This Week in Korean Society: 

Korean society this week witnessed intensified attention to structural demographic change, widening health disparities, and growing dependence on social safety nets. The population with a migrant background surpassed 5% (2.71 million), underscoring Korea’s rapid transition into a multicultural society, with more than one in ten residents having a migrant background in seventeen municipalities. At the same time, single-person households became the most common household type in 2024, reflecting broader shifts in family structure.

These demographic changes are unfolding amid mounting labor and welfare concerns. Retirement anxiety deepened as the number of National Pension recipients receiving over 1 million won monthly exceeded one million for the first time, accompanied by a surge in early pension claims. The Democratic Party’s proposal to raise the statutory retirement age to 65 seeks to ease some of these pressures. Meanwhile, job prospects for young adults remain uncertain, with many students and recent graduates opting for a more “passive” job search amid fears of limited opportunities.

Public health developments highlighted the persistent overlap between Korea’s “health map” and “wealth map,” as a new Korea Health Index showed widening regional gaps. Urban areas, while emphasizing disease management, often lag in essential services for older adults, prompting experts to call for targeted interventions. Additional concerns―from record-high Cesarean delivery rates to the misuse of diet drugs fueled by persistent thinness ideals―kept health issues in the spotlight. In response, the government announced higher maternity leave benefit caps and expanded medical support for premature infants. Finally, growing scrutiny of digital health technologies continued as authorities moved to curb misleading online advertisements for AI “doctor” services.

Dec. 6

• ●Korean psychologist Suh Eun-kook on the simple secrets to happiness The Korea Times
  "Are you happy?" It's a simple question, and on the surface, there's nothing unusual about it.

Dec. 7

• ●Thinness obsession prompts diet drug misuse in Korea The Korea Herald
  A wave of demand for weight-loss medication is sweeping South Korea, a country that remains one of the OECD's leanest, as rising body-image pressure and easy access fuel misuse that concerns health authorities.
  
  

• ●DP pushes to increase retirement age to 65, aims to finalize bill this year Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Democratic Party (DP) is accelerating its push to pass legislation extending the retirement age to 65, aiming to finalize the bill within the year.
  
  

• ●National Pension Recipients Surpass 1 Million Mark after 37 Years The Chosun Daily
  The number of subscribers receiving over 1 million Korean won monthly from the National Pension has surpassed 1 million for the first time.

Dec. 8

• ●Health Consulting Project Targets Local Governments Nationwide The Chosun Daily
  Seoul National University Health Culture Project Team and this newspaper's reporting team are jointly promoting a "Health Consulting Project' targeting local governments nationwide.
  
  

• ●Korea Health Index: From Physical Health to Fine Dust Analysis The Chosun Daily
  The Korea Health Index, produced by Seoul National University's Health Culture Project Team (Director Yun Young-ho), is a comprehensive analysis of survey results from 10,000 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide, along with various health statistics investigated by the government and local municipalities.
  
  

• ●South Korea's Health Map Mirros Wealth as Urban Areas Prioritize Management The Chosun Daily
  South Korea's regional health map largely overlaps with the 'map of wealth.'
  
  

• ●South Korea's Cesarean Rate Surges to Record High The Chosun Daily
  Kim Min-jung, 28, who is in her 36th week of pregnancy, is torn over her delivery method.
  
  

• ●More than 1 in 10 residents have 'migrant background' in 17 Korean municipalities The Korea Herald
  People with migrant backgrounds now make up more than 5 percent of South Korea's population, new official data shows, driven by an increasingly young influx of foreign workers, students and multicultural families.
  
  

• ●Medical subsidies for preemies to be expanded The Korea Herald
  South Korea will expand medical cost reduction beyond the current five-year limit for families with preterm infants starting next year to better reflect their developmental needs.
  
  

• ●Lee set to receive policy briefing on balanced regional development The Korea Herald
  President Lee Jae Myung is set to receive a policy briefing Monday from a presidential committee on balanced regional development and discuss plans on how to promote regional economies and ease economic imbalances, Lee's office said.
  
  

• ●'Migrant background' population climbs to 5.2% of all people in Korea Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea counted 2.71 million people with a migrant background as of Nov. 1 last year, new government statistics showed Monday, meaning that about one in 20 residents fell into the category.

Dec. 9

• ●Sorok Island residents recall Korean leper colony's history of internment and isolation Korea JoongAng Daily
  The blue sea glints under the sun along the coast of South Jeolla as waves lap against Sorok Island's pine-lined road.
  
  

• ●South Korea's Migration-Background Population Surpasses 5% Threshold The Chosun Daily
  For the first time, government statistics have shown that more than 1 in 20 people in South Korea are part of the 'migration-background population,' meaning they or one of their parents was not a South Korean national at birth.
  
  

• ●Retirement anxiety fuels surge in early pension claims The Korea Herald
  The number of South Koreans who choose the early payout option for the old-age pension has surpassed the 1 million mark for the first time, government data showed Tuesday.
  
  

• ●Young Koreans sour on job hunt as outlook darkens The Korea Herald
  A significant number of college students and recent graduates are engaging in what they describe as "passive" job searching, largely on the thought that there are not enough openings available, a survey by a major business lobby group showed Tuesday.
  
  

• ●Young Koreans lose confidence in job market, prefer passive job search Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea's young job seekers are increasingly losing confidence in the hiring market, with many recent graduates preferring to passively apply for jobs after facing multiple rejections.
  
  

• ●1 in 20 people in Korea comes from migrant background, figures show The Hankyoreh
  One in every 20 people in Korea has a migrant background, new government figures show.
  
  

• ●Facing enrollment crisis, Seoul boosts funding, support for small schools The Korea Times
  Education officials in Seoul are stepping up support for the city's smallest schools, as falling student numbers reshape classrooms across the capital and beyond.
  
  

• ●Single-person households become largest household type in Korea in 2024: data The Korea Times
  Single-person households accounted for around 36 percent of all households in South Korea in 2024, making them the single-largest household category, government data showed Tuesday.

Dec. 10

• ●S. Korea adds 225,000 jobs in Nov.; youth employment falls again: data The Korea Herald
  South Korea added more than 220,000 jobs in November, continuing an upward trend in employment this year, but youth employment declined, government data showed Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Seoul Professor Urges Pinpoint Strategies to Bridge Regional Health Gaps The Chosun Daily
  "'Health inequality' between regions has deepened day by day, reaching a dangerous level," said Director Yun Young-ho of the Seoul National University Health Culture Project Team, a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine, in an interview with this newspaper on the 9th.
  
  

• ●Capital Area Mental Health Trails as Yecheon, Gokseong Top Survey The Chosun Daily
  That afternoon, about 30 residents were walking along the 1.2-kilometer-long 'Hwangto Barefoot Path' crossing the downtown area of Nambon-ri, Yechoen-gun, North Gyeongsang Province.
  
  

• ●Gov't cracks down as AI 'doctor' ads flood internet Korea JoongAng Daily
  They're all over the internet polished "experts" who appear on video to recommend health products and supplements.
  
  

• ●Gov't to raise cap on maternity leave benefits after minimum wage increase Korea JoongAng Daily
  The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday that it would raise the monthly cap on government-funded maternity leave benefits to 2.2 million won ($1,500) in 2026, up from 2.1 million won, after next year's minimum-wage increase threatened to push the benefit floor above the ceiling.
  
  

• ●Korean study finds how COVID-19 affects memory, suggests a possible treatment The Korea Herald
  The Korea National Institute of Health announced Wednesday that it has identified a possible cause of cognitive disorders linked to COVID-19 infection and has proposed a potential treatment method.

Dec. 11

• ●Health-Top Cities Lag in Elderly Facilities The Chosun Daily
  Seoul's Gangnam (Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa) and Gyeonggi Province's Gwacheon, among other metropolitan areas, ranked highest in residents' physical health but were found lacking in facilities for the elderly, such as nursing homes and welfare centers.
  
  

• ●AI will improve urban life, not replace humans, say experts at Seoul city planning conference Korea JoongAng Daily
  Urban planners should always prioritize human connections and quality of life when adopting AI into city solutions, experts said Thursday at an international conference on urban planning hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.