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KBR Research Notes
Retirement Age for 40s and 50s is Accelerating — The Shock of the 60-Year Legal Retirement Age vs. the Reality of Retirement at 52.9
Although the legal retirement age is 60, the actual retirement clock stops much earlier. As of May 2026, South Korea's labor market shows a stark contrast between appearances and reality. According to employment trends for March 2026 released by the Statistics Korea (National Data Agency) on April 15, 2026, the overall employment rate hit 62.7%, marking a record high for the month of March since monthly statistics began in 1982.
KBR 편집부 · 05/10/2026
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KBR Research Notes
Where Do Startup Funds Ultimately Flow? A Complete Anatomy of Labor Costs, R&D, and AI Infrastructure
KBR 편집부 · 05/07/2026
KBR Research Notes
Kia Surpasses Hyundai for the First Time in 28 Years in Domestic Sales... Tesla Era Begins for Imported Cars
강지혜 기자 · 05/07/2026
KBR Research Notes
The Era of 1.16 Million One-Person Businesses: Becoming a Company All by Yourself
이지영 기자 · 05/06/2026
KBR Research Notes
April 2026: The Boardroom in Motion — A Comprehensive Analysis of Global and Domestic CEO Succession Landscapes
박소유 기자 · 04/29/2026
KBR Research Notes
First-Grade Elementary Students Fall Below 300,000 for the First Time: The National School Map is Being Redrawn
The premise of education has been altered by a single number. For the first time in history, the number of national elementary school first-grade entrants for the 2026 academic year has dropped below 300,000. According to the '2025 Elementary, Middle, and High School Student Population Estimation Correction Results (2026–2031)' released by the Ministry of Education, the number of first-grade students nationwide for the 2026 academic year is projected at 298,178, marking the first time the figure has fallen under the 300,000 threshold.
이태민 기자 · 04/27/2026
KBR Research Notes
Chicken Headquarters Hit All-Time Highs While Franchises Face Negative Growth: The Two Faces of the Chicken Industry Through April 2026 Data
The daily reality of chicken franchises. In 2025, when the combined sales of the top three headquarters exceeded 1.6 trillion won for the first time, the number of chicken franchises decreased for the first time according to the Fair Trade Commission. An average of 2.1 employees per franchise, 41 million won in differential franchise fees, and up to 29.3% in delivery commissions define the reality of these kitchens.
박소유 기자 · 04/23/2026
KBR Research Notes
The Pros and Cons of the Golden Age of Unmanned Stores: Growing Store Counts, Diverging Sales
In the era of the 10,000-won minimum wage, kiosks have evolved from a choice for business owners into a survival tool. A single fingertip touching a menu screen is quietly reshaping the boundaries of face-to-face service. [Photo = Korea Business Review DB] The expansion and fractures of unmanned stores in numbers. Just five years ago, unmanned stores were treated as a curious experiment.
김민경 기자 · 04/22/2026
KBR Research Notes
Shifting Global Patent Landscape — Comprehensive Analysis of 2025–2026 Patent Trends
Invisible technological boundaries are drawn in research institutes. [Image = AI-generated image] Amid global patent applications hitting all-time highs, patent competition in the AI semiconductor sector is intensifying. [As of 2026] South Korea's January patent applications hit an all-time high — A new phase led by AI. 2026 is off to a hot start.
박소유 기자 · 04/17/2026
KBR Research Notes
The Era of 51% in the Capital Region: Regional Korea is Disappearing
An apartment construction site in a new town in Gyeonggi Province, where dozens of cranes operate simultaneously. [Photo = Korea Business Review DB] Amid deepening population concentration in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, Gyeonggi Province is projected to be one of only two regions nationwide, along with Sejong, where the population will increase through 2052.
강지혜 기자 · 04/16/2026
