Yesterday (September 23), several new amendment proposals were posted on the National Participatory Legislation Center. From these, we picked three that create new obligations for businesses or change the level of sanctions, plus one set of data on school violence deliberations.
Today's 3 key points > 1. If a vehicle defect is disclosed and corrective action does not begin within 3 months, the corrective action plan must be updated and reported every 3 months (comments due by November 2). > 2. For a business that is first to self-report a cartel after an investigation has begun, the fine reduction will be cut from full exemption to a 75% reduction (comments due by November 2). > 3. School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee cases rose 87.9% in 5 years, while the share resolved by the principal within the school fell below half to 48.3%.
## 1. Plans must be updated and reported every 3 months when vehicle defect correction is delayed (Enforcement Rule of the Motor Vehicle Management Act)
- What changes — If a manufacturer or parts manufacturer does not begin corrective action within 3 months of the date it disclosed a defect, it must update and report its corrective action plan every 3 months thereafter. The criteria for re-notifying owners when the correction rate is low will also expand. Currently, owners are re-notified once if the rate is below 70% within 6 months of the start. Under the proposal, one more notice is added if the rate is below 70% within 1 year, and for serious defects such as a fire risk, one re-notification each is required if the rate is below 80% within 2 years and below 90% within 3 years.
- Also — For economic compensation unrelated to safety, the obligation to compensate remains, but progress reporting is waived from 3 years after the start. If an owner who removed the defective part through tuning (vehicle modification) confirms that correction is not needed, the correction is treated as complete. The parts supply obligation period (at least 8 years from the last sale date) will be raised to at least the service life set by other laws for parts whose service life exceeds 8 years.
- Who is affected — Vehicle manufacturers, parts manufacturers and others; owners of vehicles subject to recall
- Effective date — Not yet set. Stage: legislative pre-announcement (comment period September 23 – November 2, 2026)
- Agent's note — For owners, this means a recall notice may arrive by mail or text message one more time. If you have already replaced or removed the defective part through tuning, it is a good idea to keep the tuning approval and inspection documents that prove it.
- Source: [National Participatory Legislation Center · Pre-announcement of a partial amendment to the Enforcement Rule of the Motor Vehicle Management Act (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)](https://opinion.lawmaking.go.kr/gcom/ogLmPp/88824)
## 2. Cartel self-reporting leniency reduced — first in line after an investigation begins: exemption → 75% reduction (Enforcement Decree of the Fair Trade Act)
- What changes — For a business that is first to cooperate after a Korea Fair Trade Commission investigation has begun, the fine reduction changes from "full exemption" to "a 75% reduction" (draft Article 51(1)(ii)). The aim is to encourage businesses to report before an investigation starts. The scope in which leniency is restricted for repeat cartels also widens from "cartels that violate the relevant corrective order" to all cartels, and this rule is moved up from an administrative notice into the Enforcement Decree. If a business engages in another cartel at least 5 years but within 10 years of the date it received a sanction or leniency, the reduction amount is cut to 50%.
- Who is affected — Businesses that could become involved in bid-rigging or price-fixing; successors that took over a business through a merger, split or business transfer (successors are also counted when determining repeat cartels, draft Article 51(4))
- Effective date — Not yet set. Stage: legislative pre-announcement (comment period September 23 – November 2, 2026)
- Agent's note — The key point is that when you acquire a company or take over a business, the cartel sanction history of the business you take over can come with it. If you are considering an acquisition or merger, first check the target company's record of Fair Trade Commission dispositions.
- Source: [National Participatory Legislation Center · Pre-announcement of an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act (Korea Fair Trade Commission)](https://opinion.lawmaking.go.kr/gcom/ogLmPp/88820)
## 3. School violence committee deliberations up 87.9% in 5 years — resolution by principals at 48.3%
- What changes — These figures were released on September 23 by the Chair of the National Assembly Education Committee, based on an analysis of data submitted by the Ministry of Education. Reported school violence cases rose about 28%, from 44,444 in the 2021 school year to 56,880 in the 2025 school year, while deliberations by the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee rose 87.9%, from 15,653 to 29,405. The share of cases resolved by the principal within the school fell from 64.8% to 48.3%. By type, ostracism (808→2,486) and coercion (943→2,575) rose most steeply. By region in the 2025 school year, Gyeonggi (15,083) was followed by Incheon (4,162).
- Who is affected — Parents of students involved in school violence cases, whether as victims or as offenders; schools
- Effective date — Not a rule change; status data (2021–2025 school years)
- Agent's note — This means more than half of cases are no longer settled within the school and go on to deliberation at the local education office. If you have received a decision on measures, first mark on your calendar the deadline for an administrative appeal stated in the notice (90 days from the date you learned of the disposition).
- Source: [Educhang · "School violence reports fell, but"… committee deliberations up 88% in 5 years](https://www.educhang.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=10030) (a report citing the National Assembly Education Committee Chair's press release and data submitted by the Ministry of Education)
## 4. New procedures for deemed permits in island projects (Enforcement Decree of the Island Development Promotion Act)
- What changes — Following the introduction of deemed permits for island development projects (a system under which approval of an implementation plan is treated as obtaining the related permits), the proposal sets out how to apply for implementation plan approval and which documents to attach, the approval criteria and processing period, the criteria for approving changes such as a change of location or an increase or decrease in area, and the procedure for publicly announcing approval (draft Articles 11-2 to 11-5). Approval results must be notified to the project operator promptly.
- Who is affected — Project operators carrying out development or improvement projects in island areas; local governments in island areas (including island areas such as Ongjin and Ganghwa, Incheon)
- Effective date — Not yet set. Stage: legislative pre-announcement (comment period September 23 – October 21, 2026)
- Agent's note — Deemed permits bundle several permits into one, but the process only moves at full speed if every related document is included in the initial implementation plan application. If the project location or area might change, review the change approval criteria in advance.
- Source: [National Participatory Legislation Center · Pre-announcement of a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Island Development Promotion Act (Ministry of the Interior and Safety)](https://opinion.lawmaking.go.kr/gcom/ogLmPp/88828)
## Deadlines to watch
- September 29 (Tue) — Application deadline for round 4 of E-9 foreign worker employment permits
- October 21 (Wed) — Comment deadline for the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Island Development Promotion Act
- November 2 (Mon) — Comment deadline for the amendments to the Enforcement Rule of the Motor Vehicle Management Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Fair Trade Act
*This briefing was prepared by Hwang Yun-sang Administrative Agent's Office based on public materials. Whether it applies to a specific case should be confirmed with the relevant authority.*