Jeju Shinbo
1. Society
Jeju population tops 640,000
Jeju’s population grew 3.1 percent last year to end 2015 at over 640,000. Experts say the trend will continue as more people move to the island.

2. Politics
Will the resale of new housing be outlawed?
The paper all eyes are on the provincial government’s move to legally prohibit the resale of new houses. Analysts say that is one of the reasons for the continuing rise in housing prices on the island.

Jemin Ilbo
1. Society
Dwindling funding to improve risky roads
The Jemin Ilbo says Jeju’s budget for sites that have a relatively high number of traffic accidents has dropped drastically in the past few years, from 1.7 billion in 2013 to just 440 million in 2015.

2. Economy
Jeju farms struggling from poor sales
Jeju farmers are struggling with lackluster sales of winter produce. Experts say this has a relatively large effect on the local economy because the primary sector accounts for nearly 14.9 percent of it while the national average is just 2.3 percent.

Halla Ilbo
1. Society
Will Jocheon become a Ramsar Wetland City?
The Halla Ilbo is reporting on the move to seek Ramsar Wetland City designation for Jocheon-eup. A special committee will prepare its application through the end of the year. Several other sites across Korea are vying for the same thing.

2. Education
Expanded afterschool childcare services
From this year, afterschool childcare services at elementary schools will be expanded to include fifth and sixth graders. The government service is offered to students whose parents both work full-time or fall in the low-income bracket.

Yonhap
1. National
Teacher receives 18-month jail term for sex abuse
Yonhap is reporting that a regional court on Wednesday handed down a jail term to a 54-year-old high school teacher for molesting six of his female students from 2014 to 2015. The Seoul Western District Court sentenced the defendant, whose identity was withheld, to 18 months in prison.

2. Economy
Jobless rate inches up to 3.2% in December
South Korea's jobless rate edged up in December from a month earlier as fewer people were hired in the agricultural and other sectors due to cold weather. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the jobless rate stood at 3.2 percent last month, up from 3.1 percent in November.