The Korea Herald Series

Latest News

Soccer
[Graphic News] Son becomes 2nd-highest-paid MLS player

The MLS Players Association revealed that Son Heung-min earns $11.15 million per year with Los Angeles FC, making him the second-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, behind Lionel Messi of Inter Miami, who earns $20.45 million. Son’s salary, the highest among 2025 summer transfers, reflects his record $26.5 million move from Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining, he has scored 9 goals and provided 3 assists, helping LAFC reach the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Athletic noted that Son’s pay could rise
Nov. 14, 2025 - 08:00:00
WorldNews
[Graphic News] Shin Ramyun tops Korean ramyeon online interest

Nongshim’s instant noodle product Shin Ramyun recorded the highest consumer interest online in the third quarter of 2025, according to market research firm Data&Research, with 145,494 online mentions across news sites, communities and blogs. Analysts attributed the surge in interest to the Netflix animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters,” released in June. Nongshim released a line of products featuring characters from the film. Packaging for Shin Ramyun and the company’s Shrimp Crackers snack showcased
Nov. 13, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] 19 species could vanish with 4.2 C warming

A study by the National Institute of Nakdong River Biological Resources warns that if Korea’s average temperature rises by 4.2 degrees Celsius by 2080, more than two-thirds of endangered freshwater fish species -- 19 out of 28 -- could face extinction. The projection is based on SSP5, the UN IPCC’s high-emission scenario, one of several Shared Socioeconomic Pathways used to model future climate outcomes. SSP5 assumes rapid fossil fuel consumption and unchecked development, potentially tripling g
Nov. 12, 2025 - 08:00:00
WorldNews
[Graphic News] Korea ranks 6th in 2025 world power survey

With the United States at the peak of global power thanks to its unmatched economic and military capabilities, South Korea has been ranked sixth in the 2025 world power survey conducted by US News & World Report. The study was carried out in partnership with BAV Group of the WPP network and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The ranking was determined based on an equally weighted average of five attributes: leadership influence, economic influence, political influence, strong
Nov. 11, 2025 - 08:00:00
World Business
[Graphic News] Hyundai Motor 33rd in Time’s 2025 best firms, Nvidia at No. 1

Hyundai Motor has been ranked 33rd on Time magazine’s World’s Best Companies 2025 list, making it the only Korean company in the top 100. Time, in collaboration with German data and business information platform Statista, has compiled the list of the top 1,000 global companies annually since 2023. The 2025 ranking was led by Nvidia, Microsoft and JPMorgan Chase, reflecting the dominance of technology and financial firms. Hyundai Motor climbed an impressive 159 spots from No. 192 last year, drive
Nov. 10, 2025 - 08:00:00
More sports
[Graphic News] Hwang Sun-woo sets Asian record in 200-meter freestyle

South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo has officially broken into the 1:43 range in the men’s 200-meter freestyle, achieving a historic milestone for Korean swimming. At the 106th National Sports Festival in Busan, Hwang touched the wall at 1:43.92, becoming only the seventh competitor in history to swim under 1:44 in the event. The exclusive list includes Paul Biedermann (Germany), Michael Phelps (US), David Popovici (Romania), Yannick Agnel (France), Luke Hobson (USA) and Danila Izotov (Russia) —
Nov. 6, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Bakery prices surge, but finances crumble

Over the past three years, the prices of popular baked goods like bagels and the infamous “salt bread” have soared, but many bakeries are seeing losses worsen. According to Korea Credit Data’s Bakery Market Trend Report, an analysis of 37,000 stores showed that bagel prices have jumped 44 percent since 2022. Sandwiches and salt bread - a salted butter roll like a croissant - followed with increases of 32 percent and 30 percent, respectively. Salt bread, now the top-selling item with a 15.7 perce
Nov. 5, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Palaces top Seoul’s autumn travel hot spots

Seoul residents and tourists are turning to the city’s royal palaces as their favorite autumn destinations, while outdoor spots like Seoul Forest, Cheonggyecheon and Namsan also remain popular for enjoying the vibrant fall scenery. According to an analysis by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and LG Uplus, which examined October social media mentions, mobile usage and consumption data through the “Seoul Tourism Data” platform, palaces emerged as Seoul’s most iconic autumn attractions. Gyeongbokg
Nov. 4, 2025 - 08:00:00
WorldNews
[Graphic News] South Korea tops Asia’s list for food lovers

South Korea has been named the best Asian destination for culinary experiences, according to a survey by travel platform Agoda. The survey of 4,000 travelers found that 64 percent of those planning a trip to Korea cited food as their main reason for visiting, followed by Taiwan (62 percent), Thailand (55 percent), Japan (52 percent ) and Malaysia (49 percent ). Agoda said the global popularity of Korean dramas and films has raised interest in Korean cuisine. Jeju Island’s fresh seafood and black
Nov. 3, 2025 - 08:00:00
WorldNews
[Graphic News] Phu Quoc named Asia’s most beautiful island, No. 3 worldwide

Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, has been named the most beautiful island in Asia and the third most beautiful in the world by Conde Nast Traveler. The American travel magazine’s readers ranked Phu Quoc first in Asia with a score of 95.51 out of 100, up 0.15 points from 2024, surpassing Bali for the first time. Malaysia’s Langkawi and Thailand’s Koh Samui placed second and third, respectively. Bali, last year’s winner, fell to sixth place after Boracay and Palawan in
Oct. 27, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] Korea’s average wedding cost tops W21m

The average cost of a wedding in Korea has surpassed 21 million won ($14,700), according to a survey by the Korea Consumer Agency, which analyzed 504 wedding service providers across 14 regions. The national average in August was 21.6 million won, up from 20.74 million in June. Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, and Songpa-gu had the highest average at 35.09 million won, followed by other Seoul areas (25.88 million) and Gyeonggi Province (18.62 million). The Gyeongsang provinces reported the lowest cost at
Oct. 23, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] KakaoTalk tops social media use in Korea; TikTok Lite leads in time spent

KakaoTalk, the mobile messenger operated by Kakao Corp., was the most used social media platform in South Korea in August, according to data from market research firm Wiseapp Retail Goods. KakaoTalk recorded 48.19 million monthly active users, making it the most popular social media app among Koreans. Instagram ranked second with 27.41 million users, followed by Band (17.08 million), Naver Cafe (9.3 million) and TikTok (8.32 million). When measured by average usage time per user, TikTok Lite led
Oct. 22, 2025 - 08:00:00
World Business
[Graphic News] Huawei leads global wearables market, Apple slips to 3rd

Apple lagged behind Chinese companies Xiaomi and Huawei in the global wearable market in the second quater, according to industry data from IDC. Huawei increased its shipments from 8.9 million to 9.9 million units, while Xiaomi saw a sharper rise from 5.9 million to 9.5 million, marking growth of 61 percent. Apple shipped 7.4 million Apple Watches during the quarter, up 28.8 percent from 5.7 million a year earlier. In terms of market share, Huawei led with 20.2 percent, followed by Xiaomi at 19.
Oct. 21, 2025 - 08:00:00
Baseball
[Graphic News] S. Korea stays at 4th in WBSC rankings

South Korea remains in fourth place in the latest World Baseball Softball Confederation world rankings, holding steady with 4,169 points, unchanged since August, after climbing from sixth place in late 2023. The WBSC rankings are based on performances in international competitions over a rolling four-year period, with more recent tournaments carrying greater weight. Major events include the World Baseball Classic, Premier12, age-group World Cups and continental championships. Japan continues to
Oct. 16, 2025 - 08:00:00
Social Affairs
[Graphic News] S. Koreans read average 5.4 books in 2024

A recent survey revealed that South Korean adults read an average of 5.4 printed books in 2024, along with 1.4 e-books, 35.7 chapters of web novels and 42.8 episodes of webtoons. Around 80.4 percent of respondents read at least 1 printed book, making it the most commonly read format, followed by webtoons, e-books and magazines or webzines. The study was conducted by the Korea Publishing and Reading Policy Research Institute, surveying 1,000 individuals aged 19 and older. Reading was broadly defi
Oct. 15, 2025 - 08:00:00