As the first-ever Korean law firm to issue specialized legislative journals, DR & AJU LLC has been publishing the monthly Policy & Business (P&B) Report since August 2019. The P&B Report provides analyses of plenary sessions of the National Assembly, as well as standing committee and subcommittee meetings. In addition, the firm has been co-hosting the Future Leaders Forum with the Herald Business, inviting chairpersons of standing committees to discuss relevant legislative issues and tasks.
 
As an extension of this service, DR & AJU has also been issuing the Weekly Legislative Report, which covers various legal issues at the center of public debate along with editorials and columns on the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (“SAPA”) from major daily news outlets. The report will be released with an update on newly proposed or pending bills. Enclosed is this week’s legislative report, and please refer to the P&B Report for further details.
 
If you wish to subscribe to the P&B Report or have any other queries, please contact us at lc@draju.com.
 
 
1. Proposed Bill(s)
 
① Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Newspapers
 
This Amendment introduces an outlink system under which news on portal sites can only be read on the news provider’s website. It also requires foreign portal service providers offering news services in Korea to designate a domestic office or agent and mandates their registration as online news service providers.
 
② Partial Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act

This Amendment allows mobile carriers, with authorization from the Minister of Science and ICT, to provide user protection services without prior user consent in the event of a breach incident such as hacking.

2. Pending Bill(s)
 
③ Partial Amendment to the Labor Standards Act

This Amendment revises the current work hour system, which limits working hours to 40 per week and 8 per day, by reducing the maximum weekly hours to 36.
 
3. Promulgated Bill(s)
 
④ Korea Development Bank Act
 
This Bill aims to enhance high-tech strategic industries’ competitiveness by raising the statutory minimum capital requirement of the Korea Development Bank from KRW 30 trillion to KRW 45 trillion and establishing the High-Tech Strategic Industry Fund.

4. Bill(s) Undergoing Pre-Announcement of Legislation/Administration

⑤ Partial Amendment to the Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles

This Amendment largely expands the scope of waste resources that base collection centers may collect, store, and recycle, including waste batteries for electric vehicles and waste solar panels, to include fuel cells for hydrogen electric vehicles, wind power plants, and inverters, motors, and speed reducers for electric vehicles.

5. Serious Accidents Punishment Act ("SAPA") Related Editorials and Columns from Major Dailies
 
[Sedaily] Leading Delivery Company in Occupational Accidents … Yet Rider Accidents Remain Unreported and Unregulated
[Bridge News] Labor Ministry Provides “Serious Accident Siren” in 17 Languages to Strengthen Safety Alerts for Foreign Workers
[Sedaily] Ruling Party Proposes Fines of Up to KRW 10 Billion for Repeated Serious Accidents
[The Herald Business] “Unmanned Robots” Step in to Replace Workers at High-Risk Bridge Construction Sites

*For more details, please download the PDF file attached.