LAW & POLICY
Trends
Reporting period for legalization of illegal buildings until June 16, 2028; Enforcement Decree for the Special Act on Certain Buildings
On September 30, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a legislative notice for the proposed Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on the Settlement of Certain Buildings. The reporting period is from December 17, 2026, to June 16, 2028, and reports must be submitted to the Si/Gun/Gu office along with design documents, site investigation reports, and documents proving land rights. The proposal also includes standards for determining that buildings within 30m of a road or 20m of a fire hydrant do not pose a fire safety hazard, as well as regulations for conditional approval for use on the condition that fines and enforcement fines are paid in full.
QR E-Filing of 4 Major Social Insurance Establishment Reports Starts October 12 · Death-Accident Penalty in the Employment Permit Points System and 2 More | Administrative Briefing, October 12
From October 12, a Report on Establishment of Insurance Relationship for the 4 major social insurances sent directly from tax or accounting software to the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service will be received automatically. It was confirmed that 271 of 272 employment permit applications from workplaces penalized for fatal accidents were allocated foreign workers, and AI SMEs selected for Ministry of SMEs and Startups support programs will receive tax administration support, including deferral of regular tax audits, until February 2028.
Humidifier Disinfectant Damage Compensation Claims Due by April 2027 · Unpaid Premiums Deducted from Out-of-Pocket Ceiling Refunds | Administrative Briefing, October 10
On October 8, the wholly amended Special Act on Remedy for Humidifier Disinfectant Damage took effect, making the State also liable for compensation; damage compensation must be applied for in writing to the Compensation Deliberation Committee within 6 months of the effective date. From the same day, unpaid health insurance premiums may be deducted when excess amounts under the out-of-pocket ceiling system are refunded, and workplaces whose recognition for accident prevention activities is revoked due to a serious accident must have their industrial accident insurance premiums recalculated and pay them again.
MVNO Radio Spectrum Fee Reduction Raised to 90% and Extended 3 Years · Narcotics Control Enforcement Rule Amendment and 2 More | Administrative Briefing, October 9
Draft amendments have been pre-announced to the Enforcement Decree of the Radio Waves Act, raising the radio spectrum fee reduction rate for small and medium-sized and mid-sized MVNO (budget mobile carrier) operators to 90% and extending it through 2029, and to the Enforcement Rule of the Narcotics Control Act, creating a fee for petitions to confirm whether a substance is a narcotic (comments due by November 17). We also cover a ruling that repeated information disclosure requests intended to harass public officials are an abuse of rights, and issues in managing public-interest direct payments to foreign nationals.
TOPIK Level 4 Exempts Student Visa Applicants from Financial Proof · New Registration Requirements for Currency Exchange Businesses and 2 More | Administrative Briefing, October 8
The Ministry of Justice announced student visa improvements, including exempting international students with TOPIK Level 4 or higher from proving financial capacity and differentiating the D-10 (Job Seeking) stay period from 1 to 3 years. We also cover the pre-announced Foreign Exchange Transactions Act Enforcement Decree with new registration requirements and one-strike cancellation for currency exchange businesses (comments until October 26), tougher penalties for drunk operation of recreational watercraft, and more facilities allowed to operate children's school buses.
Jeonse Fraud Minimum Guarantee Takes Effect Nov 13 · Disinfection Business Succession Report and 1 More | Administrative Briefing, Oct 7
Starting November 13, a minimum guarantee system will take effect: if jeonse (lump-sum deposit lease) fraud victims fail to recover even one-third of their deposit after auction or public sale, the state will cover the shortfall, alongside an advance-payment-then-settlement system. We also cover the re-announced amendment to the Enforcement Rule of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act requiring a new status-succession report when taking over a disinfection business (comments due by October 12), and planned corrective orders against 33 long-term care hospitals that have not met their certification obligations.