Korea Credit Guarantee Fund Still Owes 200 Billion Won for COVID-19 Guarantees The Korea Credit Guarantee Fund has yet to repay 200 billion won borrowed from the general guarantee account to cover losses from COVID-19 small business guarantees. The net assets of the guarantee account have improved to 2.947 trillion won, but the timing of repayment is still under discussion with relevant agencies.According to the National Assembly and financial sector on September 14, the small business guarantee program was introduced to quickly provide funds to small businesses that exper September 14, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group's Atlas Robot Value Chain Expected to Generate 10 Trillion Won in Annual Revenue Hyundai Motor Group is set to generate significant revenue from its humanoid robot, Atlas, as it finalizes plans for mass production and initial demand. Analysts predict that if a production system capable of manufacturing 30,000 units annually is established by 2028, the combined revenue opportunities from finished products, key components, and software across its subsidiaries could reach around 10 trillion won.According to industry sources on September 14, Hyundai Motor Group plans to establis September 14, 2026

Lawmaker Critiques Education Policy Amid Concerns Over Teacher Rights Jung Sung-guk, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, sharply criticized the education policies of the Lee government, stating that the government is ignoring developmental stages and educational conditions while failing to provide clear solutions to the declining status of teachers.During a government question session in the National Assembly on September 14, Jung pressed Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on the controversy surrounding the National Education Commission's push to expand class hours September 14, 2026

Agriculture Ministry Exceeds Supply Goals for Chuseok Holiday, Expands Discount Support The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has exceeded its supply goals for key items ahead of the Chuseok holiday, aiming to stabilize holiday prices. The government plans to expand discount support to 149 billion won to alleviate consumer burdens.On September 14, the ministry held a meeting at the Government Sejong Center, chaired by Deputy Minister Kim Jong-gu, to review the status of measures for stabilizing living conditions during Chuseok and to assess supply and demand trends.Si September 14, 2026

U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel Meets with Deputy Minister Kim Jin-ah to Discuss Joint Fact Sheet Implementation U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel reported on September 14 that she had a meaningful discussion with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jin-ah regarding the implementation of agreements outlined in the joint fact sheet from the U.S.-South Korea summit.Steel shared this update on X (formerly Twitter). The discussions likely covered topics such as U.S. investment, the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, and the enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuel, all of which were September 14, 2026

Flu and COVID-19 Surge in September, Breaking Seasonal Trends Flu (influenza) and COVID-19 are surging simultaneously, causing alarm in hospitals and pharmacies. Typically, respiratory infections peak in November and December, but this year, the outbreak began earlier in September, challenging the notion that flu is a winter illness.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on September 14, the rate of influenza-like illness (ILI) among outpatients in the week of August 30 to September 5 was 25.3 per 1,000 patients. This is double September 14, 2026

Samsung Electronics Faces Internal Conflict Amid Threats Over Bonus Disputes Internal conflicts at Samsung Electronics have escalated, with tensions over bonus distribution methods leading to allegations of threats against specific employees and union leaders. According to industry sources, the Samsung Group's inter-company labor union, Samsung Electronics Branch (Intercompany Union), sent a formal request to the Donghaeng Labor Union, which focuses on the home appliances and mobile (DX) sectors, demanding measures to prevent violent expressions directed at employees and September 14, 2026

Families of Missing Persons in Nepal Express Discontent Over Rescue Efforts Following the deployment of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) to Nepal, which was affected by severe flooding, some families of missing persons expressed dissatisfaction with the team's efforts. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to resolve misunderstandings.On September 14, Lee Gyu-ho, the head of the KDRT, stated at the Ministry's office in Jongno, Seoul, "We consulted with the Nepalese military regarding the areas the families wanted searched, but we received a respon September 14, 2026

Vietnamese Pharmaceutical Delegation Visits Daewon Pharmaceutical's Jincheon Plant Daewon Pharmaceutical announced that a delegation from the Vietnamese government and pharmaceutical industry visited its Jincheon plant in North Chungcheong Province on September 11 to tour its advanced pharmaceutical production facilities and quality control systems. The delegation included officials from the Vietnam Ministry of Health's Drug Administration (DAV) and representatives from pharmaceutical and bio companies such as Newteco and Phitopharma. They visited the Jincheon plant to benchma September 14, 2026

Opposition Questions Leadership Vacancies in Criminal Justice System The opposition People Power Party raised concerns on September 14 during a government questioning session in the National Assembly regarding the vacancies in key law enforcement positions, including the police chief and prosecutor general. In the first round of questioning, People Power Party lawmaker Seo Beom-soo pressed Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, stating, "The position of police chief has been vacant for 15 months. Is it that you have not appointed someone, or that you cannot?" With the abo September 14, 2026