Korea Policy Timeline

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Arts Council Korea announced on August 10, 2026 that applications for additional issuance of the Youth Culture and Arts Pass (청년문화예술패스) will be accepted until November 30 on the official website (youthculturepass.or.kr). This year the program covers people born in 2006 and 2007; based on the address on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety resident registration at the time of application, young people living in the Seoul metropolitan area receive 150,000 won and those living outside the metropolitan area receive 200,000 won. Starting with this additional issuance, the supported fields have been expanded beyond performances, exhibitions and films to include books, and the support money can be used at 9 partner sellers until December 31.

To help people balance work and family life, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will start a three-part spouse support package on September 18, 2026. First, a new miscarriage and stillbirth leave for spouses can be used for up to 5 days, with the first 3 days paid. Second, spouse leave around childbirth (배우자 출산전후휴가), which until now could only be taken after the birth, can be taken from 50 days before the due date. Third, male workers will also be able to take parental leave from before their child is born, to care for a pregnant spouse at risk of miscarriage, premature birth or similar.

On August 25, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (농림축산식품부) announced that residents of the 7 counties additionally selected for the Rural Basic Income (농어촌 기본소득) pilot project will receive their first payments starting on the 28th of this month. The payment is 150,000 won per resident per month, provided in Local Love Gift Certificates (지역사랑상품권). Gurye, Boseong and Cheongsong counties add their own county budgets for 200,000 won per month, and Boeun county pays 160,000 won per month. The areas added in June are 7 counties: Gurye and Boseong in Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (전남광주통합특별시), Hwacheon in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Boeun in Chungcheongbuk-do, Jinan and Muju in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, and Cheongsong in Gyeongsangbuk-do. The first round of payments totals 56.7 billion won including the retroactive amount for July. Gurye, Boseong, Hwacheon, Boeun and Cheongsong counties pay on August 28, Jinan county on August 31, and Muju county from September 10 after completing the transfer of its local currency system.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on August 11, 2026 that a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Licensed Real Estate Agents Act (공인중개사법 시행령) was approved at the Cabinet meeting, and that it takes effect on August 28 together with the Enforcement Rule of the same act, which was partially amended and promulgated the same day. Under the amendment, licensed real estate agents are required to verify and explain the amount of 'shared management fees (공동관리비)' in addition to the existing total management fee, so that tenants moving into small-scale housing such as studio apartments or officetels can learn the level of common-area management fees before signing. In addition, the Korea Association of Realtors is converted into a statutory body, and the provision is clarified so that brokerage fees for residential officetels are also decided through 'consultation' within the upper rate limit.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization said on 27 August that they had selected 9 regions to newly join the 'Local Love Holiday Support (지역사랑 휴가지원, also called half-price travel)' programme this autumn. The 9 are Hwacheon-gun in Gangwon; Goseong-gun, Sancheong-gun and Hamyang-gun in Gyeongnam; Andong-si and Yeongcheon-si in Gyeongbuk; Seocheon-gun and Taean-gun in Chungnam; and Jangheung-gun in Jeonnam. Under the programme, people who visit rural and fishing areas designated as population-declining regions are refunded up to 100,000 won per individual, and 140,000 won for young people, out of their travel costs, in the form of mobile local love gift certificates (지역사랑상품권); the service started in 16 regions in April. The 9 new regions are scheduled to begin the service in sequence from the end of this month after preparatory work. Among the 16 regions that ran the programme in the first half of the year, some — including Miryang-si, Geochang-gun, Wando-gun and Yeonggwang-gun — plan to allocate additional budget and continue the service in the second half. Details are available on 'Daehanmingug Guseokguseok' (대한민국 구석구석, visitkorea.or.kr), and applications are received through each local government's website.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is urgently granting 150 million won in disaster relief project funds (재난구호사업비) to support accommodation and meal costs and relief supplies such as bottled water for residents of Geoje-si who evacuated because of the heavy rain that continued from 15 to 18 August. As of 27 August, emergency recovery had been completed for 3,045 of the 3,575 damaged public and private facilities, or 85.2%. Emergency recovery was complete for 612 of 836 damaged public facilities and 2,433 of 2,739 damaged private facilities. This grant follows the 30 million won granted to Geoje-si on 19 August and reflects conditions on the ground, where delays in restoring electrical equipment coincided with a heatwave and increased the number of people in temporary evacuation. The ministry also provided 10 million won in disaster relief project funds to Tongyeong-si on 19 August. From 29 August a central joint survey involving relevant ministries and private experts will be carried out to confirm the damage and draw up a recovery plan, and if areas meeting the criteria for designation as a special disaster zone are identified, the ministry plans to recommend additional designations.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on 26 August that the 'Act on the Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products (농수산물 유통 및 가격안정에 관한 법률)' takes effect on 27 August. Under it, an agricultural product price stabilization scheme (농산물가격안정제) is introduced that covers a set portion of the fall when prices drop sharply despite supply and demand having been managed in advance. A pre-emptive supply-and-demand management system in which the central government, local governments and producer organisations jointly take part in managing cultivation area is also strengthened, and the ministry will draw up an annual supply and demand plan for agricultural products based on the metropolitan and provincial supply and demand management plans prepared by local governments. The Agricultural Product Supply and Demand Adjustment Committee, which has been run as an advisory body, is reorganised into a committee that deliberates on major supply and demand policies, and the basis for its establishment and operation is raised from the enforcement rules to the Act. A legal basis was also created for drawing up operating plans for stockpiled agricultural products and for strengthening support for losses arising in the course of contract cultivation. Major details such as the items covered by the price stabilization scheme and the payment rate for the difference are to be confirmed and announced separately after deliberation by the Agricultural Product Price Stabilization Deliberation Committee in early September.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it would issue on 26 August an amendment to the notice on the 'threshold for aggregate income other than from agriculture', raising the aggregate non-agricultural income that limits payment of public-interest direct payments (공익직불금) from 37 million won to 47 million won. The current threshold of 37 million won was set when it was newly introduced in 2009, taking account of the average household income of 36.74 million won in 2007, which was the most recent statistic at the time, and has not been adjusted since. On 12 May the government amended the Public-Interest Direct Payment Act so that the off-farm income threshold is 'notified by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs every 5 years within a range of 43 million won or more, taking account of household income statistics and other data', and as a follow-up measure the ministry set the threshold at 47 million won, taking account of factors including the median income of 1-person households with employed members over the most recent 5 years of the Survey of Household Finances and Living Conditions and its average annual growth rate. The amended notice takes effect on 13 November, and the raised threshold is applied immediately to farmers who have registered an application for area-based direct payments this year. The ministry projected that, calculated on the basis of last year's applicants, the amendment would allow about 10,000 farmers to receive about 9.9 billion won in additional area-based direct payments.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on 26 August that it would hold 'comprehensive consultation sessions for small business owners to overcome management difficulties' in sequence across the country from 28 August in Daejeon and Sejong until the end of October. Experts in each field visit the regions in person and provide one-to-one tailored consultations in one place on policy funds (loans), credit guarantees, debt adjustment, winding up a business, employment and re-startup support, and labour and marketing consulting. Small business owners who take part are also given a free 'management diagnosis report' analysing matters such as the state of their commercial district and sales trends. Any small business owner located in the region concerned can take part free of charge, and after Daejeon and Sejong the sessions continue in major metropolitan cities and provinces including Seoul and Gyeonggi, Incheon, Gangwon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, Gwangju and Jeonnam, Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Gyeongbuk and Jeju until the end of October. Detailed schedules and venues by region are to be announced on the website of the Small Enterprise and Market Service (소상공인시장진흥공단, www.semas.or.kr) as they are confirmed.

The Metropolitan Transport Commission of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on 26 August that it was revising the terms of use for the 'Modu-ui Card (모두의카드)' service in order to prevent improper claiming and improve fairness in the use of public funds. The changes will be posted in the app, on the website and elsewhere for one month from 27 August and then take effect on 28 September. The revised terms define improper claiming as including using another person's name, transferring or lending the card or account, falsely registering eligibility information, and the use of improper electronic methods such as hacking. Where improper claiming is confirmed, use of the service is suspended for 1 month at the 1st instance and 3 months at the 2nd, and at the 3rd instance membership is revoked and re-registration is barred for 1 year. For serious cases such as organised or repeated improper claiming, the re-registration bar may be set at up to 3 years. To protect legitimate users, the user is informed of the matter before a decision on improper claiming is made and given 14 days to respond, and an objection may be filed within 30 days of the date of notification of measures such as suspension of use or return of refunded amounts.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the '2026 local tax reform proposal' on 26 August. Under the proposal, the scope of first-home acquisition tax relief would be extended from housing to residential officetels, and the acquisition tax relief cap for a person under 40 without a home acquiring a first home would be raised from 2 million won to 3 million won. At present, a person acquiring a home of 1.2 billion won or less for value for the first time can be exempted from acquisition tax up to a cap of 2 million won. First-home relief could also be received again where a person who owned and then disposed of a small officetel or small home with an exclusive-use area of 40 square metres or less and a standard market price of 200 million won or less (400 million won or less in the metropolitan area) subsequently acquires a home, with apartments excluded from the small-home category. The special rule applying a property tax rate 0.05 percentage points below the standard rate to single-home households (1세대 1주택) with a published price of 900 million won or less would be extended to 2029. The proposal is a government bill scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly at the end of October, after 27 days of advance legislative notice from 27 August to 23 September followed by Ministry of Government Legislation review and a Cabinet decision.

On August 25, 2026, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (공정거래위원회) announced that it had revised the Standard Terms and Conditions for Funeral Halls (장례식장 표준약관) to prevent the practice of funeral halls disposing of wreaths without the consent of the bereaved family, and to clarify the criteria for bringing in outside food and the duty to explain funeral costs in advance. The revised standard terms make clear that ownership of wreaths used at a funeral hall belongs to the user, and require a funeral hall to consult with the user in advance before disposing of wreaths. They also specify the components of the usage fee as facility rental fees, funeral-related service charges, funeral supply costs, and cleaning and management fees, and state that the business operator must explain the facilities, the fees and the content of the funeral rites before concluding the contract.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) and Incheon Metropolitan City announced on August 25, 2026 that, as a result of the public call for leading districts (선도지구) for the redevelopment of Incheon's aging planned cities, 6 zones (25 housing complexes) across 5 districts, totaling 16,267 homes, had been selected as leading districts. The selected zones are Zone A7 and Zone A12 in the Yeonsu-Seonhak district, Zone B1 in the Guwol district, Zone A3 in the Galsan-Bupyeong-Bugae district, Zone A5 in the Gyesan district, and Zone A4 in the Mansu 1·2·3 district. In terms of volume, Incheon's leading districts are the largest ever for a single local government, including the first-generation new towns (1기 신도시). The selected zones now begin follow-up procedures in earnest, such as establishing special redevelopment plans.

The National Tax Service (국세청) announced on August 24 that, following the designation of Geoje in Gyeongnam and the Sanyang-eup and Bongpyeong-dong areas of Tongyeong as special disaster zones (특별재난지역) on August 21, 2026, it would expand tax administration support for taxpayers affected by the heavy rain, including extensions of filing and payment deadlines, deferral of seizure and sale, and deferral of tax audits. On application, filing and payment deadlines for corporate tax, value-added tax, comprehensive income tax and others are extended by up to 2 years, and for corporations the payment deadline for the interim prepayment of corporate tax due by the end of this month is extended ex officio by 2 months to November 2 without a separate application. Applications can be made at the dedicated tax administration support desk for taxpayers affected by the heavy rain at the Tongyeong Tax Office, by mail, or through Hometax.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부) announced that from August 24 to September 23, 2026 it will conduct a joint public-private inspection of hazards around some 6,300 elementary schools nationwide. The inspection covers 5 areas directly linked to child safety: traffic safety, food safety, harmful environments, product safety and illegal advertisements. Anyone who finds a hazard around an elementary school, such as content marked as harmful to youth, substandard food or products without safety certification, can report it to Safety e-Report (안전신문고, www.safetyreport.go.kr), and the responsible agency receives the report and informs the reporter of the action taken or planned within 7 days.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부) announced that, with presidential approval, it declared all of Geoje in Gyeongnam and the Sanyang-eup and Bongpyeong-dong areas of Tongyeong as special disaster zones (특별재난지역) on August 21, ahead of other areas, following the heavy rain that continued from August 15 to 18, 2026. Residents of special disaster zones receive 13 additional forms of support, such as reductions in health insurance premiums and in electricity, telecommunications, city gas and district heating charges, on top of the 25 forms of support provided in ordinary disaster areas, including deferral of national and local tax payments. Disaster relief payments are made to affected residents regardless of whether a special disaster zone has been declared.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 20th that it is extending by 1 year, from August 26 to August 25, 2027, the designation period of the land transaction permit zones (토지거래허가구역) designated last August to manage housing acquisition by foreigners. The scope of the permit zones is the same as the scope designated last August, reflecting only the administrative district reorganization of Incheon in July this year. The areas covered are all of Seoul; 23 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province (excluding Yangju, Icheon, Uijeongbu, Dongducheon, Yangpyeong, Yeoju, Gapyeong and Yeoncheon); and 9 autonomous districts in Incheon (Michuhol, Yeonsu, Namdong, Bupyeong, Gyeyang, Seohae, Geomdan, Yeongjong and Jemulpo). Transactions subject to permission are those of detached houses, multi-household houses, multiplex houses, row houses and apartments in those areas, and the size threshold remains the same as before: transactions exceeding 6㎡ in residential zones and 15㎡ in commercial zones.

3 enactment bills — the Act on Complex Development of Aging Government Buildings (노후청사 복합개발법), the Act on Complex Development of School Sites (학교용지 복합개발법) and the Act on the Maintenance of Vacant Buildings (빈 건축물 정비법) — and 3 amendment bills to the Special Act on Public Housing (공공주택 특별법), the Housing Act (주택법) and the Act on Report of Real Estate Transactions (부동산거래신고법), all follow-up legislation to the '9·7 housing supply expansion plan' prepared last year, passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. The sunset deadline for urban public housing complex projects (도심 공공주택 복합사업) is extended by 3 years, from the end of December this year to December 2029, and the unit cap on urban-living housing (도시형생활주택), previously limited to fewer than 300 units, is eased to fewer than 500 units in semi-residential, commercial and industrial zones and, for station areas, to fewer than 700 units under local government ordinance (applied on a temporary basis through 2030). For regional housing associations (지역주택조합), the requirement for filing a member recruitment report is tightened to land sale contracts covering 80% or more, while the land ownership threshold for applying for business plan approval is eased from 95% to 80% or more. The special acts on complex development of aging public buildings and school sites and the amendments to the Special Act on Public Housing and the Housing Act take effect 6 months after promulgation, the Act on Report of Real Estate Transactions 3 months after promulgation, and the Special Act on the Maintenance of and Support for Vacant Buildings 1 year after promulgation.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment explained that the reorganization of support for electric and hydrogen electric vehicles (수소전기차) is intended to shift, in stages, from the uniform support method of individual consumption tax (개별소비세) exemptions to tailored fiscal support (purchase subsidies). The explanation responds to a report by the Korea Economic Daily (한국경제) on August 21, 2026, headlined 'Electric vehicle prices to rise by an average of 3.25 million won under the tax reform', which raised concerns about an increased burden on consumers. The government stated that purchase subsidies are provided taking comprehensive account of a vehicle's performance, safety and price, the manufacturer's technology development capability, after-sales management and other factors, and that differentiated application reflecting consumer purchase characteristics — such as multi-child households, young people, vulnerable groups and support for switching from internal combustion vehicles — is also possible. Specific fiscal support measures are to be announced in the 2027 budget proposal, and the government explained that government support will not decrease even after the shift to fiscal (budget) support. Meanwhile, compact electric vehicles measuring 3.6 m or less in length and 1.6 m or less in width are excluded from individual consumption tax.

On August 19, 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said the amended Wage Claim Guarantee Act (임금채권보장법) and its enforcement rules take effect on August 20. The coverage of 'wages, etc.' (임금등 — wages, business suspension allowance, and pay during pre- and post-childbirth maternity leave) under the Bankruptcy Substitute Payment (도산대지급금) is expanded 2-fold from the final 3 months to the final 6 months, and accordingly the maximum amount receivable rises from 21 million won to 31.5 million won. The loan ceiling for employers who seek to clear unpaid wages on their own rises from 150 million won to 200 million won, and the limit per worker rises from 15 million won to 20 million won.

On August 20, 2026, the Financial Services Commission said it had formed an emergency financial response team and prepared financial support measures for households and small and medium-sized enterprises damaged by torrential rain in southern regions such as Geoje in South Gyeongsang Province. Affected households are supported with emergency livelihood stabilization funds, maturity extensions and repayment deferrals on existing loans, insurance premium payment deferrals and expedited insurance payouts, deferred billing of card payments, and special debt restructuring for delinquent debt. Small business owners and SMEs are supported with emergency management stabilization funds, maturity extensions and repayment deferrals on existing loans, special guarantees, and debt restructuring for delinquent debt. To apply for financial support, applicants must first obtain and bring a disaster damage confirmation certificate (재해피해확인서) issued by their local government.

Short-term parental leave, designed for short-term care needs such as school holidays or a sudden daycare or school closure, starts on August 20, 2026. Until now, parental leave could only be taken in blocks of 30 days or more. From that date, parents can take short-term parental leave in blocks of 1 week (7 days) or 2 weeks (14 days), once a year. The change supports balancing work and childcare and was introduced through an amendment to the relevant law.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy said it held the 29th meeting of the State Property Policy Deliberation Committee on the 20th, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun-cheol, to review next year's draft comprehensive plan for state property and other items. According to the plan, the government will start construction in stages from next year on the 28,000 public homes for young people and newlyweds announced in the 1.29 measures, supply 2,000 youth dormitory units in places such as Guro in Seoul and Sejong using idle land, and pilot the supply of senior residences in Busan and elsewhere. It will also develop 200 aging local public buildings from next year and pursue complex development of public buildings at 14 major overseas locations including New York, Hanoi, Mexico City and London. Closed police substations and similar facilities will be remodeled to provide workplaces at low rent to older people, young people and social enterprises, and idle land near expressways will be leased to local governments at low cost to expand public bus depots to 72 by 2029. The comprehensive plan for state property for next year, decided at this committee meeting, will be submitted to the National Assembly after review by the State Council.

On August 20, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will push forward the 'Jeonse-Wolse Ansim Trust' (전월세 안심신탁) project using a jeonse-wolse stabilization body, as a follow-up measure to the rapid housing supply plan announced on August 13. Under the scheme, the stabilization body (Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation, HUG), the landlord and the tenant conclude a 3-party jeonse-wolse contract, and once the tenant deposits the jeonse deposit with the body, the body manages the deposit and pays the landlord an investment return in the form of monthly rent. It will first be applied to homes with a market price of 2 billion won or less, and landlords and tenants who wish to take part can apply with no income or asset limits. The plan is to post a recruitment notice through the HUG website and other channels in September, take project applications in October, conclude the 3-party agreement and receive the contract deposit in November, and support move-ins sequentially from December.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said it is operating one-stop support centers from the 19th at 2 traditional markets, Geoje Gohyeon Market (거제고현시장) and Tongyeong Seoho Market (통영서호시장), to help merchants in South Gyeongsang Province (경남) resume business after damage from concentrated heavy rain. The centers operate without days off until the situation stabilizes, and are an integrated support system set up so that affected merchants can receive facility restoration, financial and administrative support, grievance counseling and the like on site at one time without visiting multiple agencies. The Gyeongnam Regional Office of SMEs and Startups (경남지방중소벤처기업청) leads the effort with joint participation from the Small Enterprise and Market Service (소상공인시장진흥공단), the regional credit guarantee foundation (지역신용보증재단) and local governments, operating out of the parking lot management office of Geoje Gohyeon Market and the merchants' association office of Tongyeong Seoho Market. The ministry plans to provide financial support such as policy funds and guarantees, and to swiftly support restoration of electricity and gas facilities at traditional markets damaged by flooding.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters confirmed the July heavy-rain damage at 30.9 billion won after deliberation at its meeting on August 18, 2026, and decided to invest a total of 71.3 billion won in recovery costs. Flooded homes are paid 3.5 million won per household and small business management stabilization support is 3 million won per business, while agricultural and forest crops and agricultural and forestry facilities are paid recovery costs calculated according to the damaged area. The damage occurred from July 8 to 24 in 89 cities, counties and districts across 13 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide. Of the 71.3 billion won in recovery costs, disaster relief funds to support damage to private facilities account for 6.4 billion won and public facility recovery costs account for 64.9 billion won.

On August 18, 2026, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부) said that after record heavy rain on the 17th caused flooding and soil runoff at traditional markets in the Gyeongnam region, including Seoho Market in Tongyeong, it is operating a response system together with local governments, regional offices of SMEs and startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service (소상공인시장진흥공단). Affected small business owners can obtain a disaster confirmation certificate (재해확인서) from their local government and then apply to the Small Enterprise and Market Service for policy funds of up to 100 million won at 2% interest, and can receive disaster recovery guarantees of up to 300 million won from a regional credit guarantee foundation (지역신용보증재단). These guarantees apply a guarantee ratio of 100%, raised from the 85% of ordinary guarantees, and a preferential fixed guarantee fee of 0.5%. Affected merchants who are enrolled in the Noran Usan Gongje mutual aid scheme (노란우산공제) and have obtained a disaster confirmation certificate are planned to be supported with interest-free disaster loans of up to 20 million won.

On August 18, 2026, the Ministry of Education (교육부) and the National Fire Agency (소방청) said that from the 20th of this month until the 30th of next month they will promote sign-ups for the '119 Safety Call' (119안심콜), to which a fire evacuation guidance function has been added, targeting kindergarten children and elementary school students nationwide and their guardians. Once a guardian signs up through the 119 Safety Call website (u119.nfa.go.kr) or the QR code (정보무늬) in the information materials and registers the details of a person who needs help evacuating in a fire, the 119 general situation room automatically looks up the subscriber information registered at that address when a fire is reported, and a situation officer calls the registered person directly to guide them on evacuating. If the person does not answer, the officer calls the registered guardian.

On August 18, 2026, the Financial Services Commission (금융위원회) said in an explanatory statement that the 'Cheongnyeon Mirae Bogeumjari Loan' (청년미래보금자리론) is a product designed to give single-person households (1인 가구) and people early in their careers who live in monthly-rent housing such as villas and officetels near subway stations an additional opportunity to buy a home with principal and interest payments at the level of monthly rent. The first-time homebuyer LTV preference (70% in the Seoul metropolitan area and regulated areas, 80% elsewhere) is maintained when using this product as well, and it is planned to offer an interest rate about 2 percentage points lower than the ordinary Bogeumjari Loan (provisional). The Financial Services Commission said it will design the scheme more carefully before the product is launched (January 2027). Young people who wish to buy an apartment can use existing policy instruments such as the Bogeumjari Loan and the Didimdol Loan (디딤돌대출) under the same requirements as now.

On August 14, 2026, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부) said that, with drought deepening mainly in the southern regions because of the recent shortfall in rainfall, it is mounting an all-out, government-wide response that includes setting up a 'Southern Region Drought Response Team' (남부지역 가뭄 대응단). The head of the existing 'Joint Inter-ministerial Drought Task Force' is being raised from the ministry's Director General for Disaster Management Policy to the Head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, and the response team is being newly established under the task force. Using the integrated disaster management resource system (재난관리자원 통합관리시스템, KRMS), the ministry identifies available equipment such as water trucks, water pumps and pumps in real time and sends it to the areas that need it, and it will quickly deploy available budget, including the Special Disaster and Safety Subsidy, to push ahead with water-supply measures.

On August 13, 2026, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (성평등가족부) released the findings of its '2025 Survey on the Child Care Service (아이돌봄서비스)'. Of the households using the service, 95.1% use it regularly, and those using it regularly do so an average of 4.6 times a week for an average of 16 hours and 24 minutes a week. The average monthly out-of-pocket payment borne by user households is 357,000 won, and overall satisfaction came to 3.9 out of 5. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said that, on the basis of these findings, it is studying ways to provide tax benefits to ease the cost burden of the service and will keep raising the care allowance for child care workers (아이돌봄사).

On August 13, 2026, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부) held a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters 'drought, heatwave and water safety review meeting' and extended the summer water safety management period by 2 weeks to September 13. The step prepares for water activities such as swimming continuing even after the holiday season, in line with a weather outlook that temperatures higher than in an average year will last through September. In drought-hit areas, all available means are to be mobilized, including running additional water trucks, expanding the use of mobile water pumps and reusing drainage water, and safety management for groups vulnerable to the heat is to be intensively reviewed.

On August 13, 2026, relevant ministries jointly announced the 'Plan for Rapid Housing Supply to Stabilize the Rental and Sales Markets' and the 'Comprehensive Financial Measures to Stabilize the Real Estate Market.' While strengthening implementation of the existing supply plan targeting construction starts on 1.35 million homes in the Seoul metropolitan area from 2026 to 2030, the government will additionally supply '230,000 homes + α' in the metropolitan area, including 100,000 homes on newly designated public housing sites. Guarantee supply and funding support for real estate PF will be expanded from 26.3 trillion won to 47.8 trillion won + α, the consent rate for establishing a redevelopment association will be eased from 75% to 70%, and housing projects that start construction early will receive acquisition tax reductions and subsidies for PF loan interest.

On August 12, 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (농림축산식품부) said that, to improve access for users of the Agri-food Voucher (농식품 바우처), it had expanded delivery of the 'Agri-food Voucher package' nationwide since late July. Users can order a package of agricultural and livestock products made up of items such as vegetables, fruit and meat from an online mall with their voucher and have it delivered to their home. The Agri-food Voucher provides a set monthly amount to households on livelihood benefits that include a pregnant woman, an infant or child, or a young person aged 34 or under, with support limits of 40,000 won a month for a 1-person household, 100,000 won for a 4-person household, and 187,000 won for households of 10 or more people.

On August 11, 2026, the National Fire Agency (소방청) said that it held an opening ceremony for the National Fire Service Hospital (국립소방병원) in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk, and that Korea's first public medical institution specializing in firefighting had officially launched. The National Fire Service Hospital is a general hospital with 19 departments and up to 302 beds, providing comprehensive medical services including outpatient and inpatient care, emergency medicine, health screening and rehabilitation treatment. Centered on 4 specialized centers — a burn center, a mental health center, an integrated rehabilitation center and a health promotion center — it operates a specialized care system that reflects the job characteristics of firefighting officials. The National Fire Agency said the hospital also serves as a regional hub medical institution for the central Chungbuk area, responding to demand for care of severe and emergency patients and for essential medical services and providing medical services to local residents.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare reported the 'suicide prevention measures for isolated and at-risk households' and the 'suicide prevention measures for care and nursing burdens,' prepared jointly by relevant ministries, at the Cabinet meeting on August 11, 2026. From September, 'Youth Future Centers (청년미래센터)' supporting isolated and reclusive young people will be expanded nationwide, in-home elderly care services will be increased from the current 30 types to 60 types, and from the first half of next year the out-of-pocket burden for nursing care costs at long-term care hospitals will be eased. From the second half of this year, social security data will be used to intensively identify and survey high-risk households whose burden is especially heavy among families caring for people with severe dementia or developmental disabilities, and identified households will be given priority connection to 72-hour emergency care and specialist counseling at mental health welfare centers.

The National Tax Service announced on August 10, 2026 that it will provide tax administration support — including extensions of filing and payment deadlines, deferral of seizure and sale, and postponement of tax audits — to taxpayers in 4 townships designated as special disaster areas on the 7th after last month's torrential rain: Namseon-myeon, Iljik-myeon and Imha-myeon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, and Danchon-myeon in Uiseong County. Filing and payment deadlines for corporate tax, value-added tax, global income tax and others are extended by up to 2 years upon application, and the interim prepayment of corporate tax is extended ex officio by 2 months until the end of October without a separate application. A dedicated counter for tax administration support for taxpayers affected by heavy rain will be set up at the Andong Tax Office, and applications can also be made by mail and through Hometax.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on August 10, 2026 that it will provide an additional 25 billion won in special grants for disaster and safety management (재난안전관리특별교부세) to 16 cities and provinces in response to the prolonged drought and heat wave. The funds will be used for well drilling, riverbed excavation, securing alternative water sources and reservoir dredging in drought-affected areas, as well as for operating cooling shelters and monitoring people vulnerable to heat. The government had already provided 35.75 billion won in disaster special grants, including 30 billion won in heat wave response funds last April and 5.75 billion won in drought response funds early this month; including this additional support, disaster special grants for drought and heat wave response this summer total 60.75 billion won.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) set out on the 7th the state of support for recovery from jeonse fraud (전세사기). Purchases of damaged homes by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) stood at 10,256 units as of the end of July, an average of 752 units a month, and the cumulative number of jeonse fraud victims and others finally determined by the Jeonse Fraud Victim Support Committee (전세사기피해지원위원회) is 40,278. Support with housing, finance and legal procedures totals 72,483 cases cumulatively, and decisions to request cooperation for urgent suspension of auctions and public sales total 1,212 cumulatively. During July the committee held 3 plenary meetings, deliberated on 1,476 cases and gave final approval to 609, of which 563 were new applications (including re-applications) and 46 were objections. Tenants in difficulty because of jeonse fraud can apply for a victim determination to the city or province with jurisdiction over their place of residence, and once determined to be a victim they can be informed about support measures through the Korea Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) Jeonse Damage and Prevention Support Centres (전세피해 및 예방지원센터) and its branches. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and HUG are running a 'Safe Contract Consulting Project' (안전계약 컨설팅 사업) at 8 centres nationwide so that prospective tenants can check rights relationships and contract risk factors before signing.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (농림축산식품부) explained on the 6th the state of support for farms that have culled livestock because of African swine fever (ASF). To support pig farms facing management difficulties as a result of ASF outbreaks and preventive livestock culling in 2026, it has set out and is providing the '2026 business stabilisation funds for pig farms related to ASF' (up to 500 million won per farm, 1.8% annual interest and so on), and it is also running a project that provides feed purchase funds for farms with excellent disease-control management. Under the Act on the Prevention of Contagious Animal Diseases (가축전염병 예방법), compensation for culled livestock could originally be paid up to 80% of the appraised value of the livestock; after deliberation by the ministry's Proactive Administration Committee (적극행정위원회) in May and a statutory interpretation by the Ministry of Government Legislation (법제처) in June, farms where an ASF virus of the genotype occurring overseas (type IGR-Ⅰ) was detected are presumed to have been affected by contaminated feed (blood plasma protein), so where there is no fault attributable to the farm support of up to 100% became possible, and additional payment criteria to that effect were prepared in July. As highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and ASF occurred at the same time in 2025-2026 and demand for compensation increased greatly, compensation is being paid in sequence.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (농림축산식품부) explained on the 6th how the items and areas covered by crop disaster insurance (농작물재해보험) have been expanded. The number of items covered rose from 2 in 2001 to 25 in 2010, 67 in 2020, 73 in 2024, 76 in 2025 and 78 in 2026, and in 2026 cucumber and greenhouse perilla leaf were newly introduced. This year 10 cities and counties were added to the existing 2 for shallots and thin spring onions (쪽파·실파). For watermelon, introduced in 2024 and currently in pilot operation, an expansion of the areas covered will be considered later, taking into account the operating record and demand for wider coverage. New items are considered through demand surveys of local governments, and after pilot operation centred on the cities and counties that submitted demand and on the main production areas, the areas covered are expanded. As of the end of July the take-up rate was 50.8% (622,000 ha), higher than 49.9% (605,000 ha) in the same period of the previous year. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will consider newly introducing a system to compensate for losses from disaster damage for items that cannot be insured, such as strawberry seedlings.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) said that, based on an analysis by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's emergency-room surveillance system for heat-related illness showing that people aged 80 and over are the most vulnerable, it will expand safety check-ins, health management and cooling-environment inspections through the ICT-integrated home health visit programme run by public health centres nationwide. From 15 May to 4 August 2026, 2,441 people were recorded as heat-illness patients, and 13 of the 21 estimated deaths (62%) were people aged 80 or over. The incidence rate per 100,000 people was also highest among those aged 80 and over, at 12.5. The ministry plans to further strengthen advice to avoid work in fields and greenhouses, residence inspections and safety check-ins for people aged 80 and over, reflecting this analysis.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (행정안전부) announced its key second-half agenda on 5 August 2026 through a briefing session titled 'A work report the government and the public share'. It will pilot an 'AI-based automatic benefit application service' within the year, under which AI automatically applies for various administrative benefits once the eligibility requirements are met, and will introduce a 'one-stop service for complex civil petitions' that handles complicated petitions in one place at once, while also expanding dedicated petition staff. To prepare for heatwaves it will expand the operation of cooling shelters, and to prevent summer water accidents it will increase safety staff to 5,831 and expand free life-jacket rental points to 606. It will also introduce one-stop claims for local tax refunds and online proxy issuance of certificates for minor children.

A 3-step set of actions has been announced for a 'heat wave critical alert' (폭염중대경보), heat that threatens life. First, stop outdoor activity and work promptly. Second, move to shade or a cooling facility such as a heat shelter (무더위쉼터). Third, check on the safety of family, neighbors, and older adults.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor reported its work plan for the second half of this year on August 4. It will build a 'one-stop youth employment support system' linking young people's entry into the labor market, improvement of skills and experience, expansion of private- and public-sector jobs, and conditions for staying in work. It will newly establish the K-Youth Guarantee (K-유스개런티) so that young people without work experience can also take part in the National Employment Support Program (국민취업지원제도), and will expand work-experience placements in the public sector (20,000 across all ministries) and the private sector (45,000) as well as the large-company-led K-New Deal Academy. It will establish the (tentatively named) K-Labor Welfare Chamber (K-노동복지회의소) to provide comprehensive support for the workplaces, welfare, growth, and later years of 8.69 million non-standard workers, including workers in special types of employment (특수형태근로종사자) and platform workers, and will expand the number of artists and service providers enrolled in employment insurance from the current 950,000 to up to 1.6 million. The requirement to provide reemployment support services for middle-aged and older workers will expand in stages from workplaces with 1,000 employees at present to workplaces with 500 next year and 300 or more in 2029. To prevent summer heat waves and manhole asphyxiation accidents, it will set up a 24-hour dedicated management system with local governments, and from January next year it will extend the separate wage payment system, previously applied only to public construction, to private construction and shipbuilding. In the first half of this year, deaths from industrial accidents totaled 253 (down 11.8% from a year earlier) and unpaid wages totaled 924.8 billion won (down 10.7% from a year earlier).

Guidance has been announced on what to do when symptoms of heat-related illness appear, such as high body temperature, headache, dizziness, and muscle cramps. If the person is conscious, move them to a cool place, loosen their clothing, lower their body temperature with a wet towel or similar, and give fluids such as water or a sports drink; if symptoms continue, call 119. If the person is unconscious, call 119 first, then move them to a cool place, loosen their clothing, and lower their body temperature with a wet towel or similar without giving fluids, and transport them to a hospital.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that from August 3, 2026 it will expand the dementia care primary doctor (치매관리주치의) pilot program to 92 cities, counties and districts (시군구) and increase the number of participating doctors to 417. In phase 1, 250 medical institutions and 315 doctors in 42 cities, counties and districts nationwide took part, and the 2nd open call (2차 공모) selected an additional 102 doctors and 79 medical institutions. A dementia care primary doctor comprehensively assesses a patient's health status, then draws up a customized treatment and management plan 1 time a year, and provides face-to-face education and counseling to dementia patients and their caregivers for at least 10 minutes per session, up to 8 times a year.

The 'Local Love Vacation Support Program' is a program introduced this year for the first time by the Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사) and individual local governments to draw tourists to population-declining areas (인구감소지역) and stimulate domestic travel and regional tourism spending. If travelers apply in advance before the trip and receive approval from the local government, 50% of the travel spending used on site can be returned in local currency (지역화폐) or similar, so it is also called 'half-price travel'. When all conditions are met, up to 100,000 won per person is refunded in local currency, and a family application can cover up to 5 people, for up to 500,000 won. The usual refund rate is 50%, but 70% applies to young people aged 19 to 34, whose maximum refund limit is 140,000 won. As of 2026, 16 local governments are running the pilot program, including Gangwon (Pyeongchang-gun, Yeongwol-gun, Hoengseong-gun), Chungbuk (Jecheon-si), Jeonbuk (Gochang-gun), Jeonnam and Gwangju (Gangjin-gun, Yeonggwang-gun, Haenam-gun, Goheung-gun, Wando-gun, Yeongam-gun), and Gyeongnam (Miryang-si, Hadong-gun, Hapcheon-gun, Geochang-gun, Namhae-gun), and a total of 180,000 people applied from April to early July this year. People whose resident registration is in the destination or an adjacent area are excluded, and detailed conditions such as whether an overnight stay is required and which business types are excluded from refunds differ by local government, so the public notice should be checked before applying. A refund claim must be filed within 15 days from the day after the trip ends. In the second half of the year, 4 more areas will be opened for applications, and the target areas are to be expanded gradually from next year after a comprehensive review of this year's pilot results. Details such as the target areas and application schedule are available on the 'Korea Everywhere' website (대한민국 구석구석, visitkorea.or.kr).

The Ministry of Finance and Economy (재정경제부) held the Tax Development Deliberation Committee (세제발전심의위원회) at the Bank Hall (은행회관) in Jung-gu, Seoul on August 3 and announced the '2026 Tax Revision Bill'. The basic deduction on the comprehensive real estate holding tax for a 1-home household (1세대 1주택) will rise from an officially assessed price (공시가격) of 1.2 billion won to 1.4 billion won, excluding homes with a market price of about 2 billion won or less from taxation. For an owner-occupied 1 home, the tax amount falls in the 2 billion to 3 billion won market-price band, changes in the tax amount are minimized in the 3 billion to 4 billion won band, and taxation is strengthened for homes above the 4 billion to 5 billion won market-price level. For homes that are not lived in and for multiple-home ownership, the basic deduction amount for the comprehensive real estate holding tax is reduced. The special long-term holding deduction on the capital gains tax (양도소득세) shifts from a holding-based to a residence-based standard, and a new cap is placed on the deduction amount, which until now had applied without a limit. The basic capital gains tax deduction for a 1-home household that has lived in the home for 10 years or more increases from the current 2.5 million won a year to 25 million won a year, and people aged 65 or older who sell a home in the Seoul metropolitan area and move outside it receive a capital gains tax reduction of up to 50%, up to 500 million won. The heavier capital gains tax on multiple-home owners is temporarily eased until 2028. The comprehensive real estate holding tax revision takes effect in stages from next year, and the capital gains tax revision applies from 2028 after a 1-year grace period next year.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that from August 1, 2026 veterans' medical care beneficiaries (보훈의료대상자) can receive support for dementia screening costs and dementia treatment and management costs at hospitals and clinics near their homes or at dementia relief centers (치매안심센터). Until now, veterans' medical care beneficiaries could receive medical cost support at veterans hospitals and affiliated hospitals, so they were excluded from support by dementia relief centers. Going forward they can receive dementia screening costs and dementia treatment and management costs according to certain income criteria, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs expects about 39,000 people to newly become eligible for dementia treatment and management cost support.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has confirmed a reform of the fee structure for public electric vehicle charging, which takes effect on August 1. The fee structure moves from 2 tiers to 5 tiers. Slow chargers (under 30kW), which make up 90% of all chargers, go down by 29.4 won per kWh (9.1%), while ultra-fast chargers (200kW or more), which make up 2.3% of the total, go up by 45.9 won per kWh (about 13.2%).

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) is newly listing 'percutaneous transcatheter mitral valve repair using a clip' as a health insurance benefit item for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (승모판 폐쇄부전) who show little improvement from existing surgery or drug treatment, effective July 31. Until now, this procedure was performed as a non-covered service, requiring patients to pay about 40 million to 50 million won out of pocket, but after health insurance coverage begins, the out-of-pocket cost for patients eligible for the severe/rare disease copayment reduction program (산정특례) will drop to about 1.4 million won, out of a total treatment cost of about 28.3 million won at tertiary general hospitals. The covered population and copayment rate vary by disease type, and the government is also strengthening compensation for integrated cardiac care (심장통합진료).

Prevention rules have been announced to keep vehicles from catching fire during a heat wave. On highways, take a 10-minute break every 2 hours to prevent overheating, and be careful with prolonged use of the air conditioner. Do not leave lighters, spray cans, or disinfectant in the car, and keep a vehicle fire extinguisher where it can be seen. Park in a shaded, well-ventilated place.

On July 31, 2026 the Ministry of Science and ICT announced an 'MVNO (알뜰폰) revitalization plan' at a meeting of economy-related ministers held jointly with the ministerial task force on special management of household prices. The 'data safety option (QoS)' plans of the 3 mobile carriers, which let users keep using the internet at a set speed after their data allowance runs out, will be introduced to MVNOs in stages from next month. For the existing 90 wholesale supply plans (RS), the safety option will be applied without additional cost sharing, and wholesale rates for 5G plans will also be cut in part. The radio wave usage fee reduction rate for small and medium-sized MVNO operators will be expanded from 50% to 90%.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) and the National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단) are launching the 'Long-Term Care Hospital Companion Pilot Program' (장기요양 병원동행 시범사업) at 282 institutions nationwide starting July 30, for long-term care (장기요양) recipients who have difficulty using hospitals. Under the program, care workers and others accompany recipients through the entire process — from travel to the hospital, through registration, consultation, and picking up prescribed medication, to returning home. Eligible users are long-term care grade 1–5 recipients who use integrated in-home care institutions (통합재가기관), as well as users (grade 1–5) of elderly care facilities that have signed agreements with integrated in-home care institutions. As of 2026, each user can use the service up to an annual limit of 500,000 won per person. Users pay a portion of the service cost according to the long-term care benefit copayment rate.

On July 30, 2026 the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a 'review meeting on measures to strengthen water safety management during the peak season' and reviewed each agency's progress on water safety management. The government is running the peak-season special measures period from June 12 to August 17, one month earlier than last year, and has deployed 5,831 on-site safety staff, 439 more than last year, while expanding free life jacket rental stations by 483 to 606. The government imposes fines on people who enter restricted-access zones or go into the water there without permission, and carries out unannounced inspections.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on July 30, 2026 that shipments of summer seasonal fruit vegetables and fruits have increased, keeping wholesale prices generally below both the normal-year and the year-earlier level. As of late July, the wholesale price of watermelon was 20,405 won per 8 kg, 15.8% below the normal-year level and 33.5% below a year earlier, and tomatoes were 7,587 won per 5 kg, 50.6% below the normal-year level and 66.5% below a year earlier. Melons were 15,547 won per 5 kg, 4.2% above the normal-year level and 17.8% below a year earlier, and peaches (white peach) were 20,911 won per 4 kg, 1.5% above the normal-year level and 19.9% below a year earlier.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Ministry of Health and Welfare said that, as full-scale heat waves have begun after the end of the rainy season, they are strengthening health care for groups vulnerable to heat, such as older adults, through public health centers' home visit health care program. According to the agency's 'heat-related illness emergency room surveillance system,' there were 1,399 heat-related illness cases from May 15 to July 26, 2026, of whom 8 died. Outdoors accounted for the largest share of cases at 81.8%, and by age, people aged 65 and older accounted for 30.2%. Heat-related illness figures are disclosed daily at 4 p.m. on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency website until September 30.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) announced that it reported the 'Emergency Suicide Response Enhancement Plan' (자살 긴급대응 강화방안), prepared jointly with relevant ministries, at the Cabinet meeting on July 28. This measure is a follow-up to the '9 Sectoral Suicide Prevention Measures' announced in May, and its core is nationwide support for high-risk groups such as suicide attempt survivors and bereaved families, covering the entire process from crisis detection, dispatch and initial response, stabilization and treatment, close post-discharge management, and recovery of daily life. The 109 Suicide Prevention Counseling Hotline (109 자살예방 상담전화) counseling staff will expand from the current 103 to 200, Life Love Crisis Response Centers (생명사랑위기대응센터) within medical institutions will expand from the current 100 to 103 by 2027, and Regional Mental Health Emergency Medical Centers (권역정신응급의료센터) will expand from 13 to 17. A 'National Suicide Response Office' (국가자살대응실), staffed jointly by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Police Agency (경찰청), the National Fire Agency (소방청), and other relevant ministries, will also be operated.

Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that on the 28th it held the 80th meeting of the Central Living Support Committee (중앙생활보장위원회) and deliberated and resolved on the method for calculating the standard median income (기준 중위소득), the 2027 standard median income, and the selection criteria and minimum guarantee levels for each National Basic Livelihood Security benefit. Under the new calculation method, next year's standard median income for a four-person household was set at 6,929,885 won, a 6.70% increase from this year's 6,494,738 won. The 6.70% figure is the highest rate of increase since decisions on the standard median income began in 2015, exceeding the previous high of 6.51% for 2026. The selection criteria by benefit remain the same as this year — 32% for the livelihood benefit, 40% for the medical benefit, 48% for the housing benefit, and 50% for the education benefit — and accordingly the 2027 selection criteria and maximum payment for the livelihood benefit rise to 875,533 won for a one-person household and 2,217,563 won for a four-person household. The household-level selection criteria for the medical, housing, and education benefits were likewise set to reflect the 2027 standard median income. For the housing benefit, the standard rent for renting households will be raised by 12,000 won to 50,000 won compared with this year depending on rent zone and household size, and for the education benefit, the education activity support allowance will be raised by an average of 4.7% compared with this year.

Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that from the 27th of this month it will add and operate an "emergency support procedure" within the post-discharge short-term intensive service of the Customized Care for Older Adults (노인맞춤돌봄) program, to reduce gaps in care right after hospital discharge and support a stable return to the community. Under the existing procedure, it could take more than 1 month from application to eligibility determination and service delivery, and field feedback had raised concerns that a care gap could occur immediately after discharge. In response, where urgent care is needed, services can now be provided within 3–7 days of applying through a simplified verification procedure, even before selection for integrated care. People aged 65 or older who are National Basic Livelihood Security recipients, in the near-poverty (next-lowest income) bracket, or basic pension recipients living alone or as older couples — that is, those eligible for Customized Care for Older Adults — can apply at any eup, myeon or dong community service center nationwide within 14 days of discharge. If complex care is required during emergency support, or support is needed for more than 1 month, the case is connected to the integrated care system through the implementing agency.

Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that as of 3 p.m. on the 27th it raised the heat wave disaster crisis alert to the "Serious" level and activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, headed by the Minister of the Interior and Safety, entering an all-out, government-wide response posture. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that hot weather and tropical nights would continue for some time, with heat wave alerts in effect across most of the country as the heat set in in earnest after the end of the July monsoon. The ministry will strengthen outreach checks on vulnerable groups such as at-risk older adults, residents of jjokbang (single-room) housing, and homeless people, look into whether the supply of cooling items is sufficient, and intensively inspect compliance with heat wave safety rules at outdoor worksites and vulnerable workplaces. So that anyone can use heat shelters, shade canopies, and other heat-reduction facilities, it will inspect operating conditions such as whether cooling equipment is working and how accessible the sites are, and will also extend heat shelter operating hours depending on weather conditions such as tropical nights. In areas where a major heat wave alert (폭염 중대경보) is in effect, it will dispatch additional on-site situation managers and, using the "Guide to Responding to Major Heat Wave Alerts," shorten the cycle of outreach checks on vulnerable groups while pursuing response measures such as adjusting the schedules of outdoor events and festivals.

Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 22nd that, jointly with related agencies, it will run a special traffic plan for the summer holiday season for 17 days, from the 25th of this month through the 10th of next month. The Korea Transport Institute and Korea Expressway Corporation project that 6.14 million people will travel per day this holiday season, for a total of 104.33 million — 1.5% more than last year's daily average of 6.05 million. The plan focuses on five areas: smooth traffic flow, greater convenience and services for holidaymakers, stronger traffic safety, expanded public transport capacity, and stronger responses to bad weather. Bus services will add 33,746 trips, expanding capacity by 1.106 million seats, and rail will add 151 services, expanding capacity by 97,000 seats. A total of 65 km across 9 sections of national highway will newly open, and hard-shoulder lanes totaling 371.62 km will be operated on 59 sections of 16 routes including the Gyeongbu, Yeongdong and Seohaean lines.

Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor announced it will launch the "Employment24 (고용24) Integrated Career Certificate" service on July 29, letting young job-seekers, small-business employees, and freelancers certify their scattered work history in one place. By accessing the Employment24 website and app, users can view government-verified career information at a glance and receive an "Integrated Career Certificate" issued in the name of the Minister of Employment and Labor. At launch it provides 24 types of career, qualification, training, and education information—such as employment insurance enrollment records, national technical qualifications, and vocational training completion records—expanding to a total of 31 types by 2027. From November this year, it will also provide career information to private job platforms with the job-seeker's consent.

Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on July 23 that, to reduce meal and care gaps during elementary school vacation, it will run the vacation gap-care program from July 27 at 1,461 village care facilities nationwide. The 1,296 gap-care centers operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., guaranteeing a snack and lunch in the morning and providing dinner in part, while the 165 lunch-care centers operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., providing lunch and dinner. Regardless of whether a child uses the center during the school term, any elementary student can use it with prior application; an additional meal portion may incur an extra fee of up to 2,000 won per day and 10,000 won per week, and households on National Basic Livelihood benefits and the like are exempt. The ministry will start with a first summer round and expand before the winter vacation within the year.

Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety expanded the supported languages of the Emergency Ready app from the previous three (English, Chinese, Japanese) to 22 as of June 15, 2026, so that foreign residents in Korea can quickly check the information they need when a disaster occurs. As a result, about 97% of the roughly 2.87 million foreign residents in Korea can now receive disaster alert messages in the language they use. Along with disaster alerts, the app provides action guidelines and shelter information for disasters, and the Safety Korea 24 (국민안전24) foreign-language website also provides disaster information in 22 languages.

Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on 19 July 2026 that the Birth Notification System and the Protected Birth System for Crisis Pregnancies (위기임신보호출산제) had reached their second anniversary. The Protected Birth System provides counseling and information on welfare services such as pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing support so that women in crisis pregnancies can raise their child within their own family, and where unavoidable, allows them to receive medical care and give birth under a pseudonym. From the system's start date of 19 July 2024 through the end of June 2026, a total of 18,088 counseling sessions were provided to 4,251 women in crisis pregnancies. Of these, 726 received in-depth counseling, 409 chose to raise the child in their own family and 62 chose adoption after registering the birth. 206 women applied for protected birth, and after a deliberation period of at least seven days and counseling, 47 withdrew their applications. The number of children abandoned after birth fell about 78%, from 88 in 2023 to 30 in 2024 and 19 in 2025.

On July 16, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family briefed on its work plan for the second half of 2026, jointly with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, and set out tasks to strengthen the basis for gender equality, including a nationwide expansion of 'Sanitary Pads for All' (모두의 생리대) and the introduction of an employment equality disclosure system (고용평등공시제). 'Sanitary Pads for All' is being pursued with the aim of nationwide rollout in 2027, and in the second half of the year the ministry will work on measures to reduce the gender gap in the labour market.

On July 16, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported its key tasks for the second half of the year to the President, saying it will bring forward the start of construction on major sites, including the third-phase new towns (3기 신도시), by 1 to 2 years, and that it will announce new candidate sites for urban complex development projects (도심복합사업) in Seoul this month. The ministry will focus on 'four reforms and four strategies' to reduce people's housing worries and travel difficulties.

On July 14, the Financial Services Commission reported a joint inter-ministry plan on suicide prevention for people in financial crisis at a Cabinet meeting. To provide information about and connect people to debtor relief and support schemes in one place, the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service will be given the national debt counselling number ☎1375. The new number is due to start in October this year and will be toll-free (free to call). Alongside this, 6 more integrated support centres for inclusive finance (서민금융통합지원센터) will bring the total to 56, and 2 more comprehensive support centres for personal rehabilitation and bankruptcy (개인회생파산종합지원센터) opened on July 2, bringing that total to 12.

The government has set out the changes for parents raising children in the second half of 2026. Pregnant women and new mothers will receive an eco-friendly farm produce package worth 240,000 won (from July, with a 20% personal contribution). From August 20, parents of children aged 8 or under, or in the second grade of elementary school or below, can take new short-term parental leave (1 or 2 weeks, once a year) when they need short-term care, for example during school holidays, daycare closures or illness. From September 18, spouse childbirth leave and parental leave are strengthened, and from October 29 the income requirement of '150% of the median income or less' for advance child support payments to single-parent families is removed.

On July 13, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a 'gap care' (틈새돌봄) scheme running only during the school holidays from July 27, to close care gaps for elementary school children over the summer break. Of about 5,600 after-school community care facilities nationwide, 2,500 will take part, and children who do not use care classes during term time can also attend if they apply in advance. Centres may charge up to 2,000 won a day and a maximum of 10,000 won a week, and recipients of basic livelihood security and people in the near-poor bracket are exempt.

On July 13, the Ministry of Health and Welfare promulgated and brought into force a partial amendment to the Enforcement Rule of the Emergency Medical Service Act, strengthening ambulance safety, management and oversight. All ambulance operators will send operating information in real time to the ambulance record management system (AiR), to block false journeys and journeys outside the intended purpose. Transport and treatment fees have been updated for the first time in 12 years, since 2014, a waiting charge has been added, and carrying an epinephrine auto-injector pen is now mandatory so that anaphylactic shock can be treated during transport. Some items are being phased in: the transport and treatment fee and medicines standards apply one month later, and the submission of real-time GPS operating information applies three months later for private transport operators.

On July 13, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the livelihood subcommittee of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee announced a regulatory change allowing the mobile sale of cooked food inside sports facilities such as baseball grounds. Until now it was not clear in Korea whether mobile sale of cooked food, other than beer, was allowed. The government has issued an authoritative interpretation of the law so that cooked food such as hot dogs can be sold from mobile vendors in the stands. The government plans to prepare hygiene and safety guidelines for the mobile sale of cooked food in sports facilities, to prevent food poisoning and other risks, and to brief the industry in advance.

On July 13, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that a draft partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Private Rental Housing, which strengthens transparency about management fees and service charges for private rental housing, is open for public comment until August 24. In future, rental business operators will also have to report the amount of management fees and service charges, or how they are calculated, when they report a tenancy contract. The measure is intended to prevent rent increases disguised as charges for optional extras, and it also widens local government powers, for example allowing metropolitan cities and provinces to set the rate of rent increases for private rental housing complexes of 100 or more units by ordinance.

The Heatwave Critical Alert (폭염중대경보), the highest heat-risk level introduced this year, took effect for the first time at 11am on 12 July in Pohang and Gyeongsan in North Gyeongsang Province. It is the top warning level, added 18 years after the heat-wave alert system began in 2008, and is issued when extreme heat is expected that is likely to cause a sharp rise in heat-related illness and serious harm across the whole population, including healthy people. The Korea Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued the weather alert and put government-wide heat-wave response measures into effect, and the government sent on-site situation managers and activated the pan-government response system. Residents in the affected areas were urged to follow the '3-step safety rules for survival': stop outdoor activity and move somewhere cool.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised the heat-wave disaster crisis alert from 'Caution' (주의) to 'Alert' (경계) at 3pm on 10 July 2026. The step was taken because heat-wave alerts had been issued for 116 of the country's 235 alert zones and the heat was expected to continue. The ministry stepped up monitoring for older people, farmers and outdoor workers, and had local safety networks — including village and neighbourhood heads (이·통장), local volunteer disaster prevention corps and living support workers (생활지원사) — check on vulnerable people regularly. It also stepped up patrols of outdoor worksites and farm fields and stressed longer opening hours for heat shelters (무더위쉼터) and heat-reduction facilities.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on 9 July 2026 that it had selected four new care networks in the North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong and Jeju regions through an additional call for applications under the maternal and neonatal care collaboration pilot programme (모자의료 진료협력 시범사업). Under the programme, regional maternal and neonatal medical centres work with local delivery facilities and hospitals running neonatal intensive care units to treat high-risk pregnant women and newborns quickly, 24 hours a day. Twelve networks are currently running. The new networks are expected to be fully up and running from late July at the earliest. The government is also widening health insurance payments: fees for about 200 pregnancy- and childbirth-related medical procedures will rise by 20%, a new add-on fee for time spent in neonatal intensive care will be created, and high-risk deliveries — both vaginal births and caesarean sections — will carry an add-on of 100–200% compared with a standard delivery.

The government has set out youth policy changes for the second half of 2026. From September, support for young people who care for family members will expand at Youth Future Centres (청년미래센터): those at or below 100% of median income will receive self-care support (자기돌봄비) of 2 million won a year and be linked to tailored services such as scholarships, financial help and housing, and the number of Youth Future Centres will grow from 4 to 17 nationwide. On participation, the youth panel of the public participation and communication platform Gukmin Saenggakham (국민생각함) will be fully up and running in the second half of the year, recruiting on a rolling basis among people under 19 — students in grades 5 and 6 of elementary school, middle school and high school, and out-of-school youth. From 29 October, young people aged 9 to 24 will be appointed as members of local youth policy committees.

On 9 July the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced its plan to find and support households in financial crisis. It strengthens the system through which the state finds vulnerable people who are struggling to make ends meet because of heavy debt or harm from illegal private lending, and links them to welfare services such as emergency welfare support. At present, the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency and the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service refer people to local governments, and outreach health and welfare teams at eup, myeon and dong offices provide support after counselling and an on-site check (in the first half of this year there were about 20,000 referrals from the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency and about 17,000 from the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service). The Illegal Private Lending Damage Relief Centre and the Korea Legal Aid Corporation will now also take part in the urgent referral system. The welfare blind-spot detection system will add, as crisis information, the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service's records of people whose debt restructuring has been suspended, the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency's records of vulnerable debtors, and the Financial Supervisory Service's records of illegal private lending victims. To allow this, the draft amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Social Security Benefits Act will be published for public comment (입법예고) in July. From the second half of the year, the ministry will work with savings banks and other non-bank financial institutions so that people are told about the welfare crisis alert app when signs of crisis come up during debt counselling.

The government has set out the stronger disaster and weather response system in place this summer. From 1 June, the Korea Meteorological Administration added the Heatwave Critical Alert (폭염중대경보) as the top level of heat-wave alert, introduced a new tropical night advisory (열대야주의보), and subdivided the country's 183 alert zones into 235. When disaster-level rain of around 100mm an hour is expected, extra emergency alert text messages are sent at eup, myeon and dong level, and a system that gives advance notice of when a heavy rain alert will be lifted is being piloted in the Seoul metropolitan area. Disaster crisis alerts run on four levels — Attention, Caution, Alert and Serious — and resident evacuation support teams, which help older people and others who cannot evacuate on their own, have been expanded nationwide this year. For heat, people can use heat shelters set up at places such as community service centres and libraries, and anyone who suspects heat-related illness can ask the 119 heat-wave emergency medical team for advice 24 hours a day.

On 9 July the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced its plan to overhaul how motorway service areas are run. The current multi-layered structure running from the Korea Expressway Corporation through intermediate operators to tenant businesses will be replaced by a specialist public management company that contracts directly with tenant businesses. The public management company is due to be set up early next year, and the Korea Expressway Corporation will run the arrangement on an interim basis this year. Average rent for tenant businesses will fall from 33% of sales to around 8–9% (management fees are separate) so that the effect feeds through to consumer prices, and the aim is for americanos, which average 4,800 won, to be available for under 2,000 won. Convenience stores that used to close at 10pm will open 24 hours and offer ready meals such as lunch boxes, gimbap and cup noodles, along with space to prepare and eat food. Eight service areas will change this year — Hapcheonho (both directions), Wolchulsan, Yeoju, Gunwi, Jangyu and Daecheon (both directions) — with tenders advertised in July and interim operation starting in December.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport warned on 9 July about illegal cases in which people promote campsite developments and invite investment in lots or memberships. Under the Tourism Promotion Act, a campsite is a tourism business that an operator registers and runs as a single whole, so selling individual camping pitches or plots to individuals, or selling them as shares, breaks the Tourism Promotion Act. Breaches can be punished by up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (both can be imposed together), and if a local government takes administrative action such as cancelling the registration, the property rights attached to the sold land can also be restricted. An inspection by the Board of Audit and Inspection found cases in which memberships worth 100 million won were advertised for sale before a development permit was granted, and in which detached-house plots were advertised as private campsite lots for sale. The government said that promoting campsite lot sales or memberships with promises of high returns is illegal and asked people to report such cases to the local government responsible.

From July the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is fully rolling out a scheme that gives 160,000 pregnant women and new mothers across the country eco-friendly produce boxes worth 240,000 won. Those selected can buy a box worth 240,000 won for a personal contribution of 48,000 won: the government covers 80% of the price and the recipient pays 20%. The boxes are made up of government-certified items such as organic and pesticide-free produce, and the number of items that must be offered has grown from 35 during the pilot to 55. You can apply if you gave birth on or after 1 January 2025 or are pregnant as of the application date; there are no separate limits based on income or nutritional status. Applications can be made on the dedicated site Eco E-Mall (www.ecoemall.com) or in person at the si, gun or gu office or the eup, myeon or dong community service centre for your registered address, and those finally selected can order online from 20 July.

On 7 July the Ministry of Health and Welfare explained, in a question-and-answer format, the manual therapy managed benefit (관리급여) that has been in force since 1 July. As a rule, manual therapy is covered for up to 2 sessions a week and 15 sessions a year regardless of the part of the body treated. Where there are clear findings such as joint contracture or stiffness after surgery or a fracture, up to 24 sessions a year can be recognised based on the doctor's medical judgement. People who go beyond the standard number of sessions for personal reasons can still have treatment by paying for it themselves, but national health insurance and indemnity health insurance do not apply. In principle, health insurance covers manual therapy when symptoms have not improved after at least 2 weeks and at least 4 sessions of basic physical therapy or simple rehabilitation therapy. Where early treatment is needed — for example limited joint range of motion after surgery or paediatric torticollis — it can be given straight away without other treatment first. The ministry said the managed benefit does not ban manual therapy or restrict care, but sets standards so that it is provided appropriately according to medical need.

On 7 July the National Fire Agency urged people to take care around water this summer. Over the past 3 years, the monthly average number of water rescue call-outs was highest in July at 2,587, followed by 1,753 in August and 883 in September. The 119 Citizen Water Rescue Teams have been on duty since 12 June and will continue until 31 August at 275 locations nationwide, including 79 beaches, 79 rivers and 53 valleys. The agency asked people to check the weather and safety information before going into the water, to avoid swimming after drinking and at night, and to keep children within sight of an adult.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council are issuing about 2.05 million 6,000-won cinema discount vouchers in a second round from 10am on 8 July. Vouchers are added automatically, 2 per person, to member coupon boxes on the websites and apps of CGV, Lotte Cinema, Megabox and Cine Q, and can be used when paying for tickets. The discount ends once each cinema chain's allocation runs out, and unused vouchers then expire automatically. The ministry issued 4.5 million vouchers in a first round on 13 May.

On 6 July the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (질병관리청) developed and released 8 sets of heat-illness prevention guidance for groups vulnerable to extreme heat. An in-depth analysis found that when the perceived temperature reaches 38°C, the level of a serious heatwave alert (폭염중대경보), the overall risk of death is 1.16 times higher and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is 1.14 times higher. The guidance is set out for each group, including older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women, children and people with underlying conditions, and pairs the common rules of 'water, shade and rest' with actions for each group. The posters are available on the KDCA website (www.kdca.go.kr).

From 7 July the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Community Chest of Korea will provide 40 air conditioners and 1,610 electric fans to residents of jjokbang (쪽방) single-room housing who are vulnerable to extreme heat. In 5 jjokbang districts where local governments do not provide electricity bill support, including Busan, Incheon, Daegu and Daejeon, each resident will receive between 46,000 won and up to 120,000 won towards electricity bills over the 3 months from July to September. The funding is 250 million won donated to the Community Chest of Korea by IBK Industrial Bank of Korea for this purpose, and the support is part of the government's summer protection measures for vulnerable groups.

Alongside new designations of speculation-overheated districts and areas subject to adjustment, Dongtan-gu in Hwaseong, Giheung-gu in Yongin and Guri have been designated land transaction permit zones, applying from 5 July 2026 to 31 December 2027. In a land transaction permit zone, buying housing or land above a certain size requires permission from the head of the local government concerned, which restricts so-called gap investment (buying a property that has a jeonse tenant in place). For a purchase with a tenant in place agreed before the designation, the previous rules apply if requirements such as payment of the contract down payment were met by 4 July.

New employment, work experience and placement support for young people is being introduced and takes effect in the second half of 2026. The K-New Deal Academy, designed and run by companies themselves (72 academies at 53 companies in fields such as AI and semiconductors), provides a training allowance of 300,000 to 500,000 won. The Youth Leap talent development bootcamp (청년도약 인재양성 부트캠프) for 4,000 young people who are not attending university opens for applications in July. The programme placing young talent from the regions at Korean diplomatic missions overseas runs placements from July to December, covering airfares, living costs and medical costs for 6 months.

The Busan inclusive finance one-stop support centre (부산 서민금융 복합지원센터) has opened as the first centre in the country to combine finance, employment and welfare support and to bring local private-sector finance together in one place. The Korea Inclusive Finance Agency, the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service, BNK Busan Bank and Smile Microcredit (미소금융) corporations are based there, providing advice on and referrals to policy-based inclusive finance, debt restructuring, employment and welfare in one stop. People on low incomes and in vulnerable circumstances can get advice and referrals by visiting an inclusive finance integrated support centre or through the inclusive finance app 'Itda' (잇다).

From October, the long-distance travel payment for long-term care staff providing home-visit care and home-visit bathing on islands rises from 6,800 won a day to 15,000 won a day, an increase of 120%. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on 2 July that the first Long-Term Care Committee of 2026 had approved this expansion of long-term care services on islands.

Workers affected by the discontinuation of Homeplus's rehabilitation proceedings can receive a wage guarantee payment of up to 21 million won each for unpaid wages, plus a living cost loan at 1.5% a year of up to 10 million won. Small businesses and SMEs that count Homeplus as a main customer will receive a total of 440 billion won in emergency liquidity. The Ministry of Finance and Economy (재정경제부) set out the support measures, focused on income security for workers and protection for suppliers, through a meeting of the inter-agency task force (TF).

A series of measures for households and small businesses take effect in the second half of 2026. From 1 July, the designation of 544 areas nationwide as excluded from simplified VAT taxation is revised, so sole traders with supply value of less than 104 million won in the previous year pay the simplified VAT rate of 1.5% to 4%, and the annual payment limit for the Yellow Umbrella Mutual Aid (노란우산공제) rises from 12 million won to 18 million won. The generative AI chatbot on Hometax also expands to cover value added tax from 1 July.

Guidance has been issued on taking out storm, flood and earthquake disaster insurance ahead of the rainy season and typhoons. The government covers 55% to 100% of the premium for storm, flood and earthquake disaster insurance. You can ask about taking out a policy by calling 044-205-5990 to 044-205-5996 or through the National Safety 24 (국민안전24) website.

According to the National Data Agency (국가데이터처), the consumer price index in June 2026 rose 0.1% from the previous month and 3.2% from the same month a year earlier. The index of prices for living necessities rose 0.1% from the previous month and 3.4% year on year, while the fresh food index fell 0.3% from the previous month and rose 0.4% year on year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has revised the rules on types and standards of unfair display and advertising of brokered properties, taking effect on 3 July. A fine of 2.5 million won applies where an advert for a property that has already been contracted is not taken down, but a new provision means no fine is imposed for a simple mistake where removal was delayed for unavoidable reasons such as hospital admission or a family bereavement. The standard also changes from 'remove without delay' to 'a fine applies if the advert is not removed within 3 days of being notified of a removal request', and new provisions on penalties for false and bait listings are added.

A series of measures on work-life balance, closing gaps in welfare coverage and strengthening workers' rights take effect in employment, family and welfare in the second half of 2026. From 18 September, a worker whose spouse is pregnant and at risk of miscarriage or premature birth can take parental leave before the birth. From 29 October, the advance child support payment scheme means the state pays 200,000 won a month per child up front until the child turns 18. Penalties for unpaid wages rise to 'up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won' from September and October.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare starts managed benefit (관리급여) coverage for manual therapy (도수치료) on 1 July. The cost of manual therapy, which differed from one medical institution to another (about 110,000 won per session on average), will be standardized at 43,850 won per session, and the patient co-payment rate is 95%. Up to 2 sessions a week and 15 a year in total are allowed. Where surgery, a fracture or a similar cause has left clear joint contracture or stiffness, a doctor may approve up to 24 sessions a year.

From 1 July 2026, everyone on an exposed deck of a fishing vessel must wear a life jacket at all times, regardless of weather warnings or the number of people on board. The skipper has a duty to make those on board wear one, and a skipper who breaks the rule faces an administrative fine of 900,000 won for a first offense, 1,500,000 won for a second offense and up to 3,000,000 won for a third or later offense. The rule is based on the Act on Safe Fishing Operations and the Promotion of the Safety and Health of Fishing Vessel Crew (어선안전조업 및 어선원의 안전·보건 증진 등에 관한 법률). Of the 433 people who died or went missing in fishing vessel accidents over the past 5 years (2021–2025), 48.7% (211 people) were confirmed not to have been wearing a life jacket, and analysis found that 87.1% of all casualties happened when a life jacket was not worn.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on 30 June that, following review and a decision by the Housing Policy Deliberation Committee on 29 June 2026, it is newly designating Dongtan-gu in Hwaseong, Giheung-gu in Yongin and the city of Guri in Gyeonggi Province as speculative overheating zones (투기과열지구) and adjustment target areas (조정대상지역), with the designation taking effect from 1 July. It cited house price growth over the past 3 months — 3.85% in Dongtan, 3.53% in Guri and 2.57% in Giheung — all above the quantitative threshold for a speculative overheating zone designation (2.06% over the preceding 3 months). Expectations of a semiconductor industry boom, better transport such as the opening of the GTX-A line, and access to Seoul were presented as background.

In response to egg prices that have risen partly because of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), the government will import about 21.12 million more fresh eggs from the United States and Thailand by July (phased in at more than 4.48 million a week, with a wider range of supplying countries). It will extend the tariff-rate quota (할당관세) on processed egg products to the end of the year (December) and increase the volume it covers, and will expand discount support of up to 40% for consumers. The measures were published as a card-style graphic on the government's Policy Briefing site.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy (재정경제부) published its recent economic trends report for June 2026. Consumer prices in May were up 3.1% on the same month a year earlier and core prices were up 2.5%. The number of people in work in May was 29.16 million, 40,000 fewer than a year earlier, and the unemployment rate was 2.9%. The government said it convenes a price task force every 2 weeks to announce measures, and that in response to the effects of the situation in the Middle East it is keeping in place its emergency economic response system, execution of the supplementary budget, and the high fuel price relief payment.

The National Data Office (국가데이터처) published consumer price trends for May 2026. The consumer price index in May was 119.92, up 0.5% on the previous month and 3.1% on the same month a year earlier, and core prices excluding food and energy were up 2.5% on a year earlier. The living-cost price index (생활물가지수), which tracks prices people notice day to day, was up 3.3% on a year earlier. Higher international oil prices (petroleum products up 24.2%) and travel demand over the May holidays (international air fares up 25.9%, overseas package tours up 26.3%) were given as the main drivers.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries published its 2026 plan for preparing in advance for summer natural disasters such as heatwaves, heavy rain and typhoons. With forecasts that rising average temperatures and sea surface temperatures make strong typhoons more likely, it is strengthening advance preparations: checking ports, fishing ports, breakwaters and fishing spots beforehand and fixing any faults immediately, passing on weather information, controlling vessel departures and arranging for vessels to take shelter, and running a central situation room and emergency contact networks. The plan also covers responses to damage, including support for farmed seafood harmed by high water temperatures and early payment of disaster insurance claims.

The Korea Meteorological Administration has overhauled the heat alert system for the first time in 18 years, and the changes apply from June 2026. Alongside the existing heatwave advisory (a daily maximum apparent temperature of 33℃ or above lasting 2 days or more) and heatwave warning (35℃ or above lasting 2 days or more), a new 'serious heatwave warning' (폭염중대경보) will be issued when a daily maximum apparent temperature of 38℃ or above (or a daily maximum temperature of 39℃ or above) lasts 1 day or more. A tropical night advisory based on regional overnight minimum temperatures of 25–27℃ is also being added to address the risk of high temperatures at night, and alert zones are being broken down into smaller areas.

On 22 May 2026, against a background of shrinking supply of non-apartment housing (officetels, low-rise multi-family homes and similar), the government said it will supply 90,000 purchased rental homes in the capital region over the 2 years from 2026 to 2027, with 66,000 of them concentrated in regulated areas of Seoul and Gyeonggi. It will expand pre-agreed purchases of newly built homes from 34,000 to 54,000, allow partial purchases in which only some units in a building are bought rather than the whole building, and ease the minimum purchase threshold in regulated areas of Seoul and Gyeonggi from 19 and 50 units respectively to 10 units or more. It cited the fact that non-apartment housing starts over the past 3 years (2023–2025) stayed at 20–30% of the average of the past 10 years.

The 2026 intake for the Youth Tomorrow Savings Account (청년내일저축계좌), which helps low-income working young people build savings, ran from 4 May to 20 May. It is for working young people aged 15 to 39 in households at or below 50% of the standard median income, with at least 100,000 won a month in employment or business income. If you save 100,000 won a month, the government adds a matching contribution, and unlike other savings support schemes this one has only a single intake period.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety opened applications and payments for the first round of high fuel price relief payments at 9am on 27 April. The first round covers basic livelihood security recipients (550,000 won per person) and near-poor households (차상위계층) and single-parent families (450,000 won per person), supporting first those with the least capacity to cope with a crisis. Applications for the first round run from 9am on 27 April to 6pm on 8 May, and you can choose to receive the money on a credit card, debit card, prepaid card or as local gift certificates (지역사랑상품권).

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has set out how the high fuel price relief payment works. It covers 70% of the public. The first round goes to basic livelihood security recipients (550,000 won per person), near-poor households and single-parent families (450,000 won), and the second round to the general public in the bottom 70% of earners, with amounts varying by area: 100,000 won in the Seoul metropolitan area, 150,000 won outside it, 200,000 won in population-decline priority support areas and 250,000 won in population-decline special support areas. The money must be used by 31 August 2026 and can only be spent within the area where it was received (a special or metropolitan city, or a province).

The government put its seasonal and time-of-day electricity tariff reform into effect on 16 April. Weekday rates between 11:00 and 15:00 drop from the top tier to the middle tier, while rates between 18:00 and 21:00 rise from the middle tier to the top tier. It applies first to industrial use, class B (산업용(을)) and electric vehicle charging, and from 1 June it extends to general use, educational use and other categories. The government gave wider use of daytime solar generation and reduced evening LNG generation as the aim of the reform. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment made the announcement.

In response to unstable energy supply caused by the war in the Middle East, the government raised the resource security crisis to the "alert" level on 2 April. From 8 April, restrictions on driving cars at public institutions were tightened from the existing one-in-five-day rotation to an odd-even (two-day) system. The government recommended 12 public actions, including keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended levels (heating 20°C, cooling 26°C or lower), avoiding high-power appliances during peak hours (5pm to 8pm) and charging during the daytime.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has set out the changes to daily life and safety rules for 2026. The character limit for emergency disaster text messages rises from 90 to 157 characters. The government is also expanding the use of civil defence warning sirens during heavy rain, wildfires and other disasters, and extending resident evacuation support teams to every city, county and district. Other measures include more CCTV in areas where children are at risk and improvements to school routes, tighter safety management of new types of children's play facilities such as unstaffed kids' cafés and kids' pools, tighter rules on modifying and riding bicycles without brakes, and support for installing hidden-camera detection systems and emergency bells in public toilets (about 6.3 billion won in national funding). For many of the items, the exact start date follows each individual notice or enactment.