Han Byeong-do Calls for Cooperation from People Power Party Ahead of Confirmation Hearings Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, urged the People Power Party to cooperate positively ahead of the confirmation hearings for Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, and Hong Ji-seon, the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. He also promised full support from the party, stating that both nominees are the best candidates to lead national security and housing stability.During a Supreme Council meeting held in Daejeon, Han said, " September 16, 2026

Kang Shin-cheol's Confirmation Hearing Sparks Tensions Over Witnesses and Evidence The confirmation hearing for Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, began with sharp disputes between the ruling and opposition parties over the selection of witnesses and the submission of evidence. Im Jong-deuk, the opposition party's representative on the National Defense Committee, criticized the hearing during a procedural statement, saying, "This has become a hearing where no one can be called to verify the facts of the allegations raised. The verification through w September 16, 2026

Government to Gradually Introduce Abortion Medication for Women Under Nine Weeks Pregnant The government is moving to gradually introduce abortion medication for women under nine weeks pregnant. For the first two years, prescriptions and dispensing will be handled by hospitals, with plans to expand to pharmacies once the necessary conditions are met. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook stated during the 14th National Policy Coordination Meeting at the Government Seoul Complex on September 16 that the introduction of abortion medication, commonly known as 'Mifeprex,' is necessary due to the September 16, 2026

South Korea Wins Lawsuit Against North Korea Over Liaison Office Explosion The South Korean Ministry of Unification stated on September 16 that it respects the court's ruling regarding the explosion of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office and will consider necessary measures. On this day, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 46 ordered North Korea to pay the South Korean government 44.6 billion won in a damages lawsuit. This marks the first time the South Korean government has filed a direct lawsuit against North Korea. North Korea destroyed the Inter-Korean September 16, 2026

Education Ministry Takes Action Amid College Application System Outage The unprecedented server outage that occurred just before the deadline for the 2027 college admissions applications has sparked significant backlash. Following a one-hour extension of the application period, concerns about potential unfair practices, dubbed 'vacancy raids' (where students change their applications based on revealed competition rates), have prompted the education authorities to consider canceling applications submitted during this time.In response to the growing fallout, teachers September 16, 2026

National Assembly Approves Report on Kim Sung-soo's Supreme Court Nomination The National Assembly's Special Committee on the Nomination of Supreme Court Justices approved a report on Kim Sung-soo's nomination on September 16. During a full committee meeting, members voted to adopt the report, which included contrasting evaluations of Kim from both ruling and opposition parties.The Democratic Party stated that Kim possesses the qualifications and abilities necessary to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, asserting that he can perform his duties while upholding the independ September 16, 2026

Samsung and Intel Omitted from Top 200 Tax Contributors in Vietnam Foreign direct investment (FDI) companies, which lead Vietnam's exports, have shown a relatively low contribution to tax revenues. From January to August this year, FDI firms accounted for over 80% of Vietnam's total export value, yet only 28 of them made it to the list of the top 200 tax contributors. Major exporters like Samsung, Canon, and Intel were not included in this list. According to VNTAX 2026 data reported by local media Tuoi Tre on September 15, the total tax payments from the top 2 September 16, 2026

NH Nonghyup Bank Certifies 60 Branches as 'Dementia Prevention Leading Companies' NH Nonghyup Bank announced that 60 of its branches nationwide have received certification as 'Dementia Prevention Leading Companies' on September 16.Dementia Prevention Leading Companies are institutions where branch employees complete training to improve dementia awareness and create an environment where dementia patients and their families can feel safe. This certification is granted after an evaluation by local dementia support centers.With this certification, Nonghyup Bank aims to enhance de September 16, 2026

377 Groups Demand Rejection of Education Finance Reform Proposal The voices of education, labor, and civil society are rising against the government's unilateral proposal to reform the local education finance law, demanding an immediate halt to the National Assembly's rushed review and approval process. On the morning of September 15, 377 groups from education, labor, parents, students, and civil society participated in an emergency action against the 2026 education finance reform at a tent protest in front of the National Assembly. They condemned the gover September 16, 2026

Kim Myung-jung Appointed as New Budget Director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance Kim Myung-jung has been appointed as the new Budget Director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. According to the ministry on September 16, Kim graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in business administration and obtained a master's degree in technology management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. He began his public service career after passing the 40th National Civil Service Examination. During his tenure at the ministry, which was previously k September 16, 2026