This Week in Korean Society:

Korean society continues to grapple with rapid demographic shifts and growing inequality, marked by the record rise of single-person households, now topping 8 million, and the aging population surpassing the 10 million mark. This demographic change is coinciding with a public health crisis: one in three South Koreans is now classified as obese, and although overall life expectancy is at a record high, the average number of years spent living with illness is also rising. Simultaneously, the country saw foreign residents exceed 2.8 million for the first time, reflecting increased labor and study-related long-term stays.

In the face of these structural challenges, social concerns over gender inequality remain high, with women earning significantly less than men in temporary jobs and nearly one in five women reporting intimate partner violence. Legislative and governmental action addressed several issues, including institutionalizing non-face-to-face medical treatment and passing the 'regional doctor system' to mandate medical school graduates work locally. Furthermore, public attention focused on a new kind of digital crime as an individual was referred to prosecutors for operating an illegal website that issued medical prescriptions using AI.

Nov. 29

• ●Alcohol makers allowed to choose text or pictogram under new warning label system from Sept. 2026 The Korea Herald
  The government plans to introduce a new warning label system for alcoholic beverages that allows manufacturers to choose either a text warning or a pictogram starting next September, according to officials Saturday.
  
  

• ●Foreign residents in S. Korea top 2.8m for first time in Oct. The Korea Herald
  The number of foreigners residing in South Korea surpassed 2.8 million for the first time in October, driven by increases in long-term stays for work, study and seasonal employment, government data showed Saturday.
  
  

• ●Ultrafine dust estimated to have claimed nearly 3,000 extra lives in 5 years: study The Korea Herald
  Fine particulate matter in Seoul is thought to have driven up the mortality rate for ischemic heart disease in the city by several thousand between 2016 and 2020, a recent study showed.
  
  

• ●Illegal AI Prescription Site Operator Sent to Prosecutors The Chosun Daily
  An individual who operated a website issuing illegal prescriptions using AI has been referred to prosecutors.

Nov. 30

• ●1 in 3 South Koreans living alone in 'superaged' era The Korea Herald
  South Korea's demographic structure is shifting at its fastest pace yet, with the share of single-person households surpassing 36 percent for the first time last year and the senior citizen population crossing the 10 million mark, new government data showed Sunday.
  
  

• ●Unmarried Women Hesitant to Date 'Young Forty' Men The Chosun Daily
  More than half of unmarried women in their 20s and 30s feel burdened about dating so-called "Young Forty" men, according to a survey.
  
  

• ●Man referred to prosecutors over using AI to issue medical prescriptions without license Korea JoongAng Daily
  A man in his 30s has been referred to prosecutors for operating a website that used AI to issue medical prescriptions.
  
  

• ●From 'soft no's to hidden anger: Why Koreans communicate indirectly The Korea Herald
  A few weeks ago, Kim working for a government agency was reprimanded by his boss after a misunderstanding spiraled out of control.
  
  

• ●South Korea's Single-Person Households Hit 36.1%, Led by 30s Men, 60s Women The Chosun Daily
  Last year, single-person households accounted for over 36% of all households in South Korea.
  
  

• ●No. of single-person households tops 8m in 2024: data The Korea Herald
  The number of single-person households has climbed to a record high of over 8 million, data showed Sunday, with estimates suggesting the trend will continue as the country grapples with a stagnant birth rate and an aging population.

Dec. 1

• ●1 in 3 South Koreans now obese: study The Korea Herald
  One in three South Koreans is now classified as obese, up from one in four a decade ago, according to a recent study by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
  
  

• ●Survey reveals why women in their 20s and 30s are reluctant to date "young forties" men Korea JoongAng Daily
  More than half of single women in teir 20s and 30s said they were reluctant to date the "young forties" demographic--men in their 40s who pursue the lifestyle and emotional sensibilities of younger generations--according to a recent survey.
  
  

• ●Falls and Slips Surpass Half of Injury Hospitalizations, 70% Among Elderly The Chosun Daily
  Patients hospitalized due to injuries have seen falls and slips surpassing 50% of cases, attributed to an aging population and rising elderly demographics.
  
  

• ●1 in 5 Korean women faces violence in intimate relationships The Korea Herald
  One out of five Korean women has experienced violence in an intimate relationship, yet South Korea still lacks statistical and institutional systems needed to understand the scale of the problem or protect victims, according to new findings released Monday by the Korea Women's Development Institute.
  
  

• ●Nearly 1 in 5 Korean women have experienced violence from a current or former partners: Survey Korea JoongAng Daily
  Korea's rate of intimate partner violence continued to climb last year, a government-commissioned survey showed on Monday, with nearly one in five women saying they had experienced abuse from a current or former partner at least once in their lives.

Dec. 2

• ●International marriages on the rise in Korea The Korea Herald
  The number of international marriages in Korea last year reached its highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  

• ●Data Ministry, UN to host symposium on aging population Korea JoongAng Daily
  The statistics agency said on Tuesday that it will hold an international symposium in Seoul, jointly organized with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to discuss low birthrates, the aging population and corresponding responses.
  
  

• ●Non-Face-to-Face Treatment Law, Regional Doctor Mandate Pass The Chosun Daily
  The bill introducing the 'regional doctor system'-which requires graduates of regional medical schools to work in their respective regions for at least 10 years-and the revised Medical Service Act institutionalizing non-face-to-face medical treatment passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd.
  
  

• ●Women earn one-third less than men in temporary jobs The Korea Herald
  Korea's job market remains far harsher for women, who hold 1.31 million more temporary and part-time jobs than men and earn only about 65 percent of men's pay in comparable roles.

Dec. 3

• ●Public Medical School Quota Separate The Chosun Daily
  Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong indicated that while the government will reach a conclusion on increasing medical school quotas by early next year, there is a need to expand quotas for the newly established public medical school.
  
  

• ●Young people who move to greater Seoul see nearly 25% rise in income Korea JoongAng Daily
  Young people who moved from provincial areas to the greater Seoul area saw their income rise by an average of 23 percent, according to a new report Wednesday.
  
  

• ●Gov't to rate postpartum care centers starting next year in push for transparency Korea JoongAng Daily
  The government will begin rating postpartum care centers in Korea on a scale from A to C starting in 2026, addressing longstanding criticism over the lack of transparency in how the facilities are run.
  
  

• ●Life expectancy of Korean babies born in 2024 hits record high of 83.7 years: Data Korea JoongAng Daily
  The average life expectancy of Korean babies born in 2024 has reached a record high, according to data released Wednesday.

Dec. 4

• ●Nearly half of teens regularly skip breakfast: data The Korea Herald
  Over 40 percent of Korean teenagers now skip breakfast at least five times a week, a steady rise since 2016, according to a report released Thursday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
  
  

• ●Koreans live longer, but years spent sick also rise The Korea Herald
  South Koreans are now expected to spend an average of 18.2 years of their later life living with illness, even as overall life expectancy hit a record high in 2024, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
  
  

• ●Women more willing to have kids if job return assured: survey The Korea Herald
  Women in Korea are more open to having children if they can be sure of their return to the workplace after giving birth, according to research by a state-funded think tank.
  
  

• ●First lady vows support for people with developmental disabilities Korea JoongAng Daily
  First lady Kim Hea Kyung has pledged to continue providing support for peole with developmental disabilities as she visited an exhibition of a painter-actress with Down syndrome, the presidential office said Thursday.
  
  

• ●Korea's retirees exit work in their early 50s, face a precarious second chapter Korea JoongAng Daily
  A recently-ended tlevision drama following a middle-aged man who is pushed out of his workplace uses fiction to describe an ever-growing economic reality.