The two Koreas will hold reunions of separated families at the Mount Geumgangsan resort Sept. 25-30. The first such event was held in 1985. After a 15-year hiatus, it resumed in 2000 and continued through 2010, allowing 3,829 families to meet in person and 557 via video call.

According to data from the Financial Consumer Agency, the nation’s major banks raised the salaries of their full-time employees by double-digit percentages for the past two years despite falling profits. Hana Bank raised the pay of its workers by a whopping 57.46 percent between 2011 and 2012, followed by Citibank Korea with a 36.04 percent on-year increase and a 24.69 percent rise at Woori Bank.

According to data from Statistics Korea, the number of workers employed at small and medium-sized companies reached 12.6 million in 2011, accounting for 50.3 percent of the nation’s 25 million economically active population. It is the first time that the number surpassed 50 percent since the government agency started compiling such data in 2000.

The Korea Consumer Agency analyzed the nutritional content of kimchi sold in retail giants and found that it contains 643 mg of sodium per 100 g. The amount is higher than those of smoked ham and sausage. Excessive intake of sodium can cause high blood pressure.

According to data from the Korea Communications Commission, the public broadcaster KBS topped viewer ratings with 36.16 percent of broadcast TV audiences last year. Among cable networks, CJ E&M came in first with 9.38 percent, followed by TV Chosun, run by the daily Chosun Ilbo, with 8.79 percent, and JTBC, run by JoongAng Ilbo, with 7.88 percent.

South Korea faced the second-most anti-dumping lawsuits in the global market last year.By country, Korean firms were defendants in 10.71 percent of the world’s total anti-dumping litigations in 2012.China topped the list with 28.57 percent, while the U.S.’ and Japan’s rates stood much lower at 3.57 percent and 3.06 percent, respectively.(kys@heraldcorp.com)

North Korea on Sunday accepted the South’s proposal to hold working-level talks on Aug. 23 for resuming separated family reunions.

The number of new apartments provided by construction firms is on the rise. According to R114, an online real estate information provider, about 250,000 households are expected to move into new apartments next year.

The number of new apartments provided by construction firms is on the rise. According to R114, an online real estate information provider, about 250,000 households are expected to move into new apartments next year.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has raised its assessment of the minimum monthly cost of living for four-member families for 2014 by 5.5 percent year-on-year to 1.638 million won. The increase, the third-highest since 2000, would lead to more government spending on subsidies for poor households in line with the Park Geun-hye administration’s policy of boosting welfare.

According to National Tax Service data submitted to Rep. An Min-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party, the nation’s tax revenue during the first half of the year fell to a three-year low. The drop was attributed to the protracted economic slowdown and a fall in corporate profits and consumer spending.

Health care spending for senior citizens accounted for more than 33.3 percent of the total for the first time last year. On average, one senior citizen spent about 200 percent more on health care than the average citizen.

The government plans to increase Korea’s tax burden in proportion to its national output from 20.2 percent to 21 percent over the next four years. This is part of efforts to service growing welfare costs in the long-run at the expense of increasing taxes on average workers.Its recent proposal to replace income tax deductions with tax credits and raise tax rates for the top 20 percent of earners resembles the path European nations took in creating welfare states.