Centenarians in Korea near triples in 10-year period

The number of South Koreans aged 100 or older nearly tripled over the past decade, with the increase particularly sharp among men, government data showed Thursday. As of Nov. 1, 2025, there were 8,604 centenarians in the country, up from 3,159 in 2015, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The number increased by an annual average of 10.5 percent over the 10-year period, with 17.3 centenarians per 100,000 people in 2025. The ages were based on respondents' answers to a surv