Aug. 17

• ●More than half of Seoul residents now don't own a home Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of households in Korea living in rented homes is nearing 10 million, with more than half concentrated in the greater Seoul area.
  
  

• ●S. Korea's per capita healthcare spending tops 4 million won The Chosun Daily
  Per capita healthcare spending in South Korea exceeded 4 million won last year, rising by about 1 million won ($720) over the past five years.
  
  

• ●Cash handouts exclude migrant workers, prompting debate on fairness The Korea Times
  The government's cash handouts to boost domestic consumption have reached nearly every Korean citizen and many long-term foreign residents, but not migrant workers, whose labor remains essential to keeping local economies afloat, especially in rural areas.

Aug. 18

• ●Workers aged 50 and over outnumber 20s at major firms The Korea Herald
  Leading companies in South Korea have fewer employees in their 20s than those aged 50 or older on their payrolls, industry data showed, partly reflecting reduced hiring of young workers amid an economic slowdown.
  
  

• ●'Resting' young people have cost Korea $38.3B since 2019, report claims Korea JoongAng Daily
  Young Koreans who are neither working nor seeking jobs--for no clear reason, such as school or child care--have cost the economy an estimated 53 trillion won ($38.3 billion) in the past five years, according to a new report.

Aug. 19

• ●Korea plans to ease pension cuts for working older people and retired couples Korea JoongAng Daily
  The government plans to ease pension rules that reduce monthly benefits for older people who continue earning income after retirement, with changes expected to begin next year.
  
  

• ●Immigrant professor hopes Vietnamese village in rural country will make Korea 'the most exemplary multicultural country in the world' Korea JoongAng Daily
  "The goal is to make Korea the most exemplary multiculural country in the world. ..."
  
  

• ●7 in 10 Korean adults digitally adept, but divide widens by income, education The Korea Herald
  Most Korean adults can handle basic digital devices without major difficulty, but the digital literacy gap remains significant for older people, those with lower education levels and households with smaller incomes, a new government survey shows.
  
  

• ●KDCA issues nationwide malaria alert after first carrier mosquito discovered Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) issued a nationwide malaria alert on Tuesday after detecting the year's first mosquito in Korea carrying the Plasmodium vivax parasite.
  
  

• ●Workplace bullying cases of migrant workers tripled since 2020, many more likely uncounted The Korea Herald
  Reports of workplace harassment cases involving migrant workers in South Korea have more than tripled between 2020 and 2024, government data shows.
  
  

• ●Pension cuts exempted for earners under 5.09 million won monthly The Chosun Daily
  The government is pushing forward with a plan to exempt individuals from pension reductions if their monthly income is below 5.09 million won, even if they work starting next year.

Aug. 20

• ●Four-person households drop below 3m The Korea Herald
  The number of four-person houdeholds in South Korea, traditionally seen as the standard family unit of a couple with two children, has fallen below 3 million for the first time in over nine years, underscoring the country's persistently low birth rate.
  
  

• ●Do Koreans support child benefits for foreign children? The Korea Herald
  Eight in 10 South Koreans suport granting child benefits to foreign national children if their parents hold permanent residency, a survey showed Wednesday.

Aug. 21

• ●80% of older adults struggle with digital devices, gov't survey finds Korea JoongAng Daily
  Kim Yeong-hyeon, a 64-year-old Seoul resident, recently broke into a sweat at a sandwich shop when they confronted a newly installed kiosk that demanded a customer select every detail of the sandwich, from the bread to the ham, vegetables and sauces from dozens of options.
  
  

• ●AI in schools will disadvantage low-income students, report warns Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea's push to expand digital learning tools in classrooms may be widening the gulf between students who thrive and those who struggle, a government think tank warned on Thursday.
  
  

• ●At 12 Koran universities, foreign students account for over 20% The Korea Herald
  At 12 universities in South Korea, international students accounted for more than 20 percent of total enrollment, a rise from zero institutions a decade ago, a report showed Thursday.

Aug. 22

• ●Why does Korea have the world's highest colon cancer rates? Blame soju. Korea JoongAng Daily
  The spread of Western eating habits across Asian diets, including in Korea, is rising the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a new study.
  
  

• ●Covid-19 hospitalizations rise for 7th week, numbers could rise further after school restarts, health authorities warn Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in Korea has increased for seven consecutive weeks, according to health authorities, who warn than students returning to school could further fuel infections despite expectations of a slowdown later this month.