall nearly 60% in May amid pandemic

　South Korea’s auto exports more than halved in May from a year earlier due to falling demand in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic that as infected more than 7 million people, data showed. 　Local carmakers shipped 95,400 units of cars overseas last month, down 57.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. 　In terms of value, auto exports also fell 54.1 percent over the period to reach $1.81 billion. 　In the fi

IndustryJune 15, 2020

[Graphic News] S. Korea ranks 10th safest country for COVID-19

　South Korea been named 10th safest country out of 200 regions in the world for COVID-19, according a report from Deep Knowledge Group, a consortium of companies and non-profit organisations. 　The study was based on 130 quantitative and qualitative parameters and over 11,400 data points in categories like quarantine efficiency, monitoring and detection, health readiness and government efficiency. 　Switzerland topped the list followed by Germany, Israel and Singapore.

World NewsJune 12, 2020

[Graphic News] Samsung dominates US 5G smartphone market in Q1

　Samsung Electronics dominated the 5G smartphone market in the United States in the first quarter of the year, a report showed. 　Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled in February, made up 94 percent of the US 5G smartphone market in the January-March period, according to market tracker Strategy Analytics, with the S20 Plus being the bestselling model. 　The midtier S20 Plus accounted for 40 percent, followed by the high-end S20 Ultra with 30 percent and entry-level S20 at 2

World BusinessJune 11, 2020

[Graphic News] What do you miss most during COVID-19 pandemic?

　Schools and businesses have been closed, sports events canceled and cultural institutions shut down around the world, as countries try to stem the coronavirus outbreak. 　The latest Nielsen survey shows what people missed the most during the social distancing in the US.

World NewsJune 10, 2020

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s exports of chicken soup jump amid lockdowns

　South Korea’s exports of packaged traditional chicken soup, or samgyetang, have posted sharp growth in the first four months of 2020 from a year earlier, data showed, amid the growing demand for ready-to-eat products around the globe due to the pandemic-led lockdowns. 　Outbound shipments of ready-to-eat samgyetang products reached $4.82 million over the January-April period, up 82.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Tra

WorldJune 9, 2020

[Graphic News] Amount of idle money in S. Korea hits record high

　The volume of short-term floating capital in South Korea hit an all-time high of more than 1,100 trillion won ($904 billion) amid low interest rates and increased uncertainties over the novel coronavirus pandemic, data showed. 　Cash and other forms of short-term capital, including demand deposits and money market funds, totaled 1,106.3 trillion won as of end-March, Bank of Korea and Korea Financial Investment Association data showed. The amount was the largest since the institutions began

BusinessJune 8, 2020

[Graphic News] NCSoft ‘s Lineage 2M highest grossing app on Google Play Store

　Lineage 2M, a mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Korean online game maker NCSoft, was the highest grossing app on the Google Play Store during the first quarter of the year, industry data showed. 　The mobile version of mega-hit Lineage II was the most popular app in the world on Android platforms during the January-March period, partly on the back of the novel coronavirus pandemic that confined people to their homes, data from analytics firm App Annie showed. 　The mo

World BusinessJune 5, 2020

[Graphic News] Only half of Americans would get COVID-19 vaccine: poll

　Only about half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if the scientists working furiously to create one succeed, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. 　That’s surprisingly low considering the effort going into the global race for a vaccine against the coronavirus that has sparked a pandemic since first emerging from China late last year. But more people might eventually roll up their sleeves: The poll found 3

World NewsJune 4, 2020

[Graphic News] Medical equipment output tops W7tr in 2019

　South Korea‘s output of medical equipment and related materials passed 7 trillion won ($5.7 billion) in 2019 on solid demand for dental treatment products, data showed. 　About 7.3 trillion won worth of medical equipment and materials were produced in the country last year, up 11.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. 　The sector’s annualized growth rate far outpaced the 2 percent increase in the country’s gross domestic product

TechnologyJune 3, 2020

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s GDP ranks 10th worldwide in 2019

　South Korea’s gross domestic product ranked 10th in the world in 2019, down two notches from the previous year, data showed. 　Asia’s fourth-largest economy registered $1.64 trillion in nominal GDP last year, according to the data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation. 　It marked South Korea’s first ranking drop since the 2008 global financial crisis. The OECD analyzed 38 advanced and emerging economies. 　The United States topped the global GDP list with $21.43

World BusinessJune 2, 2020

[Graphic News] 68% of S. Korean teens think reunification necessary: poll

　Nearly 70 percent of South Korean youths think that reunification with North Korea is necessary, a survey showed. 　According to the poll conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute, 67.8 percent of 3,228 elementary, middle and high school students replied that the two Koreas need to reunify. 　Among them, 28.8 percent said that reunification is necessary as it will help South Korea become stronger, while 23.2 percent answered it will ease security concerns on the Korean Peninsula. So

North KoreaJune 1, 2020