Policy & regulation
155 storiesRussian government approves bioeconomy development strategy to 2036
Russia's government approved a bioeconomy development strategy running to 2036, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a meeting with deputy premiers, according to official and business outlets. The strategy defines priority areas for bio…
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…
Kilmar Ábrego Garcia back in court as US seeks deportation to Liberia
Kilmar Ábrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025, was due back in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Tuesday in his fight against deportation to Liberia. The government is asking U.S…
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…
Army study found ICE shock gloves cause pain, compliance and fear, AP reports
A previously unreleased Army study found that shock gloves now purchased by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement caused intense pain, immediate compliance and fear of further shocks during a 2024 military exercise. Records obtained by t…
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…
Justice Department files denaturalization actions against 40 people
The U.S. Department of Justice said it filed denaturalization actions in multiple federal district courts against 40 individuals accused of serious offenses, including acting as an agent for a foreign government, voluntary manslaughter and …
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…
UAE sets phased caps on salt, sugar and fat in packaged foods, fines up to Dh500,000
The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has begun implementing a resolution that caps sodium, sugar and fat in selected packaged foods, with phased limits running until the end of 2030. The rules apply to locally made and imported produ…
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…
Germany sees threefold rise in military service refusal applications in 2026
Applications to refuse military service in Germany in 2026 were three times higher than a year earlier, RIA Novosti and TASS reported. RBC said the filings came after a new military service system was introduced and exceeded all application…
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 …