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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
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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
박소유 기자 · 04/23/2026
KBR Research Notes
The Pros and Cons of the Golden Age of Unmanned Stores: Growing Store Counts, Diverging Sales
김민경 기자 · 04/22/2026
KBR Research Notes
Shifting Global Patent Landscape — Comprehensive Analysis of 2025–2026 Patent Trends
박소유 기자 · 04/17/2026
KBR Research Notes
The Era of 51% in the Capital Region: Regional Korea is Disappearing
강지혜 기자 · 04/16/2026
KBR Research Notes
In an Era Without Jobs, Youth Choose Entrepreneurship
The government expanded its startup support budget to a record high in 2026, but the three-year survival rate for AI startups remains at just 56.2%. As the door to employment narrows, young people are knocking on the door of entrepreneurship. According to employment trends for March released by the National Statistics Office on April 15, 2026, the youth employment rate (ages 15–29) stood at 43.6%, down 0.9 percentage points from the same period last year.
류현진 기자 · 04/16/2026
KBR Research Notes
Current Status of AI Adoption in Healthcare 2026: From Experiment to Execution, Crossing the Threshold
As of 2026, robot-assisted surgery AI has established itself as the application recording the highest market share in the global healthcare AI market. I. Healthcare AI Beyond the Tipping Point In 2026, healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer in the realm of pilot projects.
류현진 기자 · 04/10/2026
KBR Research Notes
Why K-Ramen Captivated the World: The 2026 Global Ramen Market and the Explosive Growth of South Korean Exports
1. Global Ramen Market Size: As of 2026, the global instant ramen market has entered a structural growth phase. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global instant ramen market size in 2025 is estimated at $64.67 billion (approx. 95 trillion won).
박소유 기자 · 04/09/2026
KBR Research Notes
How Does South Korea's AI Talent Cultivation Environment Rate Compared to Advanced Nations?
According to a Stanford University study, South Korea's net inflow of AI talent stands at -0.36 per 10,000 residents, ranking among the lowest in the world. The reality is that the rate of departure outpaces the rate of cultivation. This is the uncomfortable reality of a nation that has declared itself part of the 'Big 3' in AI, following the full implementation of the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence in South Korea in January 2026.
이우리 기자 · 04/08/2026
KBR Research Notes
Electric Bicycle Market Analysis 2026: The Quiet Revolution Changing the World
As of 2026, the global electric bicycle market has grown to a scale of $65 billion to $78 billion, establishing itself as a new standard for urban transportation. E-bikes, wheels that rolled out even before electric vehicles, have long been classified as a niche mode of transport.
박찬호 기자 · 04/08/2026
