[Graphic News] South Korea is world’s 4th-largest customer of US arms: data

　South Korea is the fourth-largest buyer of US weapons over the past 10 years, government data showed.　According to the global defense market yearbook published by South Korea’s Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, the United States exported weapons worth $93.1 billion between 2009 and 2018 to the outside world. 　Of the total, South Korea bought $6.28 billion, standing at the fourth spot.　Saudi Arabia was the No. 1 customer by purchasing US arms worth $13.47 billion, followed by Aust

World NewsDec. 25, 2019

[Graphic News] Annual number of Jeju airport passengers tops 30m for first time

The number of passengers handled this year by Jeju International Airport, the gateway to the resort iIsland, topped 30 million for the first time, data showed.A total of 30,057,300 passengers traveled through the airport until Dec. 16 this year, according to data released by the Korea Airports Corp.It is the first time for any of 14 airports in South Korea, excluding Incheon International Airport, to handle more than 30 million passengers a year. (Yonhap) 

IndustryDec. 24, 2019

[Graphic News] Number of multiple homeowners reaches record high in 2018

　The number of people who own more than 10 homes in South Korea climbed to a new high last year, marking a turnaround from a slight drop the previous year, data showed.　As of end-2018, the number of people with 10 or more homes here came to 37,487, up 2.1 percent from 36,731 a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsDec. 23, 2019

[Graphic News] India leads world in pollution-linked deaths: study

　India leads the world in pollution-linked deaths followed by China and Nigeria, according to a report that estimated the global impact of contaminants in the air, water and workplace.　The report by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution found pollution to be the largest environmental cause of premature death on the planet, causing 15 percent of all deaths, amounting to some 8.3 million people.　Among the 10 countries with the most pollution deaths in 2017, the latest year for which data was

World NewsDec. 22, 2019

[Graphic News] Macao celebrates 20th anniversary

　The former Portuguese colony of Macao on Friday marks the 20th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule under the “one country, two systems” principle also in place in Hong Kong.　Macao owns some of the world’s largest casinos operated by multinational casino companies and is economically quite dependent on its gambling industry.　Macao, Asia’s most famous gambling hub, had 41 casinos and nearly 36 million tourists visited in 2018. (AFP)

World NewsDec. 19, 2019

[Graphic News] 35 conglomerates earn W1.28tr in brand license fees

　Thirty-five conglomerates earned 1.28 trillion won ($1.07 billion) last year by selling brand licenses to their affiliates, South Korea’s antitrust watchdog said, amid concerns that such transactions may help owners of conglomerates pocket profits.　Brand commission fees earned by 35 conglomerates last year rose 11.5 percent on-year, the Fair Trade Commission said in a statement.　LG and SK topped the list by charging their affiliates 268.4 billion won and 233.2 billion won, respectively, l

BusinessDec. 18, 2019

[Graphic News] North Korea’s crop harvest up 2% on improved weather conditions

　North Korea’s crop production this year is estimated to have slightly increased from a year earlier on the back of relatively improved weather conditions, data showed.　The combined crop output of the communist nation is estimated to reach 4.64 million tons this year, compared to 4.55 million tons a year earlier, according to the Rural Development Administration.　The production of rice, a key staple food for Koreans, is estimated to have risen 1.8 percent over the period to reach 2.24 mill

North KoreaDec. 17, 2019

[Graphic News] Korea has 33m pay TV subscribers: ICT Ministry

　The number of pay TV subscribers in South Korea reached 33 million in the first six months of the year - up 540,000, or 1.67 percent, from the second half of last year - data from the Ministry of Science and ICT showed.　The figure includes paid subscriptions to system operators, satellite broadcasting services and internet protocol television service providers.　Fixed-line and telecom operator KT had the largest market share, over 21.4 percent, with just under 7.1 million subscribers. SK Broadba

BusinessDec. 16, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s labor force to shrink 17% by 2040: WTO

　South Korea’s labor force is projected to decline 17 percent by 2040, a report showed, a development that could undermine the potential growth of Asia’s fourth-largest economy.　The report from the World Trade Organization showed that Korea’s labor force faces the steepest decline in the world between 2018 and 2040. The corresponding figure for both Japan and China, whose labor forces are also expected to contract, was 14 percent.　The report said the US labor force can be expec

Social AffairsDec. 15, 2019

[Graphic News] Life expectancy of Koreans unchanged at 82.7 years in 2018

　South Korean babies born in 2018 can be expected to live just over 82 years, government data showed, as a growing number of people are taking care of their health by receiving regular medical checkups and treatment.　Life expectancy at birth averaged 82.7 years in 2018 and remained unchanged from a year ago, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The figure represents a sharp hike from 62.3 years in 1970, when Korea began to compile relevant data.　Baby boys and girls born in 2018 we

Social AffairsDec. 12, 2019

[Graphic News] US regains dominance in Korea’s imported beef market

　Beef imported from the United States increased significantly, accounting for over 50 percent of South Korea’s imported beef market this year, a trade promotion agency said.　Korea imported 209,034 tons of US beef in the January-October period, up 7.9 percent from 193,685 tons tallied during the same period a year earlier, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association. 　US beef made up more than 50 percent of all imported beef here for the first time since 2003, when Kore

IndustryDec. 11, 2019

[Graphic News] 5G subscribers in S. Korea near 4 million in October

　Almost 4 million South Koreans are subscribed to 5G mobile network as of October, with the number expected to breach the 5 million mark by the end of this year, government data showed.　The number of 5G users in the nation reached 3.98 million as of the end of October, adding 516,000 from a month ago, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT. (Yonhap)

BusinessDec. 10, 2019

[Graphic News] Majority of Americans see North Korea as enemy: poll

　A majority of Americans view North Korea as an enemy, a recent survey showed, putting the communist nation atop a list of countries in terms of enemy perceptions.　The poll of 1,500 people, carried out last month by the London-based research data group YouGov and the Economist magazine, showed that 56 percent of Americans consider North Korea to be an enemy of the United States, up from 51 percent in August. 　The survey asked respondents about their perceptions of 14 countries. The enemy percept

World NewsDec. 9, 2019

[Graphic News] Air New Zealand named world’s best airline 2020

　Air New Zealand has dethroned Singapore Airlines to reclaim the title of world’s best airline for the sixth time. 　AirlineRatings.com released the latest edition of its annual ranking, which is based on 12 criteria including fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, investment rating, product offerings and staff relations. 　This year, the flagship carrier of New Zealand took top honors, nudging Singapore Airlines into second place, followed by All Nippon Airways, Qantas and Cathay Paci

World BusinessDec. 8, 2019

[Graphic News] Online shopping purchases rise in October

　Purchases made using the internet and mobile devices in South Korea grew in October, government data showed, reflecting the popularity of smartphones, fast delivery and convenient payment options. 　Transactions made with computers, smartphones and tablets reached 11.8 trillion won ($9.9 billion) in October, up 17.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Korea. This was attributed to increased demand for food, clothes and daily necessities, the agency said. (Yonhap)

BusinessDec. 5, 2019

[Graphic News] US draws fewer new foreign students for 3rd straight year

　A new report found that the number of foreign students coming to US universities continued to decrease last year.　The annual report from the Institute of International Education found a 1 percent decrease in the number of newly enrolled international students in fall 2018 compared with the year before. This follows two years of decreases after more than a decade of upward movement.　Some schools have blamed US President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric for driving students away, but

World NewsDec. 4, 2019

[Graphic News] Americans prefer mobile devices for news: survey

　Americans rely on their mobile devices for online news far more than desktop or laptop computers, building on a trend that began several years ago, a survey showed.　The Pew Research Center report found 57 percent of US adults often get news from a smartphone or tablet compared with 30 percent from a PC.　The share of Americans who often get news on a mobile device is more than double the 21 percent who did so in 2013, the first time Pew asked this question.　The percentage who often get news on a

World NewsDec. 3, 2019

[Graphic News] More countries affected by terrorism even as deaths fall: index

　The number of global deaths from terrorism fell 15.2 percent in 2018, even as the number of countries affected by extremist violence continued to grow, the 2019 Global Terrorism Index showed.　From a high of 33,555 deaths in 2014, when the Islamic State group lured tens of thousands of jihadists to the Middle East, the number of terrorism deaths has more than halved to 15,952 in 2018, the index published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace showed.　Afghanistan topped the list

World NewsDec. 2, 2019

[Graphic News] 7 out of 10 South Koreans agree with efforts to resume Kumgangsan tours

　Seven out of 10 South Koreans are supportive of government efforts to resume a long-suspended inter-Korean tour program at Kumgangsan on North Korea‘s east coast, a recent poll showed, amid the North’s threat to end the cross-border project. 　According to the survey, conducted by the National Unification Advisory Council, 66.8 percent of the respondents said they either strongly agree or agree with efforts to resume the Kumgangsan tour by allowing individual visits or in-kind paymen

NationalDec. 1, 2019

[Graphic News] French nationality ranked No. 1 globally

　France topped a worldwide nationality ranking for the eighth consecutive year, ahead of the Netherlands and Germany. 　The Kalin and Kochenov’s Quality of Nationality Index examines factors including the freedom to travel and settle, peace and stability, economic strength and human development to come up with a score. 　European Union countries dominate the top of the index, “largely due to the liberal degree of settlement freedom permitted between member states, as well as the stand-

World NewsNov. 28, 2019