This is the Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office, a licensed administrative agent (Haengjeongsa) office serving Incheon and Songdo. Today we look at a plan to introduce administrative dispositions against colluding businesses, statistics on school violence challenges in Gyeonggi, and an amendment to the eligibility rules for national technical qualifications.
Today's 3 key points > 1. A legislative push is underway so that businesses that collude 2 or more times within 5 years can face business suspension in 17 industries, including fire protection facility and electrical construction businesses, and even registration revocation in 4 of them. > 2. Administrative appeals over school violence against Gyeonggi's local education offices rose from 500 in 2023 to 795 in 2025, and 427 of these were filed on the offending student's side. > 3. An amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Technical Qualifications Act that shortens by 1 year each the experience required to sit for Professional Engineer and Master Craftsman exams has been pre-announced (opinions accepted until November 9).
## 1. Business suspension or registration revocation for repeat colluders, 17 industries covered
- What is changing: On September 28, the government and the Democratic Party of Korea announced a "Plan to Promote Legislation to Eradicate Repeated Collusion" at a government–party consultation meeting. Under the plan, when the Korea Fair Trade Commission asks the relevant ministry to impose sanctions on a business caught colluding 2 or more times within 5 years, that ministry will be able to order a business suspension or registration revocation under the individual law that governs the business.
- Industries covered: Registration revocation and business suspension will be introduced for 4 industries (fire protection facility business, electrical construction business, design and supervision business, and surveying business), and business suspension for 13 industries, including pharmaceutical manufacturing and import, petroleum refining and sales, waste treatment, and passenger and freight transport. To this end, amendments to the Fair Trade Act and 17 individual laws will be pursued together.
- Also being pursued: Extending the limitation period for dispositions against collusion, creating a legal basis for orders to re-determine prices, and removing the reduction of corrective measures for businesses that self-report, for a total of 5 legislative tasks (length of the extended limitation period ⚠️ needs to be checked against the original).
- Who it affects: Fire protection, electrical, design, supervision and surveying firms that often take part in public tenders, and pharmaceutical, petroleum, waste and transport businesses
- Effective from: Not yet decided (at the stage of the government–party announcement of the legislative push, before amendment bills are submitted to the National Assembly)
- A word from the administrative agent: Until now, sanctions for collusion have centered on administrative fines, but once the laws are amended, businesses in registered industries may find it hard to keep operating at all. Firms that have already received a Korea Fair Trade Commission disposition should confirm the date of that disposition, and if you are contacted before a tender with a proposal to coordinate prices or a request to submit a cover bid, it is safer to keep a record and decline.
- Source: [Money Today · "Hammer on repeat collusion": business suspension and registration revocation](https://www.mt.co.kr/politics/2026/09/28/2026092808324969926) · [Jeju Economic Newspaper · Business suspension for repeat collusion being pursued](http://www.jejunews.biz/news/articleViewAmp.html?idxno=105902) (Primary source: government–party consultation meeting, "Plan to Promote Legislation to Eradicate Repeated Collusion")
## 2. School violence administrative appeals in Gyeonggi up 59% in 3 years
- What was released: According to an analysis by Gyeonggi Provincial Council member Kim Young-hoon of data submitted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, administrative appeals over school violence filed against local education offices in the province rose from 500 in 2023 to 569 in 2024 and 795 in 2025. Of these, 260, 297 and 427 respectively were filed on the offending student's side.
- Administrative lawsuits also rising: The number of first-instance administrative lawsuits filed was 93 in 2023, 101 in 2024 and 131 in 2025, and 112 this year through the end of August. Council member Kim called for guidance on state-appointed representatives and oral hearings for victim students from vulnerable groups, and for a review of making an administrative appeal a mandatory step before a lawsuit.
- Who it affects: Offending and victim students who have received a decision on school violence measures, and their guardians
- Effective from: Not a rule change (analysis of Provincial Council data; to be reviewed in the administrative audit)
- A word from the administrative agent: An administrative appeal is not a procedure that only the offending student's side can file. The victim student's side can also file one if it considers the measures too lenient, and can request an oral hearing to explain in person. The deadline for filing is 90 days from the date you became aware of the decision on measures, so be sure to write down the date you received the decision notice.
- Source: [Gyeonggi Times · School violence administrative appeals surge 60% in 3 years](https://www.ggtimes.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=395809) (Primary source: data submitted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, analyzed by council member Kim Young-hoon)
## 3. Experience required for Professional Engineer and Master Craftsman exams cut by 1 year: Enforcement Decree of the National Technical Qualifications Act pre-announced
- What is changing: On September 28, the Ministry of Employment and Labor pre-announced a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Technical Qualifications Act. The experience period required to sit for Professional Engineer and Master Craftsman exams will be shortened by 1 year each, so that young people can obtain higher-level qualifications sooner.
- Other details: To respond quickly to cheating during exams, the legal basis for delegating or entrusting sanction dispositions to entrusted testing agencies will be clarified. For course-based assessment qualifications, whether to operate them will be reviewed when a new qualification item is created, and people who fail to pass the external assessment within 2 years will be given eligibility for the examination-based test in the same item.
- Who it affects: Holders of Engineer, Industrial Engineer and Craftsman qualifications preparing for Professional Engineer or Master Craftsman exams, and those who have completed training for course-based assessment qualifications
- Effective from: Not yet decided (pre-announcement stage; opinions accepted until November 9, 2026; the shortened experience requirement for each item ⚠️ needs to be checked against the original)
- A word from the administrative agent: Even if the required experience period is shortened, whether experience is recognized is judged by what is written on the certificate of employment. If you plan to take the exam, we recommend obtaining in advance a certificate of employment from your employer that lists your duties in the same job field as the qualification item.
- Source: [National Participatory Legislation Center · Pre-announcement of a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Technical Qualifications Act](https://opinion.lawmaking.go.kr/gcom/ogLmPp/88876) (Inquiries: Ministry of Employment and Labor, Vocational Competency Evaluation Division, 044-202-7294)
## Deadlines to watch this week
- October 13: Administrative pre-announcement of the amendment to the Korea Fair Trade Commission's notice on leniency for self-reporting collusion will close (follow-up to the September 24 briefing)
- October 19: The opinion period for the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Mental Health Welfare Act (common duties of psychological counseling) will close
- November 2: The opinion periods for amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Enforcement Decree of the Fair Trade Act, and the Enforcement Decree of the Medical Service Act (non-face-to-face treatment) will close
- November 9: The opinion period for the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Technical Qualifications Act will close
*This briefing was compiled by the Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office based on publicly available information. Whether it applies to an individual case must be confirmed with the competent authority.*