Korea aging population

South Korea recorded its worst growth in more than two decades in 2020, the central bank said Tuesday, but it is expected to be among the best-performing OECD economies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The country's gross domestic product contracted 1.0 percent in 2020 from a year earlier, the Bank of Korea said, citing weak private spending and exports. It marks the worst annual growth since 1998, when the South Korean economy shrank 5.1 percent in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis. Still, South Korea is expected to be among the countries in the OECD group of developed economies least affected by the pandemic in 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the South's economy -- the world's 12th-largest -- grew 1.1 percent from the previous quarter, data showed, marking a second consecutive quarter of growth amid the pandemic. The central bank said exports expanded 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter from three months earlier, offsetting a slump in private consumption due … [Read more...] about South Korea posts worst growth in two decades

And the late Anthony Bourdain, a regular visitor to Viet Nam before his passing and a lover of Vietnamese cuisine, once said: “Viet Nam. It grabs you and doesn’t let you go. Once you love it, you love it forever. All the senses are engaged here.” … [Read more...] about A cheesy treat for all ages

Not merely a gathering of artworks by three painters who present three generations, the exhibition is like a sketch of the development of the sector that helps viewers know more about the contributions made by Vietnamese graphic artists in the past and present time. Over 50 exhibits, mainly visual graphics, have highlighted their uniqueness and creative ideas both in content and form. They expressed their views, distinctive expressions and characteristic styles. … [Read more...] about VIETNAM NEWS JANUARY 26

This year, the council plans to focus on boosting post-pandemic recovery in tandem with commerce development, promoting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as a tool for economic recovery, and ensuring supply chains and facilitating cross-border business connectivity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. … [Read more...] about Viet Nam hands over EABC Chairmanship to RoK

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership could provide opportunities for local small and medium enterprises to move up the value chain with the simplification of procedures. Manufacturers in advanced countries such as Japan, China and South Korea may consider minimizing costs by outsourcing the final processing steps to less expensive ASEAN countries such as Vietnam to achieve cost benefits. … [Read more...] about Standard Chartered forecasts Vietnam’s 2021 GDP growth at 7.8%