Overseas card spending by South Koreans posted double-digit growth for the second straight year in 2018 due to a larger number of outbound travelers and a weaker US dollar, according to the Bank of Korea.　Koreans made $19.22 billion worth of card payments abroad last year, up 12.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the central bank.　Overseas card spending includes purchases made with debit and direct payment cards, in addition to credit cards.

Business March 3, 2019

　Pollution levels in many Asian countries are so high that they threaten food security and human health. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand and Indonesia were identified as some of the world’s most polluted countries in a recent global ranking. In contrast, Japan was the least polluted Asian country on the list.   　To assess the environmental health of the world’s countries, Yale University and Columbia University jointly developed the Environmental Performance Index in collaboration with the World

World Feb. 27, 2019

　Asian countries are spending more on their human capital, according to World Bank Human Capital Index. 　The Human Capital Index measures the amount of human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by age of 18, given the risks to poor health and poor education that prevail in the country where the child lives. The HCI index values aim to convey the productivity of the next generation and highlights how ready Asian youth are to face a future of immense opportunities.　Singapore takes

World News Feb. 26, 2019

　The Korea Baseball Organization recently announced its salary data for the 2019 season.　Lee Dae-ho of the Lotte Giants topped all players with an annual salary of 2.5 billion won ($2.2 million), followed by the Kia Tigers’ Yang Hyeon-jong (2.3 billion won) and the NC Dinos’ Yang Eui-ji (2 billion won). 

Baseball Feb. 25, 2019

　The price of popular dishes rose about 8 percent over a one-year period, the Korea Consumer Agency said.　Posted on the agency's price information site, the list of eight dishes measured between January of last and this year showed price increases for seven.　“Gimbap,” a rice roll with vegetables, cost an average 2,369 won ($2.11), up 8.1 percent from a year ago. A bowl of “naengmyeon,” cold buckwheat noodles, was priced at an average of 8,846 won, up 8 percent, while bibimbap, rice mixed with ve

National Feb. 24, 2019

　South Koreans’ attendance of cultural and arts events has risen steadily in recent years due to higher incomes and growing interest in culture, showed a survey. 　According to the survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, the rate of public attendance of cultural and arts events was 81.5 percent between Aug. 1, 2017 and July 31, 2018.　This represented an increase of 3.2 percentage points from 78.3 percent recorded in 2016 and marked the fi

Life&Culture Feb. 21, 2019

　Samsung Electronics was placed among the top two in a brand rating by French consumers, company officials said.　The 2019 edition of Best Brands France showed the tech firm at No. 1 in the best product brand category and at No. 2 in best corporate brand after Amazon.　For the golden age brand, chosen by consumers aged 50 and up, Samsung Electronics finished at No. 2 after Bose.　China's Huawei was ranked top for the best growth brand.

World Business Feb. 20, 2019

　LeBron James remains the top-earning player in the NBA while an increasing number of stars have boosted their income through off-field activities, according to Forbes.　Forbes said that Los Angeles Lakers star James was the highest-paid player in basketball for a fifth straight year, pocketing an estimated $88.7 million in 2018-19.　Around $35.7 million of James's earnings came from salary and bonuses, while $53 million was generated through endorsements.　Golden State Warriors ace Stephen Curry r

World Feb. 19, 2019

　The number of abortions estimated to have been performed in South Korea stood at 49,764 in 2017, down from 69,909 in 2016 and 168,738 in 2010, possibly due to wider use of birth control, a report said Thursday. 　The report was based on a survey of 10,000 women aged between 15 and 44. It was the first such nationwide survey in eight years. 

Social Affairs Feb. 18, 2019

　A total of 2.9 million tourists used Airbnb, a global house-sharing platform, here last year, up 56 percent from a year earlier, the company said.　Seven out of 10 Airbnb users, or some 2.02 million, were locals, with 156,200 Chinese tourists to South Korea staying at Airbnb accommodations, accounting for 17 percent of all foreign tourists using the house-sharing platform, it added.　Airbnb hosts earned an average of 4.94 million won ($4,400) last year, according to the company.

National Feb. 17, 2019

　Nearly half of all insect species worldwide are in rapid decline and one-third could disappear altogether, according to a study warning of dire consequences for crop pollination and natural food chains.　The research found that 41 percent of the world’s insect populations are declining, while a third are endangered. The extinction rate of insects is eight times greater than those of mammals, birds and reptiles, and there are suggestions they could totally vanish within a century. 　The study says

World Feb. 14, 2019

　Fewer young students in South Korea perceive North Korea as an enemy than a year ago, while a larger number of them regard the North as a cooperative partner, a poll has showed.　In the poll of 82,947 elementary, middle and high school students by the education and unification ministries last year, only 5.2 percent said North Korea should be thought of as an enemy, marking a sharp fall from 41 percent in a similar survey held in 2017.　Instead, 28.2 percent of the young students agreed with the n

North Korea Feb. 13, 2019

　China edged out South Korea in the global liquid-crystal display TV market last year to become the world’s top manufacturer of the products, data showed.　According to data compiled by industry tracker IHS Markit, China accounted for the largest share (31.9 percent) of the 152.16 million units of LCD televisions shipped during the first nine months of last year.　Korea came in second at 30.6 percent, or 46.58 million LCD TVs, followed by Japan with 14.6 percent and European nations with 2.8 perce

World Business Feb. 12, 2019

　Smartphone use has become the norm in most developed nations, while many emerging economies are showing sharp gains, a global survey showed Tuesday.　A Pew Research Center report found strong majorities of adults using smartphones in the world’s wealthier countries, led by 95 percent adoption in South Korea and 88 percent in Israel.　The report is based on a survey of 30,133 people in 27 countries, conducted from May 14 to August 12, 2018.　China, believed to be the world’s largest smartphone mark

World Business Feb. 11, 2019

　South Korea rose six notches in an international corruption awareness ranking to No. 45 of 180 countries in 2018, a report from a global anti-corruption watchdog showed.　South Korea scored 57 out of 100 points in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index report issued by Berlin-based Transparency International.　The index evaluates countries based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be, using corruption-related data collected by governance and business experts, according to Transparen

World News Feb. 10, 2019