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Public pension concerns, military enlistment and entertainment controversies drove Google search activity in South Korea on Oct. 13, 2026, alongside interest in transportation, redevelopment, medicine, automobiles and professional baseball.
Google Trends ranked the terms by their position on its real-time trending list, while providing only approximate search volumes. As a result, a term’s estimated search count did not necessarily correspond with its ranking.
Pension gaps and Air Force competition
The National Pension Service topped the list with more than 500 estimated searches. South Korea’s public pension system is funded by contributions made while people are earning income.
Interest rose after reports said 6,100 people with disabilities died without receiving benefits despite having contributed for 10 years. Other reports highlighted 1.46 million young people exempted from payments, with job loss accounting for more than 90% of those cases, as well as workers who could not receive retirement benefits because their employers failed to pay required contributions.
“Air Force” ranked second with more than 200 searches after the Military Manpower Administration publicly selected general-duty recruits scheduled to begin service in 2027. South Korea requires most able-bodied men to complete military service. The agency used a computerized selection process to choose 5,520 recruits from 49,666 applicants, a competition rate of about 9-to-1.
Actors and television personalities draw attention
Actor Kim Soo-hyun ranked third and generated the day’s largest estimated search volume, at more than 10,000. Reports questioned whether the sender of KakaoTalk messages said to have been exchanged with the late actor Kim Sae-ron in 2016 was Kim or another celebrity. The messages had been presented as evidence of a relationship, but reports raised allegations that the other participant’s name had been changed and described Kim as a possible victim of manipulated records. KakaoTalk is South Korea’s dominant mobile messaging service.
Television personality Shin Dong-yup placed fourth with more than 1,000 searches after actor Jung Woong-in addressed rumors that he had assaulted Shin and bullied younger students during their university years. Shin also denied the account, saying a story told for laughs on an entertainment program had been distorted. Renewed interest followed a discussion of their college years on Shin’s YouTube variety show, which also featured director Jang Jin.
Transit, medicine, cars and baseball
“Bus” ranked fifth with more than 500 searches after the city of Incheon announced plans to spend 10.2 billion won to introduce AI-powered autonomous buses in 2027, including routes connecting the airport and downtown areas and a bus rapid transit link between Cheongna and Hwagok.
Nowon District in Seoul ranked sixth with more than 200 searches. The district is seeking restrictions at 13 planned redevelopment sites to prevent commercial properties from being subdivided before the areas receive formal redevelopment designations.
The Korean word for “medicine” ranked seventh with more than 100 searches amid debate over legally introducing the abortion medication Mifegyne. Oh Yu-kyoung, head of South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, told a parliamentary audit that legalization was needed so patients suffering side effects could seek compensation, prompting further discussion about the drug’s safety.
The Lexus ES ranked eighth with more than 200 searches as Lexus unveiled its first fully redesigned ES in eight years and moved into the electric sedan market. The company also formally launched the ES 350h AWD hybrid in South Korea.
Professional baseball manager Kim Tae-hyung ranked ninth with more than 1,000 searches as his three-year contract with the Lotte Giants expired without a postseason appearance. Retiring baseball player Jeon Min-jae completed the top 10 with more than 200 searches.
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