[Graphic News] Health care, cosmetics exports surge

　South Korea’s health care and cosmetics exports surged to $14.6 billion last year, the result of solid demand, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.　Outbound shipments of drugs, medical equipment and makeup jumped 19.4 percent from the previous year, with the annual average growth rate for the past five years hitting 21 percent, according to the ministry.　Of the total, cosmetics accounted for $6.3 billion. The next-strongest export sectors were drugs and medical equipment at $4.7 billi

BusinessJuly 2, 2019

[Graphic News] DMZ: World’s last Cold War frontier

Where is it? 　　The 4-kilometer-wide DMZ runs for 250 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula, around 50 kilometers north of Seoul and 200 kilometers south of Pyongyang. 　At its center is the Military Demarcation Line, where the front line was located when the cease-fire stopping Korean War hostilities was signed in 1953. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to pull back their forces 2,000 meters.What is it? 　　A barrier separating North and South Korea, heavy weaponry is banned within the DMZ. P

North KoreaJuly 1, 2019

[Graphic News] Average spending by foreign tourists in S. Korea tumbles in Q1

　Average spending by foreign tourists visiting South Korea has decreased to a level last seen 10 years ago, data showed.　According to the data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, foreign tourists coming to Korea spent an average of $1,268 per person per trip in the first quarter of this year. 　The figure is down 12.1 percent from $1,442 a year ago and marks the fourth quarterly decrease in a row.　Average spending hovered around $1,200 in the mid-2

TravelJune 27, 2019

[Graphic News] World population to reach 9.7 billion in 2050: UN

　The world’s population is expected to climb to 9.7 billion in 2050 from 7.7 billion today, with the population of sub-Saharan Africa doubling, a United Nations report said.　The population could then grow to 11 billion by 2100, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ “World Population Prospects.”　The study paints a picture of a future in which a handful of countries see their population surge as life expectancy lengthens while the global growth rate

WorldJune 26, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korean brands again sweep J.D. Power’s US initial quality survey

　South Korean brands again demonstrated the best initial quality among 32 automotive brands sold in the United States, according to an annual ranking by researcher J.D. Power, with about half of the domestic brands better than average and all European brands below average. 　Genesis, Kia and Hyundai, all part of Hyundai Motor Group, were the top three brands in the 2019 US Initial Quality Study, which measures problems in the first 90 days of vehicle ownership. 　Ford Motor ranked fourth followed

MobilityJune 25, 2019

[Graphic News] No. of nuclear warheads worldwide declines

　The overall number of nuclear warheads in the world has declined in the past year but nations are modernizing their arsenals, a report said.　At the start of 2019, the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea had a total of some 13,865 nuclear weapons, according to estimates in a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. That represents a decrease of 600 nuclear weapons compared to the start of 2018.　But at the same time all

World NewsJune 24, 2019

[Graphic News] Iceland still world’s most peaceful country

The world has become slightly safer for the first time in five years but it remains “considerably less peaceful now than a decade ago,” a think tank said.The 2019 Global Peace Index ranked Iceland as the world’s most peaceful nation for the 11th year in succession, based on 23 factors including internal and external conflicts, military spending, terrorism and crime rates. South Korea is 55th on the list.Afghanistan was at the bottom, followed by Syria, South Sudan, Yemen and Ir

World NewsJune 23, 2019

[Graphic News] Messi sports world’s highest earner

Lionel Messi was the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2018, Forbes reported June 11. The soccer star raked in $127 million in the year via salary and endorsement deals.That put Messi ahead of longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the Juventus and Portugal star who was second with earnings of $109 million.Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar came in third with earnings of $105 million, completing the sweep for soccer players of the top three positions on the list. (AFP)

World NewsJune 21, 2019

[Graphic News] Seoul, Busan among top 10 most expensive cities in Asia for expats

　Seoul and Busan, respectively, have become the fourth and ninth most expensive cities for expats in Asia, according to a recent report.　Worldwide, the South Korean capital was the eighth most expensive city for expats, according to the report from London-based ECA International.　Ashgabat in Turkmenistan took the crown as the most expensive city, having climbed to the top from No. 29 just last year. Hong Kong ranked fourth in the world and second in Asia. 　The annual study looked at living costs

WorldJune 19, 2019

[Graphic News] 115 million men and boys married as children: UNICEF

　An estimated 115 million boys and men worldwide were married as children, 23 million of them before the age of 15, UNICEF said in the first ever in-depth study of child grooms.　The Central African Republic had the highest prevalence of child marriage among boys at 28 percent, followed by Nicaragua at 20 percent and Madagascar at 13 percent.　Data from 82 countries showed that boys are being married at high rates around the world: in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South Asia, East Asia and Oc

WorldJune 18, 2019

[Graphic News] World’s elderly population to hit 2.1 billion by 2050

　The world is projected to have more than 2.1 billion residents aged 60 and above by 2050, more than double the number of 2017, according to the United Nations.　The elderly population in Asia numbered 549 million in 2017 and will grow to around 1.27 billion in 2050.　The number of elderly is expected to grow fastest in Africa, by more than threefold to 226 million, the data shows.

World NewsJune 17, 2019

[Graphic News] Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand

　US retail giant Amazon has overtaken tech titans Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand, according to a survey. 　The brand value of Amazon surged 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 100 Top BrandZ report.　Amazon jumped from third to first place to eclipse Google, which slid from first to third place. Apple held on to the second spot.　South Korea’s Samsung fell five spots to stand at No. 38.

World BusinessJune 16, 2019

[Graphic News] Rihanna declared world’s richest female musician

　Singer, makeup entrepreneur, lingerie designer and now the first black woman to head a top luxury fashion house - Rihanna has racked up a $600 million fortune to become the world’s richest female musician, Forbes said.　The 31-year-old - born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados - has amassed wealth exceeding that of Madonna ($570 million), Celine Dion ($450 million) and Beyonce ($400 million), whose husband Jay-Z was just named the world’s first billionaire rap star. (AFP)　

PerformanceJune 13, 2019

[Graphic News] Koreans spending more time on Instagram

　The combined time spent on the photo and video-sharing platform Instagram by South Korean Android users surged by 73 percent on-year in May, industry data showed.　They spent a total of 26 billion minutes using Instagram last month, compared with 15 billion minutes during the same period a year earlier, according to the data compiled by industry tracker WiseApp.　Instagram was the most favored SNS platform among Android users in their 30s and teens, with users in their 30s spending the longest am

Social AffairsJune 12, 2019

[Graphic News] Voice phishing is main reason for ID number change

　Voice phishing has turned out to be the biggest reason that people change their resident registration numbers, a government commission in charge of the matter said. 　According to the Interior Ministry’s Resident Registration Number Change Commission, 955 of the total 1,582 applicants have been allowed to change their national ID numbers since the government introduced the measure in May, 2017, to prevent possible harm accruing from ID number leakage. 　Of the reasons for ID number change a

Social AffairsJune 11, 2019

[Graphic News] North Korea ranks at bottom for press freedom: report

　North Korea, along with China, Syria and other countries, has been rated as the worst in terms of press freedom, a recent report by a US freedom watchdog showed.　US-based Freedom House released the annual report for 2019, titled “Freedom and Media: A Downward Spiral,” in which the North got zero on a scale of zero to four points.　Dozens of other countries also received zero in the report.　Norway had the best score for press freedom, followed by Finland and Sweden. Eritrea, North Kor

World NewsJune 10, 2019

[Graphic News] Swine fever to affect pork market for years

　Millions of pigs have been culled as African swine fever cuts through China and beyond, devastating global food chains, with pork prices expected to soar from the food markets of Hong Kong to American dinner tables.　Since its first case in February, Vietnam has culled an estimated 1.7 million pigs - over 6 percent of the total population - and has set up screening stations along some borders.

World NewsJune 9, 2019

[Graphic News] Ryu Hyun-jin named best pitcher for May

　Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ryu Hyun-jin is lately showing off outstanding performances in each and every measure. He has capped it off by winning the National League Pitcher of the Month for May.　Ryu is the second Korean, after then-Dodger Park Chan-ho. Park was the NL’s top pitcher in July 1998, when he was 4-0 in six starts with a 1.05 ERA.

BaseballJune 6, 2019

[Graphic News] Brazil largest coffee producer in world

　Brazil is the largest coffee producing country in the world, having produced more than 51 million bags of beans in 2017-2018. 　The world’s second largest producer is Vietnam, with production of 29.5 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee. 　Colombia now comes third, followed by Indonesia and Honduras.

World NewsJune 5, 2019

[Graphic News] Emerging nations to dominate world economy in 2050

　By 2050, China will not only have overtaken the United States, but its economy will be much, much bigger than the US. 　According to a PwC report, its gross domestic product will stand at around $58.5 trillion compared to the US’ $34.1 trillion (on a purchasing power parity basis). 　The Asian giant will account for 20 percent of the world’s economy, higher than India at 15 percent and the US at 12 percent.　In 2050, the global economy will be led by China, with India in second, follow

World BusinessJune 4, 2019