대한민국 Government Policy Update — May 25, 2026

Key Policy and Legislative Changes

• National Assembly / 435th Extraordinary Session The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (Speaker Woo Won-shik) held its first plenary session of the 435th Extraordinary Session on Thursday, May 7, passing a total of 117 agenda items, including 116 legislative bills. Many of these bills cover AI, safety, and public welfare.

• Ministry of the Interior and Safety / Locally-Led Public-Private Cooperation Project According to a policy briefing on May 22, 2026, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has selected 7 organizations for the "Locally-Led Public-Private Cooperation Project," following their core philosophy that "local issues should be solved locally."

• Ministry of Employment and Labor / Strengthening Serious Accident & Industrial Safety Regulations The Lee Jae-myung administration has declared a "war on industrial accidents" and plans to tighten industrial safety regulations in 2026. Key measures include expanding workplace inspections, strengthening duties for construction project contractors, creating new responsibilities for project orderers, mandating joint industrial safety and health committees for prime and subcontractors, making risk assessments mandatory with new penalty clauses, and increasing administrative and economic sanctions such as business suspension for serious accidents.

• Ministry of Economy and Finance / Regulatory Innovation for Advanced Strategic Industries To build an ecosystem that encourages active corporate investment and sustainable growth, the government is reviewing regulations related to advanced strategic industries, size-based corporate regulations, and support systems for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Regulatory Improvements and Administrative Changes

• National Police Agency & Ministry of Gender Equality / Protecting Victims of Relationship-Based Crimes According to the Regulatory Information Portal, a joint response system between the police and the Ministry of Gender Equality (counseling centers) was established on May 18, 2026, to better protect victims of relationship-based crimes.

• Ministry of Employment and Labor / Updates to Labor Union Act Guidelines (Yellow Envelope Act) The government has established guidelines for interpreting the revised Labor Union Act and a manual for fair bargaining between prime and subcontractors, refining administrative standards for collective bargaining and strikes.

• Ministry of Economy and Finance / Review of Corporate Regulations and SME Support As part of the push for innovation in advanced strategic industries, the government is conducting a comprehensive review of corporate regulations by size and support systems for SMEs to improve the business environment.

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Policy Impact and Future Schedule

• Implementation of 435th Session Bills: The 116 bills passed on May 7 are awaiting promulgation and follow-up adjustments to enforcement decrees, which are expected to have a tangible impact across AI, safety, and public welfare sectors.

• Intensified Industrial Safety Regulations: Based on the "Comprehensive Labor Safety Measures" announced on September 15, 2025, 2026 will see the phased implementation of stricter safety regulations, including increased inspections and supervision of construction and manufacturing sites.

• Launch of Locally-Led Cooperation Projects: Focused on the 7 selected organizations, the government expects the locally-led public-private model to get into full swing, contributing to a decentralized administrative system capable of solving local issues.

Editor's Note: Because we have limited access to official press releases published after May 23, 2026, this report only includes verifiable information. For further details, please visit the Korea Policy Briefing.