[Graphic News] London remains world's top financial center

　London remains the world‘s most attractive financial center despite fear mongering over Brexit, according to the Z/Yen Group’s latest Global Financial Centres Index.　The City was placed ahead of New York on factors such as infrastructure and access to high-quality staff.　Hong Kong leapfrogged Singapore into third place.　Six Asian countries ranked in the top 10 in the index of global financial centers.　

World BusinessSept. 14, 2017

[Graphic News] Koreans eye trips during long Chuseok break

　About 90 percent of South Koreans are expected to go on a trip during the Chuseok holiday, which begins late this month, a survey showed Monday.　The government has designated Oct. 2 as a one-off holiday to bridge the Sept. 30 weekend with the Chuseok holiday (Oct. 3-5), National Foundation Day (Oct. 6) and Hangeul Day, which commemorates the invention of the Korean alphabet that falls on Oct. 9.　Of 623 people surveyed by hotel and restaurant reservation app Dailyhotel, 89 percent said they woul

NationalSept. 13, 2017

[Graphic News] Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh nears 300,000

　Nearly 300,000 Rohingya people have fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence in Rakhine state, the United Nations said Saturday, while the Myanmarese government for the first time offered humanitarian aid to members of the Muslim minority still in the country.　The UN is bracing for a further surge in arrivals to Bangladesh. Tens of thousands more are believed to be displaced in Rakhine, fleeing burning villages, the army and ethnic Rakhine mobs, who Rohingya refugees accuse of attacking civili

World NewsSept. 12, 2017

[Graphic News] Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

 The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes from 1 to 5 based on sustained wind speed to estimate potential property damage. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage. Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous, however, and require preventive measures.

WorldSept. 11, 2017

[Graphic News] North Korea oil embargo could add fuel to the fire

　Top of the list for new sanctions on North Korea after its sixth nuclear test is an oil embargo, which analysts say would have a crippling effect on the wider economy - but might do little to curb its weapons programs.　North Korea has little oil of its own and relies on fuel imports to keep its citizens and soldiers moving.　China is by far its biggest trading partner, responsible for around 90 percent of its commerce, according to Agence France-Presse.　Figures from the International Trade Cente

North KoreaSept. 10, 2017

[Graphic News] Ice cream sales fall

　South Korea’s ice cream sales have declined in the past few years in the face of fewer children and the growing popularity of alternatives, such as iced coffee and shaved ice, a report said.　Per capita annual consumption of ice cream fell to 58 servings in 2015 from 71 servings in 2013, according to the report written by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.　The report attributed the decrease to the drop in the number of kids, the main consumers of ice cream, and the drastic rise

BusinessSept. 7, 2017

[Graphic News] Mobile credit card spending hits record high

　Average daily spending of mobile credit cards came to 57.9 billion won ($51.2 million) in the first half of this year, up 41.2 percent, data showed　The hike comes as a growing number of Koreans utilize smartphones to buy products ranging from clothes to electronic goods.　South Korea is one of the most wired countries in the world, with one of the highest smartphone penetration rates. Eight in 10 South Koreans use a smartphone, according to government data.

BusinessSept. 6, 2017

[Graphic News] North Korea’s exported labor

　This graphic shows countries known to receive North Korean laborers, according to reports by the UN and academics. Expatriate workers are an important revenue source for Pyongyang

North KoreaSept. 5, 2017

[Graphic News] North Korea conducts sixth nuclear test

　North Korea on Sunday conducted its sixth nuclear test, claiming it was now capable of producing intercontinental ballistic missiles fitted with thermonuclear warheads. 　Several nuclear weapons states around the world carried out these experiments throughout the 20th century, but North Korea is believed to be the only country to do so after 2000.

North KoreaSept. 4, 2017

[Graphic News] KAIST, POSTECH named among top 10 young universities

　Nanyang Technological University in Singapore retained its No. 1 spot in the latest rankings of the world’s top 50 universities established in the last 50 years, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds World Universities Rankings.　The young universities are ranked according to performance across six criteria: Academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per faculty member, ratio of faculty members to students, proportion of international students and proportion of international fa

WorldSept. 3, 2017

[Graphic News] Mark Wahlberg named world's top paid actor

　Rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg was named the world’s highest paid actor, earning an estimated $68 million before taxes over the past 12 months.　The 46-year-old star won his place at the top of the list compiled by Forbes magazine, thanks to earnings from “Transformers: The Last Knight” and comedy sequel “Daddy's Home 2,” due out in November.　Dwayne Johnson, who placed first in 2016, is in second place with $65 million, after starring in the big screen reboot of lifeguard action-comedy “Baywa

WorldAug. 31, 2017

[Graphic News] J.K. Rowling becomes world's top-paid author

　J.K. Rowling, creator of the enduringly popular “Harry Potter” series, has topped the list of the world’s highest-paid authors after earning $95 million, according to Forbes.　Crime novelist Patterson was knocked down from the top perch to the No. 2 spot this year, with earnings of $87 million　Far below in earnings in the third spot were children’s book writer Jeff Kinney, of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” success, with $21 million in earnings and Dan Brown of “The Da Vinci Code” fame in fourth with $20

WorldAug. 30, 2017

[Graphic News] Beijing hosts more global companies

　Asia is home to more Fortune Global 500 companies today than any other continent. 　Beijing alone has 57 companies which are among the world’s 500 largest companies, according to a list compiled by Fortune. 　Japan is home to 51 global companies although it has lost one company this year in the list. Japan’s capital, Tokyo is home to 37 global companies and Japan’s third largest city Osaka is home to 7 companies.   　South Korea has 15 companies on the list and eleven of them are in Soul. India ha

WorldAug. 29, 2017

[Graphic News] Iceland safest country in world

　Iceland has been named the safest country on Earth, according to the 2017 Global Peace Index. 　The report ranked 163 nations according to their “levels of peacefulness.” The rankings were determined by 23 factors, including homicids, violent crimes, the impact of terrorism and deaths from internal conflicts.　New Zealand ranked second, followed by Portugal, while Ireland rose two places to tie with Japan for the No. 10 spot this year.　Among the most dangerous countries were Syria, Afghanistan, a

WorldAug. 28, 2017

[Graphic News] Anti-smoking campaign lacks results despite big budget

　The government’s anti-smoking campaign, funded partly by increased revenue from a cigarette price hike, has not been effective.　In January 2015, when the price of cigarettes was raised 80 percent from 2,500 won ($2.21) to 4,500 won, monthly cigarette sales were 295 million packs. Currently, monthly sales are close to 300 million packs, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Assembly Budget Office.　Part of the revenue from the hike in cigarette price was allocated to di

NationalAug. 27, 2017

[Graphic News] Kakao Taxi dominates cab-hailing market

　Kakao Taxi is the most popular cab-hailing app in South Korea, dominating 98 percent of the market this year. UberTaxi came in a second with 11 percent. 　Market analysis company Open Survey polled 1,500 smartphone users between 20 through 40 to find out which online-to-offline apps they use the most for specific needs. Multiple selections were allowed in the survey.　For food delivery, the most used app is Baedal Minjok with 80 percent. It was closely followed by Yogiyo with 72 percent. Baedalto

BusinessAug. 24, 2017

[Graphic News] South Korean egg scandal

　Only about 10 percent of eggs, or 4.5 million, subject to recall for possible contamination with harmful pesticides have been seized by the authorities as of Tuesday, officials said, suggesting that the majority of them may have already been bought or consumed. 　A total of 52 poultry farms in South Korea were found to have used insecticides not permitted for poultry farming, including fipronil, in a nationwide examination conducted between Aug. 15 -18. All eggs produced from July 1, estimated t

NationalAug. 22, 2017

[Graphic News] China may not be the most populous country by 2024

　The graph shows Asia’s demographics. By 2024, it will look very different as India’s population is all set to surpass that of China. 　Currently China, with a population of 1.41 billion, and India, with 1.34 billion, remain the two most populous countries, comprising of 19 percent and 18 percent of the total global population respectively, according to the UN report. And in about seven years, or around 2024, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China.　Other populous Asian count

World NewsAug. 21, 2017

[Graphic News] Angkor Wat named world's top landmark

　Cambodia’s legendary ancient Angkor Wat complex was named the planet’s most stunning landmark in 2017 by TripAdvisor.　Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious monument. It includes temples, reservoirs and canals. 　The travel website releases awards lists throughout the year, bestowing kudos on hotels, destinations, museums and more, based on users’ reviews.

WorldAug. 20, 2017

[Graphic News] Harvard tops list of world university rankings again

US universities retained their dominance in an annual Chinese ranking of the world’s top academic institutions, with Harvard staying No. 1 for the 15th straight year.In the top 10, little changed from last year, Stanford held on to the second spot in the “Academic Ranking of World Universities” compiled by the independent Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, which has ranked the top 500 institutions each year since 2003.A statement accompanying this year’s results said the rankings were based on a rang

World NewsAug. 17, 2017