This is the weekend morning briefing. This time we picked news with deadlines clustered at the end of the year. If you run a shop selling animals such as reptiles or parrots, manufacture or sell agricultural materials, own a large building, or teach classes for young children, please take a moment to check.
Today’s 3 key points
- The business permit system for wildlife sales, import, breeding and consignment-care businesses took effect on December 14, 2025, and its grace period ends on December 13, 2026.
- A draft Enforcement Decree for the Essential Agricultural Materials Support Act (effective December 17, 2026) has been released. The authority to impose fines for refusing on-site inspections is delegated to mayors, county heads and district heads.
- Local governments that set traffic-inducement charge calculation standards by ordinance must periodically review their validity, and comments on the draft Enforcement Rules amendment setting out the details will be accepted until November 10.
1. Wildlife business permit grace period ends December 13; café display grace period runs until December 13, 2027
- What changes: Following the amendment of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, the wildlife business permit system has been in effect since December 14, 2025. Sales, import, breeding and consignment-care businesses handling animals above a certain scale must obtain a permit from the competent local government. The one-year grace period operated by local governments ends on December 13, 2026 (intentional violations may be sanctioned even during the grace period).
- Who is affected: Businesses handling covered species such as internationally endangered species and designated managed wildlife. The permit thresholds are as follows.
- Sales, import and breeding businesses (reptiles and amphibians only): holding 50 or more animals and selling 100 or more per year or an average of 20 or more per month
- Sales, import and breeding businesses (other covered animals): holding 20 or more animals and selling 30 or more per year or an average of 10 or more per month
- Consignment-care businesses: 20 or more reptiles and amphibians, or 10 or more other covered animals (⚠️ original text needs checking)
- Even if you are not subject to the permit requirement, you must still file a transfer and acquisition report when buying or selling covered animals.
- When: The permit system took effect on December 14, 2025, and the grace period ends on December 13, 2026. Separately, displaying wildlife at facilities other than zoos and aquariums is prohibited; only previously reported animals already held may continue to be displayed under a grace period until December 13, 2027. Even during this grace period, touching, riding and feeding the animals are not allowed.
- A word from the Administrative Agent: Start by organizing the number of animals you hold and your sales records for the past year. If you are close to the threshold, it is safer to meet the facility and staffing requirements and complete your permit application before the grace period ends. Wildlife cafés should decide now how they will operate after December 2027.
- Sources: Seoul Metropolitan Government Environment Portal · Guide to the Wildlife Display Ban and Zoo Permit System, Dailian · Goyang City Implements Wildlife Business Permit System
2. Draft Enforcement Decree of the Essential Agricultural Materials Support Act: authority to fine for refusing on-site inspections delegated to cities, counties and districts
- What changes: The Act on Support for Essential Agricultural Materials in Response to Supply Chain Risks (Act No. 21201) takes effect on December 17, 2026. The main points of the draft Enforcement Decree issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are as follows.
- Create risk indicators tracking international and import prices of raw materials and domestic agricultural material price fluctuations, for use in crisis response guidelines (draft Article 2)
- Composition, terms of office and voting quorum of the essential agricultural materials support deliberation committee (draft Article 3)
- Delegation to mayors, county heads and district heads of the authority to conduct on-site inspections of business premises of manufacturers and sellers, and to impose fines for refusing, obstructing or evading inspections (draft Article 4)
- Fine standards for refusing to submit materials, submitting false materials, refusing on-site inspections, etc. (draft Article 5; amounts ⚠️ original text needs checking)
- Who is affected: Manufacturers and sellers of essential agricultural materials, and agricultural business entities that would receive support when prices rise
- When: The Act takes effect on December 17, 2026; comments on the draft Enforcement Decree are accepted until November 11, 2026 (Agricultural Policy Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)
- A word from the Administrative Agent: Manufacturers and sellers should keep in mind that city, county or district officials may come to inspect their premises, and should keep their pricing and shipment records in order. Failing to submit materials or submitting materials that do not match the facts will make you subject to a fine.
- Source: National Participatory Legislation Center · Legislative Notice of the Draft Enforcement Decree of the Act on Support for Essential Agricultural Materials
3. Periodic review of traffic-inducement charge calculation standards: draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Urban Traffic Readjustment Promotion Act
- What changes: Under the amendment of the Urban Traffic Readjustment Promotion Act (Act No. 21814, promulgated June 16, 2026), where the traffic-inducement charge calculation standards (unit charge and traffic-inducement coefficient) are set by ordinance, their validity must be reviewed periodically, and the calculation standards may be subdivided by ordinance. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has released a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules covering matters delegated by the Act and operational shortcomings (specific provisions ⚠️ original text needs checking).
- Who is affected: Owners of facilities who pay the traffic-inducement charge within urban traffic readjustment areas, and local governments that set the calculation standards by ordinance
- When: The Act takes effect on December 17, 2026; comments on the draft Enforcement Rules amendment are accepted until November 10, 2026 (Transportation Welfare Division, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
- A word from the Administrative Agent: The charge is determined by multiplying a building’s use and floor area by a coefficient, so if the ordinance is subdivided, the amount may differ even for the same floor area. Owners of commercial and office buildings should watch for notices of ordinance amendments from their city, county or district, and if you receive a charge notice, please check the objection period first.
- Source: National Participatory Legislation Center · Legislative Notice of the Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Urban Traffic Readjustment Promotion Act
4. Draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Private Teaching Institutes Act: report forms for tutoring of young children and reporting rewards revised (follow-up)
- What changes: This is a follow-up to the reporting obligation for tutoring of young children (effective October 1) covered on September 28. The Ministry of Education has issued a legislative notice of a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons.
- Reflect the addition of “young children” to the scope of extracurricular tutoring in the report forms (Annexed Forms No. 22, No. 22-2 and No. 28)
- Revise the reporting reward provisions (Article 17 of the Enforcement Rules) in line with the newly inserted Article 17-5(1)1-2 of the Enforcement Decree
- Who is affected: Private tutors, tutoring centers and private teaching institutes that teach young children
- When: Comments accepted until November 11, 2026 (Early Childhood Private Education Task Team, Ministry of Education); effective date ⚠️ original text needs checking
- A word from the Administrative Agent: Even before the forms change, the reporting obligation is already in effect. If you teach young children and have not yet filed a report, please contact your local office of education first, obtain the form currently in use, and file your report.
- Source: National Participatory Legislation Center · Legislative Notice of the Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Private Teaching Institutes Act
Deadlines to watch this week
- October 19: Comment deadline for the draft amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act (October 2 briefing)
- November 10: Comment deadline for the draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Urban Traffic Readjustment Promotion Act
- November 11: Comment deadline for the draft Enforcement Decree of the Essential Agricultural Materials Support Act and the draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Private Teaching Institutes Act
- November 13: Comment deadline for the draft amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Maritime Safety (legal basis for entrusting delegated tasks to specialized institutions)
- December 13: Wildlife business permit grace period ends
- December 17: Essential Agricultural Materials Support Act and amended Urban Traffic Readjustment Promotion Act take effect
This briefing is a guide compiled by Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office based on publicly available information. Whether it applies to an individual case must be confirmed with the competent authority.