The number of foreign visitors to the National Museum of Korea hit a record high of 94,951 in the first half of this year, museum officials said. The figure represents a 34.5 percent increase from 70,585 a year ago and a 55.6 percent rise from prepandemic levels in 2019, they said. They expect the annual number of foreign visitors to reach 200,000 this year if the current trend continues. The museum attributes the rise to its efforts to diversify exhibition content, aligning with growing globa

Korean cosmetics exports surpassed $4.8 billion in the first half of 2024, setting a new record for beauty product exports within the first six months of a year. The figure is an 18.1 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. This milestone surpasses the previous semiannual record of $4.63 billion set in the first half of 2021. During the first half of this year, cosmetics imports amounted to $850 million (1.2 trillion won), resulting in a trade s

Incheon Airport has been ranked third on the list of the World’s Best Airports by Skytrax, an international air transport rating organization. The top spots were claimed by Doha’s Hamad International Airport in Qatar and Singapore Changi Airport, respectively. This marks the first time since 2019 that Incheon has placed in the top three. Skytrax surveyed passengers from over 100 countries between August 2023 and March 2024, evaluating more than 570 airports worldwide. The criteria

The upcoming US presidential election on Nov. 5 has set the stage for a new showdown between former Republican President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic candidate. According to the Associated Press, recent surveys indicate that Vice President Harris has secured the delegates to be the Democratic nominee, effectively replacing President Joe Biden as the party's candidate.

South Korea’s exports of food and related goods rose 5.2 percent on-year in the first half of 2024, data showed, led by the popularity of instant noodles and processed rice products. Outbound shipments of the food segment known as “K-Food Plus” reached $6.21 billion, compared with $5.9 billion posted a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. K-Food Plus encompasses a diverse range of food products and related items, from fresh and proce

The 2024 Paris Olympics marks the 33rd edition of the Summer Games, returning to Europe for the first time in 12 years. This event also brings the Olympics back to France 32 years after the 1992 Albertville Winter Games. Notably, it celebrates 100 years since Paris last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1924. The Games will take place from July 26 to Aug. 11. In a break from tradition, the opening ceremony will be held on the River Seine, while the closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de

In the lead-up to the US presidential election on Nov. 5, Donald Trump was shot by a gunman during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. The bullet pierced through the upper part of Trump’s right ear, but he escaped assassination. He appeared two days later at the Republican National Convention with a bandaged ear. Shown here is a look back at some other assassination attempts on US presidents.

Global in-app payment revenue for social applications reached an all-time high in the first quarter of 2024, with the Chinese platform TikTok leading the charge, according to a report by data analysis company Sensor Tower. In-app payment revenue for social apps worldwide hit $4.5 billion in Q1 2024, marking a 19 percent increase year-over-year. TikTok’s in-app purchases soared to over $2 billion, a 26 percent rise from the previous year, driven primarily by livestreaming sponsorships. Yo

According to Wiqtcom, a Finnish intelligence testing agency, the smartest country in 2024 is Japan, with an average Intelligent Quotient of 112.30. Wiqtcom’s “2024 World’s Most Intelligent Country Ranking” is based on the test results of 109 countries. Hungary (111.28), Taiwan (111.20), Italy (110.82) and South Korea (110.80) are within the top 5, after Japan. The global average is 99.64. The United States placed 77th with 96.57 and other advanced nations of Germany (10

South Korea is experiencing a growing number of elder abuse cases as its population rapidly ages, according to a recent report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The data, compiled from complaints received by senior abuse hotlines and welfare centers, highlights an alarming trend. In 2023, reported cases of elder abuse increased by 12 percent compared to the previous year, rising from 19,552 to 21,936. The percentage of confirmed cases also saw an uptick, increasing by 3.2 percent to acc

Foreign tourists in Seoul spend an average of 2.84 million won during a six-day stay, according to a recent survey conducted by the city government and the Seoul Tourism Organization. These figures show an increase of 958,000 won and nearly one additional day compared to 2019. The survey attributes the rise in tourist spending and extended stays to a greater number of visitors from Europe and the Americas. In 2023, tourists from the Americas accounted for 12.4 percent of visitors, up from 7.7

Suncheonman Bay National Garden and Suncheonman Wetland emerged as Korea's most visited tourist attractions last year, according to data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. The report, which tracked visitor numbers at 2,752 leading travel destinations nationwide, revealed that these sites attracted 7,781,426 visitors in 2023. This marks a significant rise from their ninth-place ranking in 2022 when they welcomed 2,673,152 visitors.

The United States’ two leading presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, are significantly older than the average age of nations’ leaders around the world, according to recent research. A Washington Post analysis of a Pew Research Center survey revealed that the average age of leaders globally as of May this year is 62. In stark contrast, Biden and Trump are 81 and 78, respectively. Trump exceeds the average by 16 years, while Biden surpasses it by 19 years. Regardless o

Over 6 out of 10 automobile owners consider choosing eco-friendly vehicles as their next car, a poll showed. According to the poll conducted recently by consumer data platform Open Survey on 1,500 adults, 39.7 percent of car owners said they were considering a hybrid car primarily as their next vehicle. Gasoline cars came next, at 26.7 percent, followed by electric and diesel cars, at 24.1 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively. The combined rate of hybrid and electric vehicles in the poll stoo

South Korea's ranking in terms of its competitiveness relative to other countries rose by eight places to reach the highest level for the country ever in 2024 on improved business efficiency and infrastructure, a report showed. The country ranked 20th in terms of global competitiveness among 67 countries surveyed in 2024 compared with 28th the previous year, according to the report by the International Institute for Management Development released by the Finance Ministry here. IIMD, a bus

The number of South Koreans using the ChatGPT mobile app has surpassed 3 million, representing 6 percent of the country's total smartphone users, according to a report by market research firm Wiseapp Retail Goods. In just four months, user numbers nearly doubled, rising from 1.62 million in January to 3.15 million in May, underscoring the increasing popularity of the AI-powered chatbot. Demographically, more than half of ChatGPT users in Korea are in their 20s (28.6 percent) and 30s (23.4

"Golden Boy" Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has been ranked second in transfer value among Asian soccer players by the International Centre for Sports Studies, affiliated with FIFA. Transfer value is a comprehensive figure considering factors such as a player's age, remaining contract period, playing time and performance record. Lee has been valued at $53.1 million, placing him second among Asian players. Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich ranks fourth with a transfer value

A recent online survey conducted by the Korea Meteorological Administration reveals that 90 percent of South Korean nationals agree the country is facing a climate crisis. The survey of 1,706 respondents found that 90.1 percent agree they are experiencing the effects of climate change, with 43.7 percent “strongly agreeing.” When asked which weather phenomena seem the most affected by climate change, 53.8 percent of respondents cited heat waves as their primary concern, followed by

A recent CBS/YouGov poll reveals that more than 70 percent of US registered voters believe President Joe Biden should not seek reelection in November. The survey, conducted with 1,130 registered voters nationwide June 28-29, showed that 72 percent think Biden should not run for president, compared to 28 percent who believe he should. The poll, released on Sunday, followed the first 2024 presidential debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday. When asked about

The number of babies born in South Korea marked on-year growth for the first time in 19 months in April, data showed, as the country is struggling to boost its ultralow birth rate. A total of 19,049 babies were born in April 2024, up 2.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It was the first time since September 2022 that the figure logged on-year growth. “The growth came as the number of newly married couples rose over the past couple of years