Articles by Nam Kyung-don
Nam Kyung-don
don@heraldcorp.com-
[Graphic News] S. Korea 3rd-largest importer of US weapons
South Korea bought US weapons worth a total of $6.73 billion from 2008 to 2017, becoming the third-largest importer of arms produced by its ally, according to an annual analysis of the defense market. According to the 2018 Global Defense Market Yearbook by the state-run Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, Saudi Arabia topped the list of importers of US weapons, followed by Australia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. In the decade starting 2008, Saudi Arabia imported $10.63 billi
Defense Jan. 27, 2019
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[Graphic News] More than 8 in 10 foreigners have positive image of Korea
According to an online survey of 8,000 people in 16 countries, including South Korea, 80.3 percent of foreign respondents positively rated the nation’s image. Notably, 34.6 percent expressed a “very positive” impression of the nation, the survey showed. It was jointly conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the affiliated Korea Culture and Information Service. Forty percent of foreign respondents said Korea’s most representative image was in Korean cuisine, 22.8 percent in
National Jan. 24, 2019
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[Graphic News] London retains tech startup crown
London is Europe’s most attractive city for technology startups, despite a sharp slowdown last year, a study showed. With Brexit looming, the mayor’s promotional agency, London & Partners, said 1.8 billion pounds ($2.3 billion) had been invested in fledgling tech businesses in 2018. That represented a near 30 percent slump compared with 2017 and was the first slowdown in six years, L&P said in a statement. But London’s 2018 total was still double that of Berlin, which stood in second place, whi
World Business Jan. 23, 2019
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[Graphic News] Eating out declined in 2018: survey
South Koreans dined out less frequently in 2018 compared with 2017, according to a recent survey. The survey involved 3,014 people aged 20-69, and revealed that Koreans dined out an average of 20.8 times per month last year. The comparable figure a year earlier was 21.8. They made an average of 13.7 visits to restaurants per month, with delivered or takeout meals accounting for the remainder. Average spending on eating out stood at 292,689 won ($260.40) per month, about 11,000 won lower than la
National Jan. 22, 2019
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[Graphic News] Poll shows 8 in 10 exposed to secondhand smoke from neighbors
As many as 8 in 10 South Koreans have experienced exposure to secondhand smoke from neighbors, but most refrained from complaining, a poll showed. The survey of 1,542 residents of Gyeonggi Province -- the nation’s most populous province, which surrounds Seoul -- found that 1,197 respondents, or 78 percent, had been subjected to harm as a result of smoking by their neighbors. The poll was conducted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government from Dec. 21-27 last year on its online site. Seventy-four p
Social Affairs Jan. 21, 2019
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[Graphic News] S. Korea to increase defense spending
South Korea will increase defense spending by an average of 7.5 percent each year over the next five years, the Defense Ministry said. The ministry announced its defense blueprint for the 2019-2023 period, when it intends to spend 270.7 trillion won ($241 billion) -- 94.1 trillion won on improving defense capabilities and the rest on managing troops, equipment and facilities. Under the plan, the ministry seeks to increase the country’s defense budget, which stands at 46.7 trillion won this ye
Defense Jan. 20, 2019
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[Graphic News] Number of abandoned pets increases in S. Korea
The number of abandoned animals continued to increase in South Korea, amid the growing number of households raising pets, government data shows. The number of abandoned animals stood at 102,593 in 2017, gradually rising from 81,147 in 2014. The number of households raising pets also increased from 4.57 million in 2015 to 5.39 million in 2017, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. On average, 281 pets were abandoned every day in 2017. In the wake of a
Social Affairs Jan. 17, 2019
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[Graphic News] US shutdown sends economy into uncharted waters
The US government shutdown became the longest in history when it entered its 25th day Tuesday. Trump was unmoved in the White House, his border wall unbuilt, and around 800,000 federal workers were still without pay and facing mounting hardships.
World Jan. 16, 2019
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[Graphic News] Global OLED TV market grows twofold every year since 2015
The global market for organic light-emitting diode TVs has surged twofold every year since 2015. IHS Markit said sales of OLED sets are estimated to have reached some 2.6 million units in 2018, up from just 335,000 in 2015. Data showed that sales reached 724,000 units in 2016, followed by 1.59 million units in the following year. Total sales may rise to 3.6 million units this year, nearly double to reach 7 million units in 2020 and surpass 10 million units in 2021. The market researcher said OL
Business Jan. 15, 2019
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[Graphic News] Fine dust blankets South Korea
Fine dust filled South Korea’s sky Sunday, prompting authorities to take countermeasures and issue advisories. The fine dust level stood at 79 micrograms per cubic meter for Seoul as of 10 a.m., according to Air Korea. The density level was likely to hover above 50 micrograms per cubic meter on average for the day in most of Seoul and the surrounding regions, the weather agency predicted. In response to the dust, the Ministry of Environment required thermal power plants in the affected areas
National Jan. 14, 2019
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[Graphic News] Number of global 'hallyu’ fans soars close to 90 million
The number of dedicated global fans of “hallyu,” or the Korean Wave, is estimated to have surged to about 90 million at the end of last year, a government-affiliated foundation said. The Korea Foundation said in a report that there were 1,843 hallyu fan clubs in 113 countries worldwide, excluding South Korea, as of December 2018. The global hallyu fan clubs had a total of 89.19 million members, marking a surge of 22 percent, or 16.07 million, from 73.12 million in 2017, said the foundation, whi
Culture Jan. 13, 2019
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[Graphic News] Korean teens spend 2 hours daily on online broadcasts
South Korean teenagers spend two hours a day watching online broadcasts streamed by individual creators, a survey showed, with YouTube being the most popular platform. According to the survey of 1,058 respondents conducted by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, South Korean teenagers spend 114.9 minutes every day watching such online video content. By platform, YouTube accounted for 36.4 percent of the content, followed by AfreecaTV with 16.8 percent and Twitch with 16.6 percent. V
Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2019
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[Graphic News] Mobile number portability hits 13-year low in 2018
The number of South Koreans who switched mobile carriers reached a 13-year low in 2018 due to weaker subsidy competition, industry data showed. The country‘s three major mobile carriers -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- and budget carriers posted a combined 5.67 million in number portability last year, according to data from the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association. The tally was down 19.3 percent from the previous year and the lowest level since 2005. The figure translates into aroun
Business Jan. 9, 2019
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[Graphic News] Korea’s performing arts market grew 23% last year
South Korea’s performing arts market grew 23 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, on the back of ticket sales for musicals and K-pop concerts. According to ticket distributor Interpark, sales of tickets for performing arts reached 544.1 billion won ($486 million) in 2018, up from 441.1 billion won the previous year. Sales of tickets for musicals rose 29 percent on-year to 257.1 billion won, while sales of concert tickets rose 22 percent to 223.3 billion won. The two genres led the ov
National Jan. 8, 2019
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[Graphic News] Fatal air crashes rose last year
A total of 556 people died in 15 plane crashes in 2018, significantly more than the previous year, but long-term trends show that safety has improved, an aviation watchdog reported. The year 2017 was the safest year in aviation history with only 44 people killed in 10 airliner accidents, said the Aviation Safety Network. Last year was still the third-safest year in aviation history in terms of the number of fatal accidents and the ninth-safest in terms of lives lost. Last year’s deadliest accid
World News Jan. 7, 2019
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