🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇯🇵 Japan · Policy & regulation
104 storiesPresident Lee vows to keep pledge to end “real estate speculation republic”
President Lee Jae-myung said on Oct. 5 in a post on X that his government will keep its promise to escape the “real estate speculation republic,” saying the country cannot be made to face a “lost 30 years” from real-estate bomb-passing even…
South Korea culture ministry issues director-level personnel notice
South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released a personnel appointment notice on 5 October 2026, carried by Newsis, Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily, Asia Economy, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo. Yonhap's summary described …
South Korea's Lee orders CPTPP talks restarted from the beginning amid farm concerns
President Lee Jae-myung instructed at a cabinet meeting on Oct 6 that the government should not fix a conclusion on joining the CPTPP and should “restart dialogue from the beginning,” saying the pact's strategic value is cited alongside ver…
Japan transport ministry sets four-level flood risk plan for underpasses
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism published guidelines on October 6 classifying underpasses nationwide into four flood-risk levels and calling for remotely operated or automatic barriers at the most dangerous s…
South Korea to guarantee one-third of jeonse deposits for fraud victims from Nov. 13
South Korea's cabinet approved an enforcement decree amendment to the special act on jeonse fraud victims on Oct. 6, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, with the measure taking effect on Nov. 13. Victims whose total rec…
Chungnam and Korea Forest Service sign pine wilt control MOU, plan nationwide expansion
Chungcheongnam-do Province and the Korea Forest Service signed an MOU in Taean County on Oct. 5 on “industrialized pest control” for pine wilt disease, under which damaged trees are removed using private logging capacity and usable trees go…
South Korea’s health insurance service to pay unclaimed premium refunds through November
South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service said it will run an intensive two-month period through Nov. 30 to pay out unclaimed health insurance premium refunds. Refunds arise from double or erroneous payments or from recalculations aft…
Seoul revamps 'Future Seoul Morning Lecture' with in-house officials
Seoul city has overhauled its “미래서울 아침특강” (Future Seoul Morning Lecture) series so that its own director-general-level officials, rather than outside experts, give the lectures. The first lecture under the new format was held on the morning…
Korea police reform panel recommends hiring 100+ lawyers a year as investigators
A South Korean police investigation reform committee announced 12 recommendations on October 6, 2026, including hiring more than 100 lawyer-qualified police officers each year for five years and recording investigation directives as electro…
South Korea's CIO opposes moving presidential investigations to new agency
South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said it opposes moves in the ruling camp to transfer authority to investigate the president, prime minister, ministers and lawmakers to a proposed Serious Crime Invest…
Defense ministry to pursue cut, abolition of alternative service for arts, sports
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Oct 6 that it plans to ultimately pursue a reduction and abolition of supplementary military service, including arts and sports personnel, and to reflect it in the defense reform basic plan. Spokespers…
Asian Games gold row widens as parties in South Korea seek exemption review
South Korea beat Japan 1-0 on October 3 to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold, a result that exempts most of the squad from military service. A locker-room photo of Park Seung-su in a discharge hat, captain Lee Ki-hyuk…
Seoul courts split on special prosecutor dispatch after prosecution overhaul
South Korean courts reached different conclusions on whether prosecutors dispatched to special prosecutor teams may take part in hearings, after the Prosecutors' Office was abolished and the Public Prosecution Office launched on Oct 2. Seou…
Petition seeks to end military service exemptions for Korean athletes, artists
A petition calling for the abolition of military service exemptions for entertainers and athletes was posted on the National Assembly's public petition site on October 5, after remarks and social media posts by some of South Korea's Asian G…
Seoul hospital living-cost support payments rise 20% in first eight months
Seoul city government said payments under its “Seoul-type hospital living expenses” programme reached 4,375 cases in January–August 2026, up 19.7% from a year earlier, with the amount paid rising 27.7% to 3.23 billion won. Applications rose…
South Korea's FTC inspects bhc, BBQ and Kyochon over chicken price collusion
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission sent investigators to the headquarters of chicken franchises bhc, BBQ and Kyochon Chicken on Oct 6 as part of a probe into possible price collusion, according to industry sources. The inspections followed…
LH to supply 200 dorm-style rental homes to Seoul National University by 2030
Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) said it will supply 200 dormitory-style jeonse rental units to Seoul National University by 2030 and expand the programme to universities nationwide. LH said 30 units were supplied this semester near …
South Korea FTC releases integrated guidelines on online dark patterns
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission said it released integrated guidelines on Oct. 6 for preventing dark patterns in online interfaces, covering 13 types of conduct. For cancellation and withdrawal, it recommends a button reachable in one c…
Korea doubles reward cap for reporting fake wage-support claims to 200 mln won
South Korea's cabinet approved an amendment to the enforcement decree of the Wage Claim Guarantee Act on Oct 6, doubling the maximum reward for reporting fraudulent receipt of state wage-claim payments (daegigeupgeum) from 100 million won t…
South Korea's Lee orders probe into bank data leaks, regulator calls emergency meeting
President Lee Jae-myung ordered a thorough investigation and countermeasures on Oct. 4 after being briefed on personal data leaks at financial institutions and public bodies, the presidential office said. The incidents began with Shinhan Ba…