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  South Korea to Require English Disclosures for All KOSPI-Listed Companies Starting Next March Starting in May, the number of listed companies required to file disclosures in English will jump to 265 from 111. Disclosure items will expand and some deadlines will be shortened. To raise the KOSPI market’s international standing, South Korea will also move up the start of mandatory English disclosures for all KOSPI-listed companies to next March, more than a year earlier than planned. The Financial Services Commission said it approved revisions to the “Regulations on Issuance and Disc January 28, 2026
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  Korean GM Workers Rally Against Mass Layoffs at Sejong Logistics Contractor "Direct and subcontract workers have united. Bring out the real boss now." Direct employees and subcontract workers at Korean GM rallied together over mass layoffs involving subcontract workers at the company’s Sejong logistics center. On Jan. 28, about 300 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean GM branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union held a joint rally outside the west gate of Korean GM’s Bupyeong plant, demanding that the company immediate January 28, 2026
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  Uzbekistan to retain trade protection rights during World Trade Organization accession SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - Azizbek Urunov, the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on World Trade Organization (WTO) issues, announced on January 26 that the country will maintain the right to protect specific economic sectors as it enters the final stages of its accession process. This measure is intended to support national industries facing temporary difficulties or pressure from imports while aligning with international trade rules. The move follows nearly a d January 28, 2026
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  Ecuador Protests After ICE Agents Try to Enter Consulate in Minneapolis U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to enter Ecuador’s consulate in Minneapolis on Monday but left after consulate staff blocked them, according to The Washington Post. Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it immediately submitted a letter of protest to the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador, demanding steps to ensure such an incident does not happen again at any Ecuadorian consulate in the United States. The ministry said the agents attempted to enter the building January 28, 2026
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  Fire at Scrap Yard in Cheonan Extinguished; No Injuries Reported A fire broke out at a scrap yard in Cheonan, South Korea, officials said. Fire authorities said the blaze was reported at about 5:17 p.m. on the 28th at a scrap yard in Seonghwan-eup, in Cheonan’s Seobuk-gu district. Officials responded after residents reported seeing black smoke and fully extinguished the fire 22 minutes later. No injuries were reported. Earlier, Cheonan sent an emergency text alert at about 5:28 p.m., warning residents to avoid inhaling smoke and asking drivers to tak January 28, 2026
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  South Korea’s Law Firm Won Wins 3 Categories at ABLJ 2025 Korea Law Firm Awards Law Firm Won said Jan. 28 it won three categories — defense industry, ESG and entertainment and sports — at the “Korea Law Firm Awards 2025,” announced by Asian Business Law Journal (ABLJ). ABLJ, a legal media outlet covering Asia, conducts annual surveys of companies and law firms in the region to select top performers. Won’s latest results extend its streak to two straight wins in ESG and three straight in entertainment and sports, while marking its first win in the defense industry ca January 28, 2026
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  Lee Jae Myung Floats Possible Sugar Tax, Sparking Health vs. Inflation Debate President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday raised the possibility of introducing a “sugar levy,” often called a sugar tax, to curb sugar consumption, prompting competing arguments over public health benefits and concerns about higher prices. Lee shared an article on X, formerly Twitter, titled “A sweet addiction stronger than drugs; 80% support introducing a sugar tax,” and asked for public input. “Like tobacco, what about curbing sugar use with a sugar levy and reinvesting the revenue to strength January 28, 2026
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  LG Household & Health Care Reports 2025 Operating Profit Down 62.8% LG Household & Health Care said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that its 2025 consolidated revenue fell 6.7% from a year earlier to 6.3555 trillion won, while operating profit dropped 62.8% to 170.7 billion won. Fourth-quarter revenue declined 8.5% to 1.4728 trillion won, and the company posted an operating loss of 72.7 billion won, swinging to a loss from a year earlier. The company said results weakened as it booked large one-time costs tied to an aggressive overhaul of distributi January 28, 2026
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  U.N. Command Says South Korea’s Proposed DMZ Law Violates Armistice The U.N. Command said a ruling party-backed bill on the “peaceful use” of the Demilitarized Zone conflicts with the Korean War armistice. A U.N. Command official told reporters on Tuesday afternoon at the Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel on the Yongsan base that if the DMZ bill passes, it would “directly violate” the armistice and would be tantamount to the South Korean government declaring it is not subject to the agreement. The official said jurisdiction over the DMZ south of the Military D January 28, 2026
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  Fire Reported in Cheonan’s Seobuk District; Residents Warned About Smoke A fire broke out in Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province’s Seobuk District. Cheonan city sent an emergency text alert on Tuesday saying a fire was reported at about 5:17 p.m. at 661-2 Seonghwan-ri, Seonghwan-eup, Seobuk District. The city urged nearby residents to watch for smoke inhalation and asked drivers to take alternate routes. * This article has been translated by AI. January 28, 2026