The Korea Herald

[News Focus] Korea’s economy underperforms among emerging nations

EconomyFeb 9, 2020

While Korea reported the lowest growth in a decade in 2019 since it stood at 0.8 percent in 2009, local and foreign analysts are also not upbeat about the nation’s economy this year. J.P. Morgan, Ba...
[News Focus] Korea’s national debt up 107 trillion won since 2016

EconomyFeb 6, 2020

Parliamentary estimates also suggest that per capita national debt surpassed the 14 million won mark (14.16 million won) for a population of 51.8 million. It surged by more than 1 million won in two ...
[News Focus] Korea sees population fall for 2 consecutive months

Social affairsFeb 4, 2020

Among the 17 major areas (eight cities and nine provinces), 13 (five cities and eight provinces) recorded lower population figures last month, the Interior Ministry data showed. South Jeolla Provinc...
[News Focus] Korea’s payouts for jobless people soar 103% in 5 years

EconomyFeb 2, 2020

Government officials argue that unemployment benefits payouts rose in proportion to the rise in the statutory minimum wage. But the rapid growth in payments since the early to mid-2010s could sugges...
[News Focus] North Korean defectors see household debt surge

EconomyJan 30, 2020

The average household debt of North Korean defectors came to 53 million won ($44,900) as of 2018 (the latest available figure), up 7.5 million won from the previous year. The figure for the group is...
[News Focus] Regional population disparity continues to widen in S. Korea

Social affairsJan 28, 2020

Suwon had the largest population as of December with 1.19 million, followed by Goyang (1.06 million), Yongin (1.05 million), Seongnam (940,000), Bucheon (820,000), Hwaseong (810,000) and Namyangju (7...
[News Focus] Number of nonregular workers up 900,000 during Moon’s term

EconomyJan 27, 2020

As for men, the nonregular-job portion climbed to 29.4 percent as of August 2019, recording the highest in 11 years since the figure reached 30.6 percent in March 2008. Government officials argued t...
[News Focus] International marriages increasing after lull in 2010s

Social affairsJan 21, 2020

Foreigners in their 30s were the most numerous at 640,000 as of September 2019, comprising 26.4 percent of the total. Next were those in their 20s at 610,000 (25 percent), those in their 40s at 390,0...
[News Focus] Korea’s youth population sees steepest fall among OECD members

Social affairsJan 20, 2020

SEJONG -- Fifty years ago, South Koreans aged 14 and under made up 42.5 percent of the population in the wake of the country’s 1955-1963 baby boom. Korea ranked second in a retrospective comparison ...
[News Focus] South Korea’s farm population halves in 20 years

EconomyJan 16, 2020

SEJONG -- Fifty years ago, the number of South Koreans engaged in agriculture accounted for more than 40 percent of the total population. But the farming population (defined by the government as peo...
[News Focus] Centrist voters hold key to April election outcome

PoliticsJan 14, 2020

SEJONG -- In South Korea, swing voters have often determined winners in the past presidential, general and local elections, playing a pivotal role. The swing voters who usually are ideologically neu...
[News Focus] No. of Koreans aged over 80 up 1 million since 2009

Social affairsJan 12, 2020

SEJONG -- South Korea has been picked as one of the few aged societies in Asia, alongside Japan, Hong Kong and Macao, with the average lifespan continuously rising. According to Statistics Korea, li...
[News Focus] Government unemployment calculations face skepticism

EconomyJan 9, 2020

SEJONG -- Government officials actively publicized that the number of unemployed people aged between 15 and 29 and the corresponding unemployment rate had dropped during the Moon Jae-in administratio...
[News Focus] Korea sees widening income disparity

Social affairsJan 7, 2020

SEJONG -- South Korea saw income polarization between the haves and have-nots continue to widen over the past few years. Some research analysts say the nation’s middle income bracket has collapsed a...
[News Focus] South Korea’s population declines in December

Social affairsJan 5, 2020

SEJONG -- State demographic data for last month indicates that South Korea is on the threshold of the era of population decline. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the nation’s popula...