NEWS BRIEF

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Acting Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki says the government is considering expanding a tax break for chipmakers' spending on R&D and facility investment. It is to encourage the companies to develop key technologies and expand facilities, as international competition is heating up to take the lead in the semiconductor industry. Hong also announced plans to create a new 280-billion-won fund to support chipmakers, in addition to the current ones worth 550 billion won.
The Korea Information Society Development Institute said Thursday South Koreans watched TV for a daily average of three hours and nine minutes last year. It is up 14 minutes from 2019. Those in their 40s spent two hours and 54 minutes in front of the TV while 50-somethings used three hours and 32 minutes. The TV viewing time jumped to four hours and nine minutes among those in their 60s and to four hours and 45 minutes among septuagenarians. Concluding that older age groups spend more time watching TV, the institute quoted some 32 percent of respondent as answering that their TV viewing increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.