Culture & Society
South Korea’s record employment rate is becoming a demographic illusion
Working-age employment is falling while an aging population and care sector hiring increasingly drive headline numbers
August 12, 2026
South Korea’s health insurance deficit puts Lee’s health agenda under strain
A 3.9 trillion won first-quarter shortfall comes as Seoul seeks more funding for regional and essential medical care
August 10, 2026
South Korea’s heat response improves faster than its public infrastructure
Seoul’s heat response improved, but record temperatures test whether welfare, labor rules, housing and power can cope
August 7, 2026
College exam overhaul, heat-wave response and air base protest — Ep. 144
South Korea debates machine-scored essays as vulnerable workers face extreme heat and lawmakers revisit term limits
August 7, 2026
South Korea’s 10 million older workers expose retirement’s widening economic gap
A record workforce masks a two-decade stretch between career exit and retirement that pensions still fail to bridge
August 6, 2026
South Korea in July 2026: A month in review and what’s ahead
An analytical look at the main developments from July 1 to 29, 2026, and key outlook for August 2026
July 31, 2026
Tech sell-off, changing demographics and frontline readiness — Ep. 143
SK Hynix profits fail to lift markets as foreign residents grow and ammunition practices trigger a military review
July 31, 2026
Lee Jae Myung’s housing squeeze is arriving years ahead of his housing supply
2025 census shows a market split by geography, household size and building age as credit restrictions take effect first
July 30, 2026
Foreign residents hold South Korea’s population flat as working-age base shrinks
Korean nationals fall for fifth year, working-age share drops below 70% for first time, men in their 20s decline 3.8%
July 29, 2026
Jeju’s green energy dream faces its biggest fossil fuel test yet
As South Korea’s carbon neutral testbed weighs new gas plants, the island confronts limits of its renewable ambitions
July 28, 2026
