South Korea Government Policy Updates
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik marked his 100th day in office by vowing to advance livelihood bills, the budget, and constitutional reform discussions during the regular session. The Ministry of Justice secured a final victory after an ISDS annulment application filed by a Chinese investor was dismissed. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued administrative guidelines urging caution with brushcutters ahead of Chuseok grave-tending.
South Korea Government Policy Updates — 2026-09-13
Major Policies and Legislative Changes
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National Assembly Starts Regular Session, Focuses on Livelihood Bills and Constitutional Reform: Marking his 100th day in office on September 13, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik stated, "During this regular session, we will seamlessly process livelihood bills and the budget, and put constitutional reform discussions that realize popular sovereignty back on track." This clarifies the legislative body's policy priorities ahead of the regular session.

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik speaking on his 100th day in office -
Ministry of Justice Wins ISDS Case as Chinese Investor's Annulment Request is Dismissed: The Ministry of Justice announced that the application for annulment of an Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) award filed against the South Korean government by a Chinese national investor was entirely dismissed. Consequently, the original 2024 arbitration award, which dismissed all compensation claims worth approximately 264.1 billion won, remains firmly in place.

Exterior view of the Ministry of Justice building -
Ministry of the Interior and Safety Issues Chuseok Brushcutter Safety Guidelines: On September 11, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (led by Minister Yoon Ho-jung) distributed a press release urging people to exercise caution when using brushcutters for grave-tending ahead of Chuseok. This is a proactive administrative measure to prevent frequent agricultural machinery safety accidents during the holiday period.

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Chuseok grave-tending safety guide image -
Nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family Begins Confirmation Hearing Prep: Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, arrived at her confirmation hearing prep office on September 11 and officially launched preparations for the hearing process. Despite protests from some civic groups, the nominee carried out her duties as usual.
Regulatory Improvements and Administrative Changes
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Abolition of Beoman Road Tolls in Daegu Implemented: Tolls for Beoman Road, a major arterial road in the Daegu region, were abolished starting in September 2026. This regulatory relief measure aims to ease citizens' transportation cost burdens and revitalize the local economy, and was specified as one of the key system changes for 2026.
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Strengthened Safety Inspections and Return/Disposal of Hazardous Direct Overseas Purchases: Safety inspections for overseas direct purchase items have been reinforced, and products determined to be hazardous will be immediately returned or discarded. This marks a shift in administrative guidelines to enhance consumer safety.
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Ministry of Economy and Finance Visits Robot Company and Explains Budget Support: On September 10, Huh Jang, Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, visited Robotis in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, held a roundtable meeting with robot companies, and explained key support details of the government's 2027 budget proposal. This serves as an example of on-the-ground communication regarding regulatory and support policies for fostering advanced strategic industries.
Policy Impact and Future Schedule
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Steel Industry Structural Innovation Policy Tasks Scheduled for Announcement: Regarding deregulation efforts, policy tasks for steel industry structural innovation are scheduled to be announced during the fourth quarter of this year. This is drawing attention as a follow-up measure to reorganize global supply chains and strengthen industrial competitiveness.
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Key Support Details of 2027 Government Budget Proposal Confirmed: The Ministry of Economy and Finance preemptively explained the major support details of the 2027 government budget proposal during the September 10 roundtable. The specific scale of financial support for advanced industries and the robotics sector is set to be finalized during future budget deliberation processes.
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