Jul 26

• ●For 1st time, more jobless college grads than middle school grads in South Korea The Korea Herald
  More South Koreans with college degrees are now out of the workforce than those who only finished middle school.
  
  

• ●Why more Korans are becoming side hustlers The Korea Herald
  Kim Sol-nim, 33, writes blogs for hospitals and law firms after returning home from her main job at around 6 p.m. 

Jul 27

• ●Fathers take parental leave in record numbers, accounting for 36% Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of Koreans taking parental leave surged nearly 37 percent in the first half of this year, with fathers accounting for a record share of more than 36 percent.
  
  

• ●Health authorities urge public to stay cool as heat wave persists this week Korea JoongAng Daily
  With temperatures reaching nearly 38 degrees Celcius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) and nights offering little relief, Korea is enduring one of its most intense heat waves in recent years - an extreme weather stretch that has overwhelmed hospitals and pushed heat-related illnesses to record highs.
  
  

• ●Number of foreigners in Korea hits record high of 2.73 million in June Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of foreigners or ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship living in Korea has reached a record high of 2.73 million, with one in three being Chinese, government data showed on Sunday.
  
  

• ●S. Korea's foreign population reaches all-time high of 2.73 million The Korea Herald
  South Korea's foreign population has reached an all-time high of more than 2.73 million, data showed Sunday.
  
  

• ●Koreans may have to pay as much as 25% of income for health benefits by 2072: report The Korea Herald
  South Koreans' financial burden for maintaining the National Health Insurance Service could rise to a quarter of income due to population aging and increasing life expectancy, a study showed Sunday.
  
  

• ●COVID-19 on the rise again as patients hit 2-month high in S. Korea The Chosun Daily
  An office worker surnamed Lee recently experienced high fever, chills, and muscle pain.
  
  

• ●Korean fathers increasingly take paternity leave amid demographic crisis The Korea Times
  A record number of Korean men are opting for paternity leave in a notable cultural shift, government data showed Sunday, as the country faces an intensifying demographic crisis driven by one of the world's lowest birthrates.

Jul 28

• ●Koreans watch screens more as sleep, work and study times drop, data suggests Korea JoongAng Daily
  Koreans are sleeping, working and studying less than five years ago, but spending more time consuming media, according to new government data.
  
  

• ●NHIS hands in petition to court signed by 1.5 milllion people in tobacco lawsuit Korea JoongAng Daily
  The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) submitted a petition signed by 1.5 million people to the appellate court handling its lawsuit against tobacco companies.

Jul 29

• ●What's the cost of tying the knot? Depends on where you're getting married Korea JoongAng Daily
  The average cost of a wedding in Korea slightly exceeded 20 million won ($14,370) last month, with per-guest meal prices reaching as high as 83,000 won in Seoul's Gangnam district--double the 42,000 won seen in some southern regions--highlighting stark regional disparities in wedding expenses.
  
  

• ●South Korea aims to make preschool free for all children by 2027 The Korea Herald
  South Korea will begin offering free education and child care to all 5-year-olds by subsidizing preschool institutions from July, as a step toward the government's plan to make preschool education universally accessible by 2027.
  
  

• ●South Korea's population stagnates despite number of foreign residents topping 2 million The Korea Herald
  South Korea's population showed Lmost no growth in 2024, as an increase in foreign residents was offset by a continued decline in the number of Korean nationals, according to government data released Tuesday.
  
  

• ●S. Korea's populatioin rises for 2nd year on foreign influx The Chosun Daily
  South Korea's total population grew for the second year in a row, driven by a steady rise in foreign residents.
  
  

• ●Daily life in South Korea is getting harder, data shows The Chosun Daily
  South Koreans are sleeping less and skipping more meals than they did just five years ago, according to new government data that offers a stark snapshot of the pressures shaping daily life in one of Asia' most developed economies.

Jul 30

• ●Medical tourism booms with over 1 million visitors spending $1B in 2024 Korea JoongAng Daily
  More than 1 million foreigners came to Korea last year not for sightseeing, but for skin treatments, surgeries and checkups--spending over 1.4 trillion won ($1 billion) and marking a record-breaking boom in the country's medical tourism industry.
  
  

• ●Brutal heat wave hits low-income, vulnerable households harder Korea JoongAng Daily
  This summer has been especially grueling for woman surnamed Kwon, who lives in Bucheon, Byeonggi, with her 6-year-old daughter.
  
  

• ●South Koreans live longer, but suicide rate remains highest The Korea Herald
  South Korea's life expectancy reached 83.5 years as of 2023, surpassing by 2.4 years the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's average of 81.1 years, a report released by the Paris-based organization showed Wednesday.

Jul 31

• ●Children of multicultural families come of age to brighter futures and persistent challenges Korea JoongAng Daily
  In Korea, the children of multicultural families are now entering adulthood with college degrees, higher incomes and deeper roots--challenging old prejudices in a country long seen as ethnically homogenous.
  
  

• ●Diapers take on an older demographic in 2024 Korea JoongAng Daily
  As fewer babies are born in Korea and the country ages into a grayer future, the supply of baby diapers plunged 10.3 percent in 2024, while adult diaper stock rose by 4.8 percent, according to government data released on Thursday.
  
  

• ●Health minister advocates for stricter regulations on synthetic nicotine products Korea JoongAng Daily
  Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Jeong Eun Kyung called for tougher regulations on synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes, warning that the produces are fueling a rise in teenage smoking and escaping oversight under outdated tobacco laws.
  
  

• ●Korea's life expectancy reaches 83.5 years, among highest in OECD The Korea Times
  Korea's life expectancy has reached 83.5 years--one of the highest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member economies, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Wednesday.
  
  

• ●'Skeletally thin': Health authorities warn against 'bone arms' trend circulating online Korea JoongAng Daily
  With summer approaching, health authorities are sounding the alarm over a growing trend on social media that promotes excessively thin body types--such as the so-called bone arms--as ideals of beauty.
  
  

• ●Korea has a higher life expectancy than its OECD peers--but also the highest suicide rate Korea JoongAng Daily
  Koreans live longer than most citizens of other advanced economies, but the country continues to report the highest suicide rate among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
  
  

• ●Multicultural families in Korea show signs of deeper integration, but disparities remain The Korea Herald
  Families with multicultural backgrounds in South Korea are experiencing greater integration into Korean society, with notable progress in children's education, household income and social inclusion, according to the latest government survey.
  
  

• ●Young Koreans flock to exclusive dating parties where looks are the ticket in The Korea Times
  A new trend is taking hold among Korea's millennials and Gen Z--exclusive "appearance-approved" dating parties that require applicants to submit photos and social media accounts for a visual screening before being allowed in.