Korea to Launch Public Zoo Safety Council After Wolf Escape The government will launch a consultative body to strengthen zoo safety management and improve animal welfare standards, following a recent wolf escape at Daejeon O-World that heightened calls for broader checks of zoo operations. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said it will hold the inaugural meeting of a nationwide council of public zoos on Tuesday at the Korea Public Institution Research Institute in Seoul. The council is intended to reinforce the leading role of public zoos as public concern grows over zoo safety after animal escape incidents. It will diagnose on-the-ground problems such as aging facilities, staffing shortages and weak safety systems, and discuss practical steps for improvement. The ministry also plans to review how public zoos are preparing for a shift to a permit-based system under the Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums. The system took effect in December 2023, but zoos already registered were granted a grace period through December 2028, allowing a phased transition. Through the council, the government plans to share difficulties reported by operators during implementation and develop support measures. Participants in the launch meeting will include Lee Chae-eun, director general for nature conservation at the ministry, along with officials from regional environment offices, the National Institute of Ecology, the Korea Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and representatives of public zoos nationwide. The ministry said it will use the council to build a standing cooperation framework among public zoos and jointly review implementation levels in key areas including facilities, staffing, safety management and animal welfare. It also said it will actively support the permit system so it can take root smoothly based on feedback from the field. Lee said the ministry will focus its policy efforts on encouraging the transition to the permit system while refining related standards to raise zoo safety and welfare levels. She added that the ministry will continue working with relevant agencies so public zoos can meet permit requirements in a substantive way. 2026-05-05 12:33:14

People Power Party Picks Park Min-sik for Busan Buk-gu Gap By-Election, Setting Three-Way Race The People Power Party’s nomination committee on May 5 confirmed Park Min-sik, described as a former minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, as its candidate in the June 3 parliamentary by-election in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district. Park will face Ha Jeong-woo of the Democratic Party and independent candidate Han Dong-hoon. Park dismissed the possibility of unifying candidacies with Han as “zero.” After his nomination was finalized, Park held a news conference at the party’s headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, saying, “With the strength of Buk-gu alone, I will deliver victory for Buk-gu,” and adding that he was confident of winning “whether it’s a two-way race or a three-way race.” Park criticized what he called talk by people close to Han about unification or the party not fielding a candidate. “If you entered the race, you should stand tall and accept the residents’ judgment,” he said, adding, “Stop running ‘wishful thinking.’” He said the election was not simply about “one seat in the National Assembly,” but about developing Buk-gu and “retaking the Nakdong River front line,” arguing that political calculations such as unification or no nomination were neither fair nor consistent with the stated purpose. On a series of controversies involving Ha’s camp, including an issue referred to as “shaking off,” Park said he was “personally hurt” and viewed it as serious. He said it was not merely a mistake by a “political rookie,” but “an expression of elitism deeply rooted inside.” Asked about claims that his support lags behind rival candidates, Park said he would not be swayed by polls. He also said affiliations should not be presented ambiguously in surveys or media coverage, adding, “The People Power Party candidate is Park Min-sik, and Han is an independent,” and that candidates should campaign fairly with their ballot numbers. 2026-05-05 12:24:48

ADB Economist Warns Prolonged High Oil Prices Could Drag South Korea Growth Albert Park, chief economist at the Asian Development Bank, warned that prolonged disruption to energy supply chains from the Middle East conflict could keep oil prices elevated and weigh on South Korea’s economy. Speaking at a press briefing May 4 (local time) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Park said that even if the conflict ends, rebuilding damaged energy infrastructure could take years, locking in a “higher-for-longer” oil-price environment. Under that scenario, South Korea’s economic growth would be estimated to fall by 0.9 percentage points in 2026 and 0.5 percentage points in 2027. In April, the ADB projected South Korea’s growth at 1.9% in both 2026 and 2027. In a new baseline scenario, the ADB forecast average oil prices of $96 a barrel in 2026 and $80 in 2027. “This is not simply a matter of passing through a strait,” Park said, adding that key infrastructure for global production capacity has been damaged and could take three to five years to restore. Park said South Korea is a concern because it relies more heavily on energy imports than other Asian economies. He also warned of stronger upward pressure on inflation as higher energy costs spill over into other prices. Park said strong first-quarter semiconductor exports could partly offset slower growth, but he cautioned that Middle East-related disruptions in raw materials could also hinder expanded chip production. “Overall, the growth forecast is more likely to be revised downward,” he said. He stressed that the estimates were not an official revision to the ADB’s forecast. The figures, he said, were meant to gauge the pure impact of a negative external shock from the Middle East crisis, and actual growth could vary depending on offsetting factors such as semiconductor exports. The ADB plans to release an updated outlook for South Korea in its July ADO update, reflecting both chip performance and developments in the Middle East. On policy, Park advised against broad subsidies, saying they tend to concentrate benefits among higher-income households and increase fiscal burdens. Instead, he said, governments should allow higher energy prices to signal consumers and businesses to improve efficiency, while targeting support precisely to vulnerable groups. He also urged central banks to closely monitor second-round inflation effects, but not to raise rates too early in ways that could curb investment and growth. Park offered a positive view of the current semiconductor cycle, saying it is being driven by artificial intelligence. If AI delivers real productivity gains, he said, the cycle could have a relatively “long life.” Still, he noted data suggesting up to eight key materials used in semiconductor production are supplied from the Middle East, and warned that prolonged conflict could lift prices or disrupt supplies, limiting production expansion even if global demand remains strong. The briefing also addressed international use of the Korean won. Yuji Yamashita, an ADB official who attended with Park, said that “true” won internationalization should look beyond its use in payments for goods and services and include government bonds. He said Korean government bonds have become a liquid and trusted asset for global investors after being added to the World Government Bond Index. If those bonds can be used as collateral in cross-border transactions, he said, investors may view the currency and bonds as a package, expanding the won’s role beyond trade into broader financial transactions. 2026-05-05 12:12:16

Climate Ministry Approves 12 Circular Economy Sandbox Projects, Including Plastic Pyrolysis The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Tuesday it approved regulatory exemptions, or sandbox status, for 12 projects tied to circular-economy technologies and services. The ministry said the move is expected to significantly overhaul standards for recognizing recyclable resources, making chemical recycling such as pyrolysis easier to carry out. The ministry said it held a Circular Economy New Technology and Service Review Committee meeting on April 30 at Seoul Square and conducted the reviews there. The circular-economy regulatory sandbox, introduced in January 2024, allows companies to test new technologies and services within limited time, locations and scale; if safety and effectiveness are proven, related regulations can be improved or supplemented. The latest review focused largely on expanding chemical recycling of waste plastics through pyrolysis and reducing packaging waste, as part of a shift away from plastics. In South Korea, waste-plastic recycling currently consists of 58% thermal recycling and 41% material recycling, while chemical recycling through pyrolysis accounts for just 1%, the ministry said. Under the plan, waste-plastic projects will receive exemptions from waste-related regulations during the demonstration period. Based on the results, the ministry said it will revise standards for recognizing circular resources so that chemical recycling such as pyrolysis can be more readily used. It said most waste plastics generated at worksites are now sent to thermal recycling because collection systems are inadequate and treatment costs are an issue. Regulatory exemptions were also granted for a project to test whether solid fuel products can be used as pyrolysis feedstock. Solid fuel products made from combustible waste are currently limited to use in power generation facilities or industrial boilers. During the test period, the fuel will be fed into pyrolysis facilities to verify the volume and composition of pyrolysis oil produced, and the ministry said it will consider revising related rules. The ministry also said it will adjust regulations to test recycling options for pyrolysis residue. Because the residue has lacked a separate classification number, it has been disposed of in landfills. The ministry said it plans to allow various recycling uses, including as a soil conditioner and solid fuel, and to create new waste classification numbers and recycling categories. Other projects granted sandbox status include reducing packaging waste by improving labeling methods for household chemical products and producing leather and cosmetics materials using plant-based residues. Kim Go-eung, director general of the ministry's Resource Circulation Bureau, said the ministry will provide broad support to promote high-quality circular use of plastics and reduce plastic waste. He said the ministry will work with industry to improve the on-site applicability of recycling technologies so the circular economy can spread across society.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 12:06:03

Korea Fair Trade chief to attend ICN annual meeting in Manila to discuss global cooperation South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission said Tuesday that Chairman Joo Byung-ki will attend the 25th annual conference of the International Competition Network, to be held in Manila from May 6-8. Hosted by the Philippine Competition Commission, the meeting is expected to focus on strategic planning and priority-setting; responses to algorithm-driven collusion in the digital environment; merger policy amid changing economic conditions; balancing effectiveness and predictability in enforcement against unilateral conduct; and new approaches to competition advocacy. The ICN, founded in 2001, is a forum of 148 competition authorities, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition. The FTC is a founding member and serves on the ICN steering group. The agency sent a bureau director last year, but Joo will attend in person this year. On May 6, Joo is scheduled to join a plenary session on strategic planning and priority-setting to build agile, future-oriented competition authorities. The FTC said he plans to exchange views on challenges and responses with the heads of competition agencies from Greece, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Kenya and Poland. The FTC said Joo will present South Korea’s efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of enforcement tools, including reforms to its administrative fine system and easing criminal penalties. He also plans to highlight steps to expand judicial remedies, including introducing a Korean-style evidence-discovery system and widening the scope of injunctions available through consumer class actions and consumer group lawsuits. The FTC said Joo will also pursue bilateral cooperation during the conference, holding high-level talks with counterparts from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Italy’s competition authority and the European Commission’s competition directorate. It said he will sign a memorandum of understanding with Philippine authorities to strengthen cooperation on competition-law enforcement and will meet with South Korean businesspeople in the Philippines to hear their concerns. “This visit will be a meaningful opportunity to seek response directions with the heads of competition authorities worldwide at a time when the competitive landscape is being rapidly reshaped by digital technology such as artificial intelligence,” Joo said. 2026-05-05 12:05:05

Korea Fair Trade Commission Fines SL 38 Million Won for Late Subcontract Documents A South Korean auto-parts maker has been sanctioned for issuing required subcontract documents late to its subcontractors. The Korea Fair Trade Commission said May 5 it will fine SL 38 million won for delaying written documents when outsourcing mold manufacturing to subcontractors. SL is a first-tier supplier to Hyundai Motor Co., providing automotive lamps and electronic parts. According to the commission, SL outsourced 328 cases of mold production for auto-parts manufacturing from May 2020 to May 2023, but issued subcontract-related documents only after work had begun, with delays ranging from at least eight days to as long as 605 days. The commission also said SL failed to pay 728,894,000 won in late-payment interest and promissory note discount fees across 342 contracts, even though more than 60 days had passed since the delivery date. The unpaid amounts included 509,651,000 won in late interest and 219,243,000 won in note discount fees. For violating its obligation to issue written documents, the commission ordered SL to prevent a recurrence and imposed the 38 million won fine. It issued a warning over the unpaid interest and discount fees, citing SL’s voluntary corrective action. A commission official said it will continue to address unfair trade practices that harm subcontractors’ rights and will impose strict penalties when violations are found to help establish fair subcontracting practices.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 12:04:15

South Korea to Launch 5th-Generation Indemnity Health Plan With Premiums About 30% Lower A fifth-generation indemnity health insurance plan with lower premiums will go on sale starting on the 6th. The key change is reduced coverage for some noncovered services, including manual therapy, aimed at easing a cycle in which heavy use of noncovered care drives up loss ratios and, in turn, premiums. Financial authorities said on the 5th that 16 life and nonlife insurers will sell the fifth-generation plan starting on the 6th. Premiums are expected to be about 30% lower than fourth-generation plans and at least 50% lower than first- and second-generation plans. The overhaul comes as indemnity insurance faces chronic losses. With broad coverage of noncovered treatment, the loss ratio for first- through fourth-generation plans has reached 119.3%, a factor behind premium hikes. Authorities said they see high risk of overuse in certain nonsevere noncovered items, including manual therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy and noncovered injections, and adjusted the benefit structure accordingly. Under the fifth-generation plan, noncovered care is split into severe and nonsevere categories. Coverage levels are maintained for severe noncovered treatment for cancer, cerebrovascular and heart disease, and rare and intractable diseases. A new annual out-of-pocket cap of 5 million won applies to inpatient treatment costs at advanced general hospitals and general hospitals. Coverage for nonsevere noncovered care is reduced. The reimbursement limit is cut to 10 million won from 50 million won, and the coinsurance rate rises to 50% from 30%. Some items, including musculoskeletal physical therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy and noncovered injections, are excluded from coverage. Covered benefits are also linked to the national health insurance system. For covered inpatient care, the coinsurance rate remains 20%, but for covered outpatient care, the coinsurance rate will be set in line with the national health insurance patient share. Covered medical costs related to pregnancy and childbirth and developmental disabilities, which were not covered under existing indemnity plans, are newly included. Authorities also prepared options for early-generation policyholders facing high premiums. The measures apply to first- and second-generation policyholders whose contracts, before March 2013, did not require revised terms or re-enrollment. Starting in November, eligible first- and second-generation policyholders can choose either an optional discount rider or a contract-conversion discount program. The optional discount rider keeps the existing contract but lowers premiums by excluding certain benefits, including musculoskeletal physical therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, noncovered injections, and some noncovered MRI and MRA coverage. The contract-conversion discount program offers a 50% discount on fifth-generation premiums for three years for early-generation policyholders who switch. In principle, conversion is possible without separate screening, and policyholders can return to the previous product if they have not received an insurance payout within six months after switching. Authorities said consumers should check benefit changes that come with lower premiums. Switching to the fifth-generation plan or choosing the optional discount rider may be an alternative for people who use medical services less or feel burdened by premiums. Those who frequently use nonsevere noncovered treatments such as manual therapy or noncovered injections may be better off keeping their current coverage.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 12:03:16

Jang Dong-hyeok Slams Special Prosecutor Plan as Bid to Drop Lee Jae-myung Indictments Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, said May 5 that President Lee Jae-myung was writing a “dictatorship guidebook” that would be remembered in world history. Speaking at a news conference at the National Assembly, Jang said Lee had not only adopted “every method” used by dictators to control the judiciary, but was now seeking to appoint a special prosecutor to “erase” alleged crimes. Jang also criticized Lee’s call for public input and deliberation on a special prosecutor bill aimed at uncovering alleged “fabricated investigations and indictments” under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Jang said it amounted to trying to cancel indictments while merely delaying the timing, adding, “Even after the local elections, something unconstitutional does not become constitutional.” A bill introduced by the Democratic Party on April 30 would allow a special prosecutor to withdraw indictments in related cases. The People Power Party and the minor Reform Party, among other opposition forces, have strongly opposed the bill, saying it infringes on judicial independence and threatens the separation of powers. Jang said those involved would face heavier punishment if “illegal and unconstitutional” indictment withdrawals were later added. He urged voters to cast their ballots properly in the local elections, calling it the way to stop an “Lee Jae-myung bomb.” With the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections approaching, Jang also stepped up election-related criticism. He cited a joint police-prosecutor task force’s decision not to prosecute Democratic Party Busan mayoral candidate Jeon Jae-su over allegations of receiving money from the Unification Church; police decisions not to forward a case involving Democratic Party South Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate Park Soo-hyun and allegations tied to the UN-Habitat Korea Committee; and prosecutors’ decision to clear suspects in the “money envelope” case involving the Democratic Party’s national convention. “Police and prosecutors have become a pardon mill for the Democratic Party,” Jang said. Addressing claims that his party’s approval ratings were low, Jang said local elections depend more on regional support and trends than national numbers, and said it was hard to accept conclusions based on a single phrase such as “low approval ratings.” Asked about nominating Chung Jin-suk, a former presidential chief of staff, in a by-election or forming an election alliance with other opposition forces, Jang gave a general response, saying he would support his party’s candidates so they can win. 2026-05-05 12:01:12

Reform Party floor leader proposes bill to exempt children's play noise from regulation Cheon Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform Party, said Monday he has introduced amendments to the Noise and Vibration Control Act and the Minor Offenses Act that would, in principle, exclude sounds generated during child care, education and play from being treated as regulated noise. Cheon said the bills would exempt sounds from activities at day care centers, kindergartens, schools and children’s playgrounds from the scope of noise under the current Noise and Vibration Control Act and from “nearby disturbance” provisions under the Minor Offenses Act. “Children’s voices are not noise,” Cheon said. “Schools should not repeatedly end up closing their playgrounds because they feel pressured by complaints and reports.” He said lawmakers from five parties agreed to pursue legal safeguards so children can “run and laugh freely” on Children’s Day. Cheon previously released analysis saying there were 350 reports to the 112 emergency line related to school sports days in 2025, and that 345 of those led to police being dispatched. He also raised the issue during a National Assembly question-and-answer session last month on education, social and cultural affairs, pressing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung and Education Minister Choi Gyo-jin about noise complaints at schools and the need for outdoor activities for children and teenagers. At the time, Cheon said a small number of people who file excessive complaints were depriving children of the right to play. He questioned whether it was appropriate for police patrol cars to be sent to schools when noise-related reports are filed during sports days.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 12:00:16

Former South Korean prime minister Lee Hong-koo dies at 92 SEOUL, May 05 (AJP) - Former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo, a prominent scholar-statesman who led the government during the mid-1990s and managed critical diplomatic ties with the United States, died on May 5. He was 92. Lee served as a rare bridge between academia and high-level politics, holding senior positions under both conservative and liberal administrations. His career spanned several pivotal moments in modern South Korean history, including the 1997~1998 Asian financial crisis. Born in 1934, Lee graduated from the Seoul National University College of Law before pursuing further studies in the United States. He earned a doctorate in political science from Yale University and returned to South Korea in 1968 to serve as a professor at his alma mater. His transition to public service began in 1988 when he was appointed as the Minister of National Unification. He later served as a special advisor to the president and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom before being named the 28th prime minister in 1994 under President Kim Young-sam. In 1998, under the liberal Kim Dae-jung administration, Lee took the post of ambassador to the United States. He is credited with stabilizing the bilateral relationship during the height of the economic turmoil commonly referred to in South Korea as the IMF crisis. After returning from Washington in 2000, Lee joined the JoongAng Ilbo as an advisor. He remained an active public voice through a regular column where he provided insights on inter-Korean relations and domestic political affairs. Lee is survived by his wife, Park Han-ok, his son Lee Hyun-woo, and his daughters Lee So-young and Lee Min-young. The family includes daughter-in-law Hwang Ji-young and son-in-law Lee Kang-ho. A funeral service will be held at the Seoul Asan Hospital until May 8, followed by burial at the Cheonan Memorial Park. 2026-05-05 11:39:37