The global pandemic has deepened social isolation to an all-time high in South Korea, according to a “2021 National Quality of Life Report” released by Statistics Korea.  　The social isolation level last year was 34.1 percent, up 6.4 percentage points from 2019 (27.7 percent) before the spread of the coronavirus. This is the highest level since statistics began being compiled in 2009. 　Attendance at cultural and arts events decreased from 8.4 times in 2019 to 4.5 in 2020. L

National April 7, 2022

　Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the fifth year running, in an annual UN-sponsored index that ranked Afghanistan as the unhappiest, closely followed by Lebanon. 　The latest list was completed before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 　The World Happiness Report, now in its 10th year, is based on people’s own assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data.   　Northern Europeans once again dominated the top spots - with the Danes second

World April 6, 2022

　Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has drawn positive ratings from Americans for his handling of international affairs after Russia invaded his country last month, according to a survey released March 30. 　The Pew Research Center poll found that 72 percent of Americans have “a lot” or “some” confidence in Zelenskyy, higher than any other world leader included in the survey, while only 6 percent of Americans expressed confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin

World April 5, 2022

　Many Americans have taken significant steps back from once-routine coronavirus precautions, with less than half now saying they regularly wear face masks, avoid crowds and skip nonessential travel. 　Americans are letting down their guard even as experts warn a new wave of COVID-19 cases is coming. A new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows fewer people taking protective measures than at any point in AP-NORC polls conducted since early 2021. 　The poll f

World April 4, 2022

  　More than half of South Koreans are against President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s plan to move the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae, while some 44 percent support the idea, a poll showed Wednesday. 　According to the poll of 500 adults, conducted by pollster Realmeter on Tuesday, 53.7 percent said the presidential office should remain at Cheong Wa Dae, and 44.6 percent said they back the relocation plan. 　On Sunday, Yoon announced his decision to move the presidential office from

National April 2, 2022

  　South Korea’s import prices of grain has jumped nearly 50 percent over the past two years to a near nine-year high amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, data showed. 　Prices of imported grains came to $386 per ton in February, up 26 percent from a year earlier and 47.4 percent from two years earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and industry sources. 　The February per-ton import price represented the highest level since it reached $388 in May 2013. 　Last

Business April 2, 2022

  　Instant noodles captured the top spot in production among food products in South Korea in 2020 on a surge in exports amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. 　The output of instant noodles, or “ramyeon” in Korean, stood at 1.93 million metric tons in 2020, up a whopping 231 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. 　Ramyeon’s ranking in terms of production was up 12 notches from the previous year. 　Carbonated drink

Business April 1, 2022

　The number of South Koreans getting married tumbled to a new all-time low in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic and young people’s changing attitude toward marriage, government data showed.  　The number of couples tying the knot in Asia’s fourth-largest economy came to 193,000 last year, down 9.8 percent from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea.  　The number is the lowest since 1970, when the statistical agency began compiling related data, an

National April 1, 2022

   The average monthly salary of wage earners rose 3.6 percent on-year in 2020 from a year earlier despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a government report showed.  South Korean wage workers earned a monthly average of 3.2 million won ($2,669) in December 2020, up from 3.09 million won a year earlier, according to the report from Statistics Korea.  The figure for workers with large companies stood at 5.29 million won, with those in smaller firms earning 2.59 million won.  &n

National April 1, 2022

  The proportion of US adults identifying as LGBT has increased to a high of 7.1 percent, double the figure from 2012 when Gallup first started measuring it, reflecting a generational shift, the polling firm said. Gallup asks Americans whether they personally identified as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual, as part of the demographic information it collects on all its phone surveys. Respondents can also volunteer any other orientation or gen

World April 1, 2022

　The number of stock investors in South Korea spiked more than 50 percent on-year in 2021 to breach the 10 million mark amid a retail investment boom, industry data showed. 　A total of 13.84 million investors held shares in 2,426 companies listed on the country's main and secondary bourses, up 50.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Securities Depository. 　Those investors owned shares in an average 5.96 companies, up 13.7 percent from a year earlier, but per-cap

Business March 31, 2022

　US President Joe Biden’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest levels of his presidency over concern for his handling of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation, an NBC poll found. 　Just 40 percent of those who responded to the survey said they approved of Biden’s job performance overall, the poll results show. His job approval rating has gradually fallen since April 2021 when 53 percent of Americans said they approved of his performance. 　The number of those who

World March 30, 2022

　South Korea’s imports of coffee surged more than 24 percent to hit a new all-time high in 2021 on its growing popularity here, data showed. 　The value of the country’s coffee imports stood at $916.5 million last year, up 24.2 percent from the previous year, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and industry sources. 　It marks the first time that South Korea’s coffee imports have exceeded the 1 trillion-won ($823 million) level in terms of the local currency.

Business March 29, 2022

　South Koreans’ use of internet banking services soared 18 percent on-year in 2021 as customers preferred contactless services amid the coronavirus pandemic, central bank data showed. 　The daily use of online banking services, including mobile banking, reached 17.32 million cases last year, up from 14.68 million a year earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea. 　Mobile banking use came to 14.36 million instances per day, up 22.9 percent from a year earlier and accounting for

Business March 28, 2022

　More than half of South Koreans are against President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s plan to move the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae, while some 44 percent support the idea, a poll showed Wednesday.  　According to the poll of 500 adults, conducted by pollster Realmeter on Tuesday, 53.7 percent said the presidential office should remain at Cheong Wa Dae, and 44.6 percent said they back the relocation plan.  　On Sunday, Yoon announced his decision to move the presidential offi

National March 25, 2022