The cost of preparing a Chuseok memorial table has risen at both traditional markets and hypermarkets this year, returning to the 300,000 won range at traditional markets after falling below that level last year. According to the Korea Price Information, the estimated cost of preparing a Chuseok memorial table for a family of four is 302,500 won at traditional markets and 397,700 won at hypermarkets. The figures represent year-on-year increases of 1.2 percent, or 3,500 won, and 1.6 percent, or 6

South Korea will begin its bid for a fifth consecutive Asian Games baseball gold medal on Monday at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan. The baseball tournament runs until Sept. 27 at two venues in Aichi prefecture. Led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, Korea's 24-man roster includes 11 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders. Gwak Been, Kim Do-yeong, Moon Bo-gyeong and Cho Hyeong-woo have recent international experience, while Roh Si-hwan, Kim Ju-won and Yoon Dong-hee were pa

The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will open Friday in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and run through Oct. 4. Athletes will compete for 469 gold medals across 43 sports and 71 disciplines, including new additions such as virtual taekwondo, padel and teqball. About 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 National Olympic Committees are expected to participate, including around 1,000 from South Korea. Events will be held across Aichi and several other parts of Japan, with Nagoya’s Paloma Mizuho Sta

Wigs are evolving from products used to conceal hair loss into fashion items for self-expression, and South Korea has emerged as the world’s second-most competitive country in wig-related patents. According to the Ministry of Intellectual Property, an analysis released Aug. 17 of wig-related patents filed with the world’s five largest intellectual property offices between 2004 and 2023 showed South Korea tied for second in cumulative patent filings and ranked second in granted patents. Japan ran

South Korea’s population aged 100 and older topped 8,600 last year, increasing 2.7-fold over the past decade. Women accounted for more than 80 percent of centenarians, while South Jeolla Province and Jeju Island had the highest numbers relative to their populations. Centenarians cited a controlled diet as the top secret to longevity. Seven in 10 centenarians living at home said they had no intention of moving into a long-term care facility, even if their health deteriorated or they required care

Nearby overseas destinations such as Japan and Vietnam are emerging as popular choices among Korean travelers during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, with travel demand rising while spending per traveler has declined slightly from a year earlier. According to a survey of 1,000 Korean travelers conducted by global travel platform Skyscanner, 56 percent said they plan to travel during Chuseok. Flight searches for departures from Korea between Sept. 13 and Oct. 3 surged 92.4 percent from searches for

Gimbap prices are rising faster than dining out as the costs of rice, eggs and seaweed continue to climb. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the average price of a roll of gimbap in Seoul reached 3,838 won ($2.77) in June, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier. It marked the sharpest increase among the eight popular dishes surveyed, followed by samgyeopsal at 4.3 percent, kalguksu at 3.6 percent, and naengmyeon and samgyetang at 2.8 percent each. The increase was driven largely by higher ingre

Seoul has been named the world’s favorite city among millennial and Generation Z travelers for the fifth consecutive year in an annual survey by US-based media outlet Trazee Travel. Seoul has held the top spot since 2022, making it the first city to win the title for five consecutive years. The city was also awarded Quint Status for its consecutive wins and inducted into the Hall of Fame. Dublin, Hong Kong, London and Athens, Greece rounded out the top five. The recognition highlights how younge

The Korean hygiene products market surpassed 3 trillion won ($2.1 billion) for the first time last year, driven by growing demand for adult diapers as the country becomes a superaged society and the inclusion of oral care products such as toothbrushes and dental floss in hygiene product statistics. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said the domestic hygiene products market reached 3.2 trillion won in 2025, up 9.7 percent from the previous year. The supply of adult diapers, including incontine

The number of employed South Koreans aged 55-79 surpassed 10 million for the first time, government data showed. As of May, 10.13 million older adults were employed, up 345,000 from a year earlier. Those aged 65-79 accounted for about 94 percent of the increase. The older population reached 17 million, or about 37 percent of the population aged 15 and older. About 69.2 percent of respondents said they wanted to continue working, with desired retirement age averaging a record 73.6. More than half