Jul 5

• ●'You're not alone,' initiative tells single parents with welfare visits Korea JoongAng Daily
  As Korea grapples with the world's lowest birthrate, experts are calling for sweeping changes in early childhood support - chief among them, universal home-visitation services for infant welfare.
  
  

• ●Korea to begin cash handouts to all citizens July 21 The Korea Times
  Korea will begin distributing cash handouts to all citizens July 21 as part of a government initiative aimed at stimulating domestic consumption, officials said Saturday.

Jul 6

• ●Does calling young Koreans the 'MZ generation' oversimplify their differences? Korea JoongAng Daily
  In the United States and much of Europe, generational labels like baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, Gen Z and Alpha are largely defined by birth-year cohorts and global cultural shifts: postwar affluence, the PC revolution, the internet age and the rise of smartphones.
  
  

• ●Fewer unmarried young Koreans living at home aspire to work, report finds The Korea Herald
  More young, unmarried South Koreans living with their parents, tend to express less desire to work over the past decade, according to a new report by the state-run Korea Labor Institute.
  
  

• ●Who gets Korea's cash handouts? Rules for foreign residents explained The Korea Herald
  Foreign residents living with Korean nationals may be eligible for South Korea's new cash handout program, which aims to revive consumer spending and bolster household income starting July 21.
  
  

• ●More idle graduates stay home, shun work in Korea The Korea Times
  About 17 percent of young Koreans who are neighter employed nor seeking work continue to live with their parents after college - and their willingness to join the workforce has steadily declining, according to a recent study.

Jul 7

• ●S. Korea to distribute cash vouchers to all citizens starting July 21 The Chosun Daily
  South Korea will begin distributing one-time consumption vouchers on July 21 to all citizens residing in the country as of June 18, as part of a 13.8 trillion-won ($10 billion) government initiative to boost domestic demand.
  
  

• ●No DTC genetic testing of teens for 'looks': gov't quideline to say The Korea Herald
  The government is working on guidelines for direct-to-consumer genetic testing for underage children, mandating the consent of the subject being tested if they are at least 14, while banning examination of non-medical factors.
  
  

• ●Seoul to conduct research on human flu virus found in pets The Korea Herald
  A citywide study about humans infecting pets with influenza viruses is to be conducted until May next year jointly by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and researchers from Seoul National University.

Jul 8

• ●Korea proposes letting teens decide on genetic testing The Korea Times
  Beginning as early as next year, teenagers in Korea aged 14 and older may be required to provide their own consent - in addition to parental approval - to undergo direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing offered by nonmedical institutions.
  
  

• ●Korea's population could shrink to 7.5 million in 100 years, think tank says Korea JoongAng Daily
  If Korea's ultralow birthrate remains unchanged, the country's population could shrink to a mere fraction of its current size - just 15 percent - within the next 100 years, a new demographic projection warns.
  
  

• ●Basic living subsidy recipients get cooked by rising food prices Korea JoongAng Daily
  For Korea's poorest, even a bag of fruit can break the bank.
  
  

• ●Female executive presence hits record high, but influence still lags The Korea Herald
  The percentage of female executives at major South Korean companies reached a record 8.1 percent in the first half of this year, but an overwhelming majority of these women remain on the sidelines of actual decision-making, serving either as outsider directors or non-board members, data shows.
  
  

• ●In South Korea, AI steps in where bureaucrats left off The Chosun Daily
  Government employees in Ulsan say a long-standing burden has eased in recent months-thanks to artificial intelligence.

Jul 9

• ●Over 200 people suffer heat strokes, Seoul raises crisis level further amid record heatwave Korea JoongAng Daily
  Over 200 people were treated for heat-related diseases on Tuesday alone, pushing the cumulative total past 1,200 this summer as the country faces a surge in heat-related illnesses amid the record-breaking heat wave in Korea.

Jul 10

• ●Seoul's emergency bridge phones have made 10,000 crisis calls in past 14 years Korea JoongAng Daily
  "It's like I'm running a race with no finish line, and I want to stop. I'm doing my best, but my parents only want me to be NO. 1. I don't think I can hang on any longer."
  
  

• ●Number of heat-related patients surges at record pace amid extreme heat wave Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of heat-related illness is rising at the fastest pace on record this summer amid scorching heat, health authorities said Thursday, urging vulnerable groups to take extra precautions.
  
  

• ●Lazy Koreans? Only 1 in 4 adults engage in strenuous activity, health data warns Korea JoongAng Daily
  Only about one in four Korean adults engages in physical activity strenuous enough to leave them out of breath.
  
  

• ●Number of foreigners entering South Korea for work shrinks for 1st time in 4 years Korea JoongAng Daily
  The number of foreigners coming to Korea to find employment fell for the first time in four years in 2024, as labor demand in the country declined amid an economic slowdown, data showed on Thursday.
  
  

• ●Snack-intolerant: IBD in children poses unique challenges Korea JoongAng Daily
  When children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) reach adolescence, their fight against the chronic condition often intensifies-not just physically, but emotionally, as they grapple with growth delays, dietary restrictions and a sense of isolation that can lead to depression.
  
  

• ●Central government debt tops 1,200 trillion won for first time The Chosun Daily
  South Korea's central government debt surpassed 1,200 trillion won ($886.6 billion) for the first time in May, climbing nearly 20 trillion won in a single month and adding pressure on the government's fiscal policy amid slowing revenue and continued stimulus outlays.

Jul 11

• ●Commission raises minimum wage by 2.9% for 2026 The Korea Times
  The Minimum Wage Commission said Thursday it has reached an agreement to raise next year's minimum wage by 2.9 percent to 10,320 won (&7.51) per hour.