SEJONG, Dec. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s self-employed sector is showing tentative signs of recovery, buoyed in part by government-issued consumption coupons and an improving growth backdrop, though economists caution that structural pressures could limit the durability of the rebound. According to data released Monday by the National Tax Service, the number of businesses that [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is on track to end dog meat farming nationwide by early 2027, as the vast majority of dog-breeding operations have already shut down following the implementation of a landmark ban, government data showed this week. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on Sunday that about [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s National Human Rights Commission said on Friday that Coupang, the country’s largest e-commerce platform, has refused to comply with its recommendation to broaden the hiring of foreign delivery workers, adding to scrutiny already facing the company over a recent personal data leak. The commission said it decided [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The national pension fund has resumed strategic foreign exchange hedging operations as authorities stepped up efforts to stabilize the local currency, sources said Friday. The National Pension Service (NPS) restarted the program after extending both its currency swap agreement and the temporary strategic hedging scheme for another year, which [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The unification ministry said Friday it plans to integrate the main center and branch of Hanawon, the state facility for supporting North Korean defectors’ resettlement, next year amid a sharp decline in the number of such people coming to South Korea in recent years. Currently, the headquarters of Hanawon [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s government plans to enact a sweeping Climate Adaptation Act next year and expand the use of artificial intelligence to forecast floods, road icing and wildfires, as it steps up preparations for intensifying climate risks, officials said Tuesday. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said the Fourth National [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will exempt a wider range of low-risk recyclable materials from mandatory import insurance requirements, a move aimed at securing recycling inputs and accelerating the country’s transition to a circular economy, the government said Monday. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that it will revise enforcement [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Replacing screen time with traditional outdoor games has led to measurable improvements in weight and eating habits among South Korean elementary school students, according to government data released Tuesday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute said the “Healthy Care Playground” program, designed to promote [...]
SEJONG, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s government on Tuesday approved a sweeping consumer protection plan aimed at preventing harm before it occurs, stepping up scrutiny of deceptive digital marketing practices known as “dark patterns” and tightening safety standards for everyday products, officials said. The Consumer Policy Committee, chaired by Kim Sung-sook, approved the 2026 [...]
BUSAN & SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s oceans ministry said on Tuesday that it would begin preparing trial voyages along the Arctic shipping route next year, positioning the country to take advantage of new maritime pathways opening as climate change reshapes global trade and fishing conditions. At a presidential policy briefing in Busan, [...]