South Korea to Start High Fuel Price Relief Payments April 27; Interior Ministry Checks Local Readiness The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said April 21 that it inspected payment preparations by cities, counties and districts nationwide ahead of the start of high fuel price relief payments on April 27 and urged smooth execution. The program will provide 100,000 to 250,000 won per person to the bottom 70% by income. Vulnerable groups can receive up to 600,000 won. The ministry held a meeting chaired by Vice Minister Kim Min-jae with deputy heads of 226 local governments to review the fu April 21, 2026

South Korea to stop labeling stepchildren on resident registration records In South Korea, family relationships shown on resident registration certificates and extracts will no longer distinguish between “child” and “spouse’s child,” with both listed simply as household members. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said a partial revision to the Enforcement Decree of the Resident Registration Act was reviewed and approved at a Cabinet meeting on the 21st. The ministry said the changes are aimed at better protecting personal information for remarried familie April 21, 2026

Donghae to Inspect No-Smoking Areas, Tobacco Retailers as Law Expands Definition of Tobacco Donghae City Health Center said it will conduct joint inspections of no-smoking areas and tobacco retailers following revisions to the Tobacco Business Act. The inspections are intended to confirm on-the-ground compliance as the law, taking effect April 24, expands the definition of tobacco from “tobacco leaves” to products made using tobacco or nicotine as a raw material. The checks will run from April 24 to May 15, including daytime and nighttime patrols. Inspectors will crack down o April 21, 2026

South Korea’s Democratic Party Starts Leadership Races as Floor Leader Han Byung-do Resigns South Korea’s Democratic Party has begun the process of selecting its next floor leader and a nominee for National Assembly speaker for the second half of the year after the party’s steering committee on April 20 transferred authority to form election management committees to the party’s supreme council. Floor leader Han Byung-do, who had signaled he may seek a second term, said April 21 he will step down. The choices are expected to shape how the Assembly is run in the second half of the April 21, 2026

Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byung-do Signals Bid for Second Term as He Resigns Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do said April 21 he would step down, citing the need to take responsibility for a packed agenda, while signaling he plans to seek another term. Han told a news conference at the National Assembly that it was his 101st day in office. “I’ve done a lot, but there is still a lot to do,” he said. He said the party must “dig into the truth” behind what he called “fabricated indictments” by the “Yoon Suk Yeol political prosecution,” and spee April 21, 2026

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon says rival’s attacks on Han Dong-hoon help his poll numbers Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon said Monday that criticism of Han Dong-hoon by Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party’s Busan mayoral candidate, is helping Park’s own support. Park, the People Power Party’s candidate for Busan mayor, told reporters at the National Assembly’s communications center that Jeon’s repeated attacks on Han’s possible run in a by-election in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district were “not bad” for Park’s rise in the polls. A poll released the previous day showed Park and Jeon in April 21, 2026

Jeonju City Council urges VAT revenue from local gift certificates be returned to municipalities Jeonju City Council in North Jeolla Province urged the government to return to local governments a portion of the value-added tax generated by the issuance and use of local gift certificates, saying it would strengthen the financial independence of municipalities. The council adopted a resolution at the second plenary session of its 429th extraordinary meeting on the 21st. The measure, proposed by council member Kim Se-hyeok (proportional representative), called for a system to retu April 21, 2026

South Korea Voices Regret Over Japanese Prime Minister’s Yasukuni Shrine Offering South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on 21 expressed deep regret after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine’s autumn festival in Tokyo, where Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined. In a spokesperson’s statement, the ministry said the South Korean government was “deeply disappointed and regretful” that “responsible Japanese leaders” again made offerings or visited the shrine, which it said glorifies Japan’s past wars of aggression and April 21, 2026

Seoul to Redevelop Jeongneung Public Bus Depot Into Sports and Transit Complex Seoul said it will redevelop the Jeongneung public bus depot in Seongbuk-gu into a mixed-use complex combining transit functions with neighborhood sports and convenience facilities, including a swimming pool, a multipurpose gym and a fitness center. The city said Tuesday it has prepared a basic plan to use the space above the Jeongneung bus depot at 771-7, Jeongneung-dong, and will move ahead with the project. Seoul plans to request a central investment review from the Minist April 21, 2026

Seoul to Develop Chang-dong as K-Entertainment Hub Around 28,000-Seat Seoul Arena An area around Chang-dong in Seoul’s Dobong district will be redeveloped into a global cultural hub and a cluster for the culture and entertainment industry, centered on the 28,000-seat Seoul Arena set to open in the first half of next year. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the plan at a news briefing at City Hall on April 21. The city aims to draw domestic and overseas visitors to boost the local economy and create jobs by fostering the entertainment industry, positioning Chang-dong as April 21, 2026