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Health
[Graphic News] Number of influenza patients surge 136%

The number of influenza patients is rapidly increasing, particularly among adolescents, marking the largest outbreak since 2016. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the influenza-like illness, or ILI, rate — a measure of suspected flu patients among 1,000 outpatients at 300 sample monitoring medical institutions nationwide — surged to 73.9 between Dec. 22 and 28 last year. The figure reflects a dramatic 136 percent rise from the previous week’s rate of 31.3 per 1,000 pe
Jan. 6, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Year of the Blue Snake

The year 2025 is recognized as the Year of the Blue Snake in the Chinese zodiac. Each year, one of the 12 zodiac animals is paired with an element from the Chinese Five Elements theory (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). For 2025, the associated element is wood, which is traditionally linked to the color blue. This connection is why 2025 is referred to as the Year of the Blue Snake.
Jan. 2, 2025 - 08:00:03
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Generational divide at impeachment rallies stronger among women

On Dec. 14 at 4 p.m., during the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol, women from different age groups made the most prominent presence at rallies in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun, according to living population statistics analyzed by Yonhap News Agency. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's living population statistics, developed in collaboration with KT, utilize public big data and telecommunications data to estimate the number of people in specific areas of Seoul at particul
Dec. 27, 2024 - 17:30:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Idiom of the year

The four-character idiom “Doryangbalho”, meaning "the rampant abuse of power and influence," was chosen as the idiom of the year. College professors highlighted their concerns, criticizing the misuse of authority for personal gain instead of serving the public good. According to a nationwide survey conducted by The Kyosu Sinmun from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2 among 1,086 professors, “Doryangbalho” received 41.4 percent of the votes (450), reflecting both past and curre
Dec. 19, 2024 - 08:01:18
Politics
[Graphic News] Gap between main opposition, ruling parties reaches record high

The results of a public opinion poll show that the gap in support between the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party has reached its highest level since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration in May 2022. According to a survey conducted by Realmeter over two days on Dec. 12-13 with 1,001 voters aged 18 and older nationwide, support ratings were as follows: Democratic Party of Korea at 52.4 percent, People Power Party at 25.7 percent, Rebuilding Korea Party at 8 perc
Dec. 18, 2024 - 08:01:17
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] 9 in 10 small merchants impacted by martial law crisis

A recent survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 small merchants in South Korea saw a decrease in their sales following the martial law crisis initiated by President Yoon Suk Yeol. The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises released the results of an online survey conducted over three days starting Dec. 10. The survey sampled 1,630 mom-and-pop merchants across the nation in the food, lodging, retail and personal service industries. According to the findings, 88.4 percent of respondents said their
Dec. 17, 2024 - 08:01:17
Politics
[Graphic News] Lee Jae-myung leads suitability for the next president

As President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law raises the possibility of an early presidential election, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has emerged as the leading candidate for the presidency. A survey conducted by Media Research and commissioned by the news agency Newspim polled 1,007 men and women aged 18 and older nationwide using an automatic response system (ARS) on Sunday. Respondents were asked, “Among the following individuals, who do you t
Dec. 11, 2024 - 08:01:13
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] 60% of job seekers in S. Korea ‘passive’: survey

A recent survey by the Federation of Korean Industries reveals that six out of ten job seekers in South Korea are classified as “passive job seekers” with low expectations for employment. The 2024 University Student Employment Perception Survey, conducted among 2,938 students and graduates from four-year universities nationwide, found that 1,235 respondents were preparing for employment. Of these, 60.5 percent were categorized as passive job seekers. Passive job-seeking behavior wa
Dec. 4, 2024 - 08:01:09
WorldNews
[Graphic News] Korea’s 5G infrastructure ranked best in world

South Korea’s digital infrastructure is regarded as the world’s best, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT, citing findings from the OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024. In the report, South Korea ranked first among 29 countries, including non-OECD members such as China and the European Union, in “5G base station deployment.” The country recorded 593 5G base stations per 100,000 inhabitants, significantly surpassing Lithuania (328) and Finland (251). The OECD aver
Dec. 3, 2024 - 08:01:08
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] South Koreans favor Japan for repeat overseas trips

The Japanese cities of Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo emerged as the top destinations for repeat overseas travel among South Koreans, according to data from Triple, a travel platform run by Interpark. These three destinations accounted for over half of all demand for multiple visits, reflecting strong interest in tourism to Japan. Osaka topped the list with 18.6 percent of respondents reporting at least two visits, followed by Fukuoka (16.6 percent), Tokyo (15.2 percent), Bangkok, Thailand (7.9 perc
Nov. 28, 2024 - 08:01:06
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] International marriages on rise in Korea

In 2023, one in ten newlyweds in Korea was part of an international couple, with international marriages making up 10.6 percent (20,431) of all unions. This marks an increase of 9.1 percent (17,428) in 2022. Of these, 69.8 percent were between foreign national wives and Korean national husbands, 17.9 percent between foreign husbands and Korean wives, and 12.3 percent were comprised of two or at least one naturalized Korean citizen. Married couples where both partners are of foreign nationality
Nov. 26, 2024 - 08:01:08
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Golf enters top 10 Korean hobbies ranking

Golf has made its first appearance in Gallup Korea’s top 10 favorite hobbies for South Koreans, ranking No. 8 with 4.1 percent of survey respondents mentioning it as their hobby of choice. The annual survey, conducted with 1,777 participants aged 13 and older, asked, “What is your favorite hobby?” and marked the first time since the survey began in 2004 that golf reached the top 10. The top hobbies include gaming (9 percent), followed by fitness and hiking tied for second (7
Nov. 25, 2024 - 08:01:03
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Tainan predicted top destination for South Koreans in 2025

Travel app Skyscanner has unveiled its Travel Trends 2025 report, capturing tourism insights based on a survey of 20,000 travelers worldwide. According to the report, next year’s key travel theme is predicted to be “shared experiences with others,” in which people will pursue experiences that can be shared with others who have similar interests. Among the survey participants, 1,000 South Koreans shared their preferred travel destinations, favoring shorter flights. Taiwan&rsqu
Nov. 14, 2024 - 08:00:56
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Korea’s app users spend more time on YouTube, Instagram

US-based social media platforms YouTube and Instagram saw their usage time among South Korean app users rise sharply in September from a year earlier, data showed, while locally based platforms like KakaoTalk and Naver lost ground. The total hours spent by Korean users on YouTube, the most popular app here, came to 1.8 billion hours in September, up 9.5 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by industry tracker Wiseapp. Instagram also saw its combined usage time reach 378 mill
Nov. 13, 2024 - 08:00:57
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Cancer leads causes of death in S. Korea

Cancer remained the leading cause of death among South Koreans last year, according to data from Statistics Korea. A total of 352,511 deaths were recorded in 2023, a decrease of 5.5 percent from the previous year, marking a decline after three years of increases. The decline in the total number of deaths is partly attributed to the country’s COVID-19 measures. However, excluding deaths due to COVID-19, the overall number of fatalities actually increased. COVID-19, which was the third lea
Nov. 6, 2024 - 08:00:56