According to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service, a total of $2.11 billion worth of foreign goods was directly bought by Korean shoppers via overseas internet shopping malls last year. The number of overseas direct purchases soared 35.6 percent a record 23.59 million.　The customs office said the strengthening of the Korean won versus the US dollar and the Japanese yen, combined with massive promotion events, helped fuel South Koreans’ purchases from international shopping sites.

　According to a survey from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of men who smoke came to 39.3 percent in 2017, down 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier. The survey was conducted with 228,381 adults here.　The smoking rate has steadily fallen from 47.8 percent in 2008 to 40.3 percent in 2015, with exceptions in 2009 and 2016, the survey showed.　The smoking rate temporarily moved up to 40.6 percent in 2016 following a huge drop a year earlier due to an increas

　Hawaii was the most popular destination for honeymooners last year, trailed by the Thai resort island of Phuket, a travel agency said.　About 18.6 percent of 19,000 honeymooners, who bought group tour programs offered by Hana Tour last year, chose the US resort destination, according to the biggest travel agency in South Korea.　Hana Tour attributed the popularity of Hawaii to the fact newlyweds can enjoy a variety of sightseeing, shopping and aquatic sport options in Honolulu on Oahu and several

　The eye-watering cost of owning a car in space-starved Singapore means the city-state is the world’s most expensive place to live - for a fifth year in a row - according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 survey.　The Asian financial hub - where owning a no-frills sedan can set you back $76,000 - beat global capitals to the dubious title, despite stiff competition from resurgent European cities.　Pricey perennials Tokyo and New York did not even make the top 10 in

　Mongolia, Pakistan, Indonesia and Philippines have the highest unemployment rates in Asia. By contrast, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos have posted the lowest unemployment rates.　Mongolia has the highest employment rate in Asia at 7.3 percent. The country has seen a poor labor market with dipping employment. Even during the economic boom from 2010-2014, employment rates only remained steady in the country. 　Pakistan has the second highest unemployment rate in Asia at 5.9 percent. Political unrest i

　Singapore’s Changi Airport has been named the world’s best airport at the 2018 World Airport Awards in Sweden, according to London-based research firm Skytrax.　The airport has held the top spot since 2013, making it the first airport to take the title for the sixth consecutive year.　Airports in Asia dominated the top spots, with Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, Tokyo’s Haneda airport and Hong Kong International Airport taking second, third and fourth spots respectively. 　The ranking was b

　According to the World Justice Project, Singapore has the most accessible and affordable civil justice system in Asia while Cambodia has the worst civil justice system in the region. It ranks second-lowest in an index of 113 countries.　Korea was ranked 15th in the world and third in Asia.　The World Justice Project measures the access of people to civil justice system of their countries on the basis of how people perceive their access to the system free of discrimination. It measures the access

　The obesity rate among South Korea’s elementary and middle school students has been increasing, according to government data, possibly due to a lack of sleep and physical activity and the consumption of more unhealthy food. 　According to the Education Ministry’s 2017 statistics on student health, the proportion of overweight people aged 6 to 18 was 17.3 percent last year, up 0.8 percentage point from a year ago and up 6.1 percentage points from 11.2 percent in 2008. 　The data also showed that s

　Toys R Us, the iconic retail chain that has captivated American kids for generations, announced plans to shut all of its US stores, becoming one of the biggest casualties of the retail shakeout amid the rise of e-commerce.

　Vladimir Putin won Russia’s presidential election on Sunday, giving him a fourth term that will take him to nearly a quarter-century as the head of state or government.　Here are some world leaders who have held power the longest, excluding monarchs enthroned for life.　Topping the list with 49 years in power was Cuba’s revolutionary hero Fidel Castro, who handed power over to his brother Raul in 2008 when he was in his early 80s.　The world’s longest-serving president is currently Equatorial Guin

　Finland is the world’s happiest country, while troubled Burundi is the least happy, according to a new UN report. 　In addition to its joyful locals, Finland is also home to the happiest immigrants, the study found. It topped 156 countries, followed by last year’s winner Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. 　South Korea ranked 57th, falling two notches from a year ago. 　The results were based on six key factors that support well-being: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedo

　Airbnb said that 18 percent of all tourists who used the global room-sharing platform in South Korea last year were from the United States.　A total of 113,700 US tourists stayed at Airbnb-listed residences in South Korea last year, up 37 percent from 83,000 tallied the previous year, the company said.　The latest figure accounts for 12.5 percent of all American tourists who visited the country last year, it added.　Following the US, Singapore came second at 81,700 guests, or 12.9 percent of Airbn

　Shipments of protected African species, including tortoises, pythons and parrots, to Asia have soared since 2006 as demand grows in the Far East for exotic pets, meat and other animal products, a new study has warned.　Wildlife imports of leopard tortoises, African spurred tortoises and ball pythons into Asia have increased nearly tenfold in a decade, the report by monitoring network Traffic said, while trade in animal skins including seals also rose.　Much of the trade is legal, and all of the s

　One out of five people in their 20s have experience buying virtual currency, according to the Korea Financial Investors Protection Foundation.　About 22.7 percent of those in their 20s said they purchased virtual currencies according to a survey of 2,530 people between aged 25 and 64.　Those in their 30s came in second at 19.3 percent, followed by 12 percent for those in their 40s. Numbers for people in their 60s marked 10.5 percent and those in their 50s stood at 8.2 percent.

　According to data compiled by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, there were 385 reported cases of sexual abuse at schools in Seoul in 2016, up 74.2 percent from 2013. 　Experts said the actual number of cases could be higher, considering the research only includes cases reported by victims or other acquaintances that are being formally investigated.　Nationwide data showed that the number of sexual assault cases at schools jumped 171.9 percent to 2,387 cases in 2016 from four years earli