South Korea 結果共27筆

Taitung’s City Government officials visit Seoul to promote the region’s unique cultural and natural attractions, aiming to attract more Korean tourists and enhance Taiwan-Korea tourism cooperation.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for Asian manufacturing in March shows varying recovery rates across the region, with Taiwan’s manufacturing sector on the rise and confidence among Taiwanese businesses reaching a nearly three-year high. Japan also saw improvement, while South Korea and Vietnam experienced contractions. Paul Smith from S&P Global Market Intelligence notes signs of price and supply stabilization supporting a more optimistic outlook for the Asian manufacturing sector.

The South Korean Air Force Black Eagles Aerobatic Team captivated aviation enthusiasts with a stopover at Kaohsiung International Airport, showcasing their precision flying and promoting military aircraft technology.

Nearly half of the U.S. active aircraft carriers may be deployed in the western Pacific in 2024, signaling deterrence over the increasing military activities in the region by China and North Korea. This marks the first time five U.S. carriers are concurrently in operation in the Western Pacific, according to recent reports.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an plans to visit the United States in the summer of 2024, focusing on cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. The trip may also include Washington if time permits. The visit will prioritize municipal exchanges and involve bureaus related to information, industrial development, and firefighting. Chiang’s previous tours were mainly in Asian cities like Singapore and South Korea. This upcoming visit, his first as mayor, is likely to be politically interpreted, especially given the timing after the inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te.

China’s military intimidation of Taiwan ahead of the presidential election has been warned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). A joint statement by the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, Japanese Deputy Minister and Director-General, Kobe Yasuhiro, and Republic of Korea Deputy Minister, Chung Byung-won, expressed support for Taiwan during a three-way dialogue in Washington. China’s recent military threats towards Taiwan, including deploying balloons across the Taiwan strait, violating airspace, and suspending parts of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), have raised concerns among the international community. MOFA has raised suspicions of attempts to influence the election and emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to cooperation with the US, Japan, and South Korea to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Taiwan’s GDP per capita has surpassed South Korea’s for the first time since 2003, reaching US＄32,625 in 2022 compared to South Korea’s US＄32,410, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). This economic victory can be attributed to Taiwan’s higher growth rate in recent years and the greater depreciation of South Korea’s won. Taiwan had been trailing behind South Korea in terms of GDP per capita since 2003, but the gap between the two has been consistently shrinking. Additionally, in financial market news, Taiwan’s stock index has also advanced beyond Hong Kong’s for the first time in nearly 31 years, with the Taiwan Stock Exchange index closing at 17,370 points, outpacing the Hang Seng Index, which was weighed down by China’s low-earning equities and closed at 16,993.

Foreign investors are showing renewed interest in Asian stocks, particularly in Taiwan, according to a report released on December 25. In the week of December 18 to 22, foreign funds flowed back into Asian stocks, with the Taiwan Stock Exchange attracting NT＄643 million. South Korea also saw an influx of NT＄602 million. South Korean stocks performed the best, increasing by 1.4%, followed closely by Thailand with a 1.01% increase. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam also experienced positive growth. However, Taiwan’s stocks unexpectedly fell by 0.44%, despite being favored by foreign investors. India’s stock market also dropped by 0.53% for the week. In terms of overall performance in 2023, Taiwan’s stocks related to the AI supply chain surged 24.47%, surpassing the gains made by India (16.87%) and South Korea (16.24%). Looking ahead, PGIM noted that Taiwan’s industry has already hit bottom, with November’s export orders totaling US＄50.63 billion, driven by emerging technologies such as high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.

Taipei actor Greg Hsu’s appearance in a music video by Mandopop legend Jay Chou at the age of 13 has shocked fans online. In a throwback clip from Chou’s ＂Class 3-2＂ music video, a young Hsu can be seen playing table tennis while wearing black-rimmed glasses. Despite his rounder face, his distinctive features are already evident. The discovery of this footage has sparked surprise and admiration for Hsu’s transformation from a young table tennis player to a heartthrob. Now 32 years old, Hsu gained fame through his breakout role in the Taiwanese drama ＂Someday or One Day＂ and has become immensely popular across Asia, particularly in China and South Korea. Hsu has revealed that he took up sports, including table tennis, to manage his childhood asthma. His talent in the sport earned him a spot on the elementary school team and eventually led to his cameo in Chou’s music video. ＂Someday or One Day,＂ which co-stars Alice Ko, is considered a landmark Taiwanese television series and has garnered such acclaim that South Korea produced its own remake titled ＂A Time Called You.＂

The campaign office of Lai Ching-te, Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, has released a new video titled ＂Taiwan in the world,＂ highlighting Taiwan’s reduced dependence on China and its increasing global recognition. Pan Men-an, head of the DPP’s campaign headquarters, expressed concern over opposition parties’ attempts to marginalize Taiwan and emphasized the significance of the 2024 election in determining Taiwan’s alignment with either the world or China. The video emphasizes Taiwan’s democratic development through international engagement and value-based diplomacy, while also strengthening ties with other nations. Lai’s campaign office spokesperson, Tai Wei-shan, pointed out that Taiwan’s trade dependence on China decreased from 40 percent during former President Ma Ying-jeou’s presidency to 34 percent. Additionally, a report by The Economist in August stated that under President Tsai Ing-wen’s seven-year rule, Taiwan has become the 21st largest economy globally, surpassing South Korea in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Lai’s campaign office underscores the importance of the 2024 election in shaping Taiwan’s future trajectory and urges the public to make the right choice.

New data from Statistics Korea reveals a decline in young married couples in South Korea, with approximately 1.032 million couples within the first five years of marriage as of November 1, 2022. Since 2015, there has been an annual average decrease of 50,000 to 80,000 newlywed couples, projected to fall below 1 million by the end of this year. Around 79% of these newlyweds are marrying for the first time, while over 20% are embarking on a second marriage. Notably, 46.4% of first-time married couples have chosen not to start a family yet, marking the highest recorded rate of childless couples. Economic and housing conditions play a role in these trends, as the average annual income of newlyweds has increased by 6.1% from the previous year, and dual-income households have claimed a larger share, reaching 57.2%. However, despite earning 1.7 times more than single-earner families, dual-income couples have a lower rate of having children. The unique Korean rental system, Jeonse, involving significant security deposit payments, and rising rental costs may further impact young couples’ decision to start a family, adding complexity to South Korean family dynamics.

Lai Ching-te’s national campaign headquarters, led by campaign manager Pan Men-an and spokesperson Tai Wei-shan, unveiled their latest campaign commercial during a press conference titled ＂The World’s Taiwan.＂ Tai highlighted Taiwan’s increased visibility on the international stage, emphasizing the international community’s growing confidence in Taiwan and their willingness to collaborate. The campaign event follows Taiwan’s recognition as the top democracy in Asia by The Economist and its 6th place ranking in competitiveness worldwide according to the IMD Business School’s 2023 World Competitiveness Yearbook. Taiwan’s economic standing as the 21st largest economy globally and the 18th largest trading nation, with a higher GDP per capita than South Korea, was also praised. The campaign video emphasizes the importance of selecting the right leader to continue Taiwan’s advancement towards a more significant global presence.

During the 2023 Asian Baseball Championship game between Japan and South Korea at the Taipei Dome, technical difficulties caused the main and side screens to go black. The Farglory Group attributed this outage to an unexpected system crash. The interruption, which occurred in the top of the seventh inning, lasted for approximately ten minutes before the manufacturer resolved the issue. Earlier in the game, Japanese player Ryosuke Aizawa collided with the home run wall while catching a deep fly ball in the fourth inning, resulting in leg injuries. Deputy general manager Jacky Yang of the Farglory Group clarified that the impact did not break the wall, but rather Aizawa’s spike shoes accidentally cut through the padding at the bottom. The Farglory Group assured that the stadium’s design complied with safety standards and that subsequent games would proceed unaffected.

The Farglory Group has confirmed the addition of 4,700 second-level infield seats at the Taipei Dome for the final game day of the 30th Asian Baseball Championship. The decision to expand the seating capacity was made due to high demand from fans, allowing more supporters to witness the championship in person. With the new seats, the anticipated total attendance for the game is expected to reach nearly 22,000 people. Farglory has expressed its commitment to upgrading the venue and thanked fans for their support. The group also emphasized its responsibility for maintaining the stadium’s facilities and pledged to provide top-notch services in collaboration with the Taipei City Government and the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA). The ongoing 30th Asian Baseball Championship has attracted significant crowds, with the opening game between Taiwan and South Korea teams drawing nearly 17,000 fans. The ongoing appeal for more seats from eager fans has been a major talking point throughout the tournament.

The New Taipei City Fire Department successfully rescued a young Australian woman who was lost in the mountains of Wulai District. The woman, identified as Marion, was studying in South Korea and visiting Taiwan. She had ventured alone to climb Badaoer Mountain but became disoriented during her descent. With her cellphone battery at 5% and unsure of how to report an emergency in Taiwan, she reached out to a friend in Germany who informed the hotel staff in Wulai to report her missing. A 25-person rescue team commenced the search and rescue mission, working through the night until they found Marion in the early hours of Monday. She was unharmed and escorted back to her hotel. The captain of the 4th Emergency and Rescue Corps emphasized the importance of traveling in groups and being prepared with food, cold weather gear, and lighting equipment.

The Taipei Dome hosted the opening game of the Asian Baseball Championship, with a crowd of 16,647 fans witnessing the inaugural international event. Taipei Metro efficiently evacuated spectators within 25 minutes after the game. The ＂Taiwan vs. Korea＂ showdown resulted in a 4-0 victory for Taiwan, generating excitement from the stands. Taipei Metro increased train frequency to every 2.5 minutes at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station to accommodate the large audience. KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hsin-i praised the smooth evacuation process. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an inspected traffic conditions after the game. This successful event at the Taipei Dome and the efficient collaboration of transportation services set a positive precedent for future large-scale international sporting events in the city.

SinoPac Securities Investment Service (SinoPac Inv. Service) has released a report on the Taiwanese stock market, highlighting its impressive growth streak. Taiwan stocks have surged over 44% since 2020 through the end of November, outpacing South Korea’s market and even surpassing the US S&P 500’s gain. The report suggests that Taiwan stocks are poised to set a new high for the year, as the index has successfully breached the critical threshold of 16,800 points. SinoPac Inv. Service also points out that political performance and a thriving stock market are often seen as indicators of the incumbent’s record, with the stock market tending to show an upward trend before the presidential elections. Given the current momentum and what is described as a ＂multi-bottom pattern,＂ investment strategists at SinoPac are suggesting a ＂bullish-bias＂ investment approach. As investors closely monitor economic indicators before making their predictions on the election’s impact, Taiwan’s stock market enters the end-of-year season with robust investor optimism.

The Taipei Dome in Taiwan is gradually increasing its attendance for safety reasons, aiming to complete a full capacity test of 40,000 spectators within the next year. The 30th BFA Asian Baseball Championship recently opened its doors to 17,000 people at the Dome. To ensure the safe evacuation of these fans, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an detailed plans to increase the frequency of Taipei MRT trains, with the aim of completing the evacuation in 35 to 40 minutes. Chiang also mentioned that the arrival of Japan’s professional baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, next year could potentially accommodate 40,000 fans, depending on the professional assessment of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) and the Farglory Group. The city government is committed to assisting and gradually increasing the number of spectators in a safe manner. The 2023 Asian Championship, featuring a highly anticipated Taiwan vs. South Korea showdown, is the first international event at the Dome since its completion, and tickets for the event sold out instantly, with 17,000 snapped up in seconds.

Sadaharu Oh, Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend, expressed his wish for the Taiwan team to triumph over South Korea in the Asian Baseball Championship. He hopes that in three years, Japan and Taiwan will join forces in the World Baseball Classic finals. Oh praised the Taipei Dome’s facilities and believes that players competing in such an exceptional environment will feel more confident, enhancing their ability to bring glory to their country and Asia. Reflecting on his own experiences in the Tokyo Dome, Oh emphasized the importance of a great setting in nurturing heroes and predicted that the presence of the Taipei Dome will improve the future of Taiwanese baseball.

The number of Japanese tourists visiting Taiwan has only recovered to 33% of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2023. One reason for this is the depreciation of the Japanese yen, but the major concern is the growing cross-strait tensions. The instability in the Taiwan Strait has created unease among Japanese tourists. Maintaining stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait is a key task for the new line-up of top government leaders. Another contributing factor to Japan’s decreased tourism in Taiwan is the rising interest in South Korea, including its Korean pop culture, local delicacies, casinos, and cosmetic surgery services, despite its more expensive cost to visit after the pandemic.

Taiwan experiences a surge in travel as global restrictions ease, leading to a phenomenon known as ＂vacation vengeance.＂ The Ministry of Finance reports that approximately 8.42 million passengers traveled in the first nine months of 2023. However, strict tax exemption regulations have caused public frustration as returning residents face customs inspections for exceeding the purchase limit. The current tax exemption limit is NTD$20,000, but citizens argue it is insufficient. The Ministry of Finance is considering raising the limit to NTD$30,000 to NTD$40,000. The regulations governing duty-free privileges for inbound personal luggage have remained unchanged for over three decades. The Ministry of Finance is discussing potential changes to address the rising cost of overseas goods and the country’s gross national income compared to Japan and South Korea.

The Thai government has launched a 30-day visa-free policy for Taiwanese tourists, aiming to increase the number of visitors by 20%. Around 600,000 Taiwanese tourists visited Thailand this year, and Thai officials hope to raise this number to at least 725,000 by the end of 2023. Since the announcement of the new policy, queries about Thailand on travel websites have increased by 30%. Travelers are also pleased with the elimination of visa costs, which can range from NT $1,200 to over $10,000. To further attract tourists, travel agencies and airlines are offering discounted round-trip tickets to Bangkok from Taipei, with prices as low as NT $5,000. Thailand is already among the top overseas travel destinations for Taiwanese, along with Japan, mainland China, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Asian-Pacific workers, including those in Taiwan, are expected to experience the highest global growth in real wage increases in 2024, according to recent data. India leads the way with a projected rise of 5.1%, while Taiwan contributes with a 2.5% increase. The ECA International’s Salary Trends Report indicates that real wages for Asian-Pacific workers will increase by 2.2% in 2024, more than double the global average of 1%. Taiwan ranks sixth in the real salary forecast growth rate in the Asia-Pacific region, surpassing Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and South Korea. Vietnam and Thailand are expected to see real wage surges of 3.6% and 3.4% respectively, while Singapore is projected to have modest growth of 0.5%. The region’s advantage of lower inflation rates compared to the rest of the world contributes to these increases. Greater China locations, excluding Hong Kong, are expected to be among the top ten globally in terms of real wage increases in 2024.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng comments on South Korea’s ongoing legal investigation into several marine tech firms involved in Taiwan’s navy submarine project. The probe poses questions about trade laws and raises concerns about regional security and potential economic retaliation from China.

Taiwan ranks sixth globally in terms of the proportion of annual income required to purchase a 128GB iPhone 15, spending just 2.70% of their yearly earnings, according to a study by Global Index.