Public Insight Archives | Be Korea-savvy

Archive by category Public Insight

South Korea Holds Routine Military Drills Near Disputed Dokdo Islets

South Korea Holds Routine Military Drills Near Disputed Dokdo Islets

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea carried out routine military drills this week near Dokdo, its easternmost islets, reaffirming its control over the disputed territory in exercises that again drew protests from Japan. The drills took place Tuesday in waters off Dokdo, according to a South Korean military official who said they were [...]

Seoul Pushes for More Control of Its Forces as U.S. Priorities Shift

Seoul Pushes for More Control of Its Forces as U.S. Priorities Shift

WASHINGTON•SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea is pressing ahead with a bid for greater military autonomy within its alliance with the United States, a shift that reflects both Seoul’s growing confidence and Washington’s evolving strategic priorities as rivalry with China intensifies. From efforts to reclaim wartime operational control of its forces from the United [...]

South Korea to Enact Climate Adaptation Law, Deploy AI to Predict Floods and Extreme Weather

South Korea to Enact Climate Adaptation Law, Deploy AI to Predict Floods and Extreme Weather

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 [...]

Korea Relaxes Waste Import Insurance Requirements to Boost Recycling

Korea Relaxes Waste Import Insurance Requirements to Boost Recycling

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 [...]

Active Play Program Helps Cut Childhood Obesity Rates

Active Play Program Helps Cut Childhood Obesity Rates

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 [...]

South Korea Unveils Consumer Protection Plan Targeting Dark Patterns and Safety Gaps

South Korea Unveils Consumer Protection Plan Targeting Dark Patterns and Safety Gaps

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 [...]

Korea to Begin Pilot Voyages on Arctic Sea Route Next Year

Korea to Begin Pilot Voyages on Arctic Sea Route Next Year

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, [...]

Families of Korean Forced Labor Victims Sue in Seoul to Remove Names From Yasukuni Shrine

Families of Korean Forced Labor Victims Sue in Seoul to Remove Names From Yasukuni Shrine

SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The families of Koreans who were forcibly conscripted by Imperial Japan during World War II and later enshrined at Japan’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine have filed a lawsuit in a South Korean court, seeking the removal of their relatives’ names and damages for what they describe as an ongoing violation of [...]

Seoul Moves to Strengthen Consumer Safeguards Across Financial Products

Seoul Moves to Strengthen Consumer Safeguards Across Financial Products

SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s financial watchdog on Monday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to overhaul consumer protection, signaling a shift away from after-the-fact remedies toward preemptive intervention across the life cycle of financial products. The Financial Supervisory Service said it aims to make 2025 a “foundational year” for substantive consumer protection by embedding [...]