SEOUL, August 1 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea prepares to review Google’s request to export high-resolution local mapping data next month, government officials are signaling that national security—not trade relations—will remain the key lens through which the issue is assessed. Despite recent speculation that the matter might surface in the context of U.S.-Korea trade [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – In a bid to curb traffic violations and enhance safety among commercial motorbike drivers, South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Wednesday that it will launch a one-year pilot program in October requiring front-facing number stickers on delivery motorcycles. Currently, motorcycles in Korea are only required to [...]
SEOUL, August 1 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae Myung on Friday vowed efforts to promote balanced regional development, saying the government will provide more budgetary support for regions outside of the capital area. Lee made the remarks during a meeting with mayors and provincial governors at the presidential office, the first such gathering since [...]
SEOUL, July 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has begun allowing its nationals to contact North Koreans without restrictions, provided such contacts are declared in advance, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday. Chung said he signed off on the disposal of ministry guidelines governing declarations of contacts with North Koreans the previous day, speaking to [...]
SEOUL, July 31 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for establishing a next-generation power grid as he underscored the importance of shifting the country’s power supply infrastructure to one that centers on renewable energy. “Energy transition has become an essential task,” Lee said as he presided over a meeting of senior [...]
SEOUL, July 31 (Korea Bizwire) — The government on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive tax reform plan aimed at strengthening the national revenue base, which includes raising the top corporate tax rate and tightening capital gains taxation by broadening the definition of large shareholders. The reform marks the first major tax overhaul under President Lee Jae [...]
SEOUL, July 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Minister of Health and Welfare, Chung Eun-kyung, has called for stricter regulation of liquid-based e-cigarettes, equating their health risks to those of traditional combustible cigarettes, especially amid rising use among adolescents. In a written response submitted to the National Assembly following her confirmation hearing, Chung emphasized that [...]
SEOUL, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s credit card spending rose sharply in the second quarter of 2025, buoyed by recovering consumer sentiment and optimism over potential economic stimulus measures in the second half of the year. According to data released Wednesday by the Credit Finance Association, total card-approved transactions reached 313 trillion won [...]
SEOUL, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The finance ministry said Wednesday it has briefed President Lee Jae Myung on plans to adopt a “performance-based” fiscal management approach aimed at enhancing investment efficiency and fiscal sustainability. The report was delivered during the third meeting of the emergency economic response task force, presided over by Lee. The [...]
SEOUL, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Foreign companies operating in South Korea are voicing strong opposition to the so-called “Yellow Envelope Law,” warning it could significantly raise legal risks and operational burdens — with some even suggesting they may reconsider their presence in the country if the bill passes. The legislation, led by the ruling [...]