The number of South Koreans getting married fell at a double-digit rate to an all-time low in 2020, amid young people’s changing attitude toward marriage and the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed. 　The number of couples tying the knot in Asia’s fourth-largest economy reached 214,000 last year, down 10.7 percent from the previous year, according to data from Statistics Korea. 　The figure is the lowest since 1970, when the statistical agency b

　Foreign currency deposits at banks in South Korea rose in February, mainly due to a gain in corporate holdings of US dollar deposits, central bank data showed. 　Outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits held by residents amounted to $90.03 billion as of end-February, up $650 million from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea. 　Residents include local citizens and foreigners staying here for more than six months, as well as foreign companies. The data ex

　The number of stock trading accounts in South Korea has risen sharply over the past year to surpass the 40 million mark amid a buying craze by retail investors, industry data showed. 　Active stock accounts in Asia‘s fourth-largest economy numbered 40.07 million as of March 19, up from 35.48 million at the end of last year. 　It marks the first time that the country’s number of active stock accounts has exceeded the 40-million level. 　The number has increased by approximately 1

　China’s imports of South Korean products last year stayed nearly the same as the previous year despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, a report showed, as the world’s second-largest economy bought more consumer goods like cosmetics. 　China imported $173.5 billion worth of goods from South Korea in 2020, only 0.03 percent down from 2019, according to the report from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. 　China spent $10 million or more on each of 59 items from South Ko

　The United Arab Emirates, a magnet for the globe’s ultrarich, has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing corporate tax havens, according to a study that highlighted a $200 billion-plus money flow to the country. 　The index by the Tax Justice Network, which highlights countries that attract companies to shrink their tax bills, added the United Arab Emirates to its top-10 ranking that includes Switzerland and Bermuda. 　Britain’s offshore territories of the British Virgin Isl

　The number of big-name retailers’ beauty stores in South Korea declined for the first time in 2020, as more customers turned to online shopping amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. 　The country’s three major health and beauty chains - Olive Young, Lalavla and LOHB’s - had a combined 1,484 outlets across the nation as of end-December last year, down 31 from a year earlier, according to data posted on the electronic disclosure system of the Financial Supervisory Serv

　South Korea’s airfreight exports jumped to account for 36 percent of the country’s overall exports last year, industry data showed, on higher demand for chips and bio-health products. 　Of the country’s combined exports of $512.5 billion in 2020, air transport accounted for $183 billion, according to the data compiled by the Korea International Trade Association. 　While maritime transport still accounted for the majority of $325.8 billion, the portion of air cargo rose 5

　Samsung Electronics was relegated to the runner-up spot in the market for connected TV devices, which includes smart TVs, streamers and gaming consoles, in the fourth quarter of 2020, a report showed. 　Samsung, the world’s largest TV maker, shipped 11.9 million connected TV devices in the October-December period, up 2 percent from a quarter earlier, accounting for a 10.9 percent market share, according to industry researcher Strategy Analytics. 　Despite the increase in sales, Sams

　South Korea’s health care and cosmetics exports soared more than 38 percent to an all-time high in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, industry data showed. 　The country’s overseas shipments of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical devices stood at $21.70 billion last year, up 38.3 percent from the previous year and a fresh high, according to the data from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. 　The pandemic led to a surge in exports of biopharmaceuticals, coronavi

　Hong Kong has been removed from an annual index of the world’s freest economies because the think tank that compiles it said the city was now directly controlled by Beijing. 　The announcement is a reputational blow for Hong Kong and comes as Beijing ramps up its bid to quash dissent after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. 　The Heritage Foundation, a conservative US think tank, publishes its annual Index of Economic Freedom, ranking countries and terri

　Seoul’s population has fallen below 10 million for the first time in over 30 years, the city government said. 　The total stood at 9,911,088 residents at the end of last year, with 9,668,465 citizens and 242,623 foreign nationals living in the capital, the local government said, citing data from the Interior and Justice ministries. 　This marks the first time since 1988 that Seoul’s population has dipped below 10 million. 　The South Korean capital posted a population of 10.29

　A growing number of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, a Gallup poll indicates. 　The survey found that 5.6 percent of Americans identified as LGBT in 2020, while 86.7 percent said they were heterosexual or straight and 7.6 percent chose not to answer the question. 　In 2017, the last time Gallup asked the question, 4.5 percent of Americans said they were LGBT. In 2012, the first year the question was asked, 3.5 percent identified as LGBT. (UPI)

　K-pop sensation BTS was the most tweeted about musician in the United States last year, the band’s agency said. 　In a recent survey by Twitter, BTS topped the list of 2020 most tweeted about musicians in the US, followed by Kanye West, Beyonce and Drake, according to Big Hit Entertainment. 　Other South Korean bands, Ateez, NCT and EXO, also made the top 10, along with Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and Bad Bunny. 　BTS made a splash in the US music scene last year as its first E

　Strong sales of iPhone 12 models lifted Apple to the top of the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter, a survey showed. 　The report by market tracker Gartner showed Apple sold some 79.9 million iPhones in the final three months of the year - a 15 percent surge from a year earlier - to leapfrog Samsung in sales in a global smartphone market which shrank by some 5.4 percent. 　The California giant captured 20.8 percent of the market to take the top spot for the first time since the

　Over 66 percent of South Koreans used over-the-top (OTT) media, or video streaming services, last year amid the stay-at-home trend driven by the pandemic, a survey showed. 　South Korea’s OTT usage rate stood at 66.3 percent in 2020, compared to 52 percent the previous year, according to a survey of 6,029 people over the age of 13 by the country’s media regulator, the Korea Communications Commission 　YouTube was the most popular OTT service here, with its usage rate at 62.3 pe

　South Korean carmakers’ sales rose 4.8 percent last month from a year earlier helped by strong demand for SUVs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Tuesday. 　The five carmakers in South Korea – Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. – sold a combined 544,823 vehicles in February, up from 520,095 units a year ago, according to data from the companies. 　Their domestic sales jumped 24 percent to 101,356 u

　Over 30 percent of South Koreans experienced online violence either as a victim or an abuser last year, according to a survey by the country‘s media regulator. 　The Korea Communications Commission said 32.7 percent responded that they had experienced online violence last year in a survey of 7,458 people, down 0.8 percentage point from 2019. 　The survey found that experience in online violence as a victim last year reached 29.7 percent, compared with that as an abuser at 16.8 percent,

　South Koreans are estimated to have spent an hour on average on the mobile YouTube app a day in January, data showed. 　The average time a local mobile user spent on the video streaming app in January stood at 30 hours and 34 minutes, or 59 minutes a day, according to mobile app tracker WiseApp, based on data of Android and iOS users over the age of 10 in the country. 　WiseApp said there were 40.41 million mobile users who used the YouTube app at least once last month, with those aged 50 o

　South Korea’s chicken exports touched a new high in 2020 amid growing worldwide demand for ready-to-eat products and the popularity of Korean pop culture, a report showed. 　Overseas shipments of processed chicken came to $21 million last year, up 59.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the report from the Korea International Trade Association. 　KITA said the jump came as exports of packaged traditional chicken soup, or samgyetang, and chicken breast spiked due to the coronavi

　As the world grappled with COVID-19, a recession and a racial reckoning, the ultrawealthy gave to a broader set of causes than ever before - bestowing multimillion-dollar gifts on food pantries, historically Black colleges and universities and organizations that serve the poor and the homeless, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual rankings of the 50 Americans who gave the most to charity last year. 　Another cause that got outsized attention from billionaire philanthrop