South Korea

정부, 불필요한 인증 23개 폐지…기업 부담 줄이고 혁신 촉진

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Jan. 16, 2026 | Regulation

The government will abolish 23 ineffective and unnecessary certification schemes, including the "3D printing software certification," to reduce corporate burdens and promote innovation. In 2025, the National Institute of Technology and Standards reviewed 79 of 246 certification schemes, preparing maintenance plans for 67 (85%), with plans to review the remaining schemes by 2027.

The conformity assessment system, introduced in 2019 to ensure rational certification operations and ease burdens on businesses, evaluates whether products or services meet required standards. Some certifications were found to be redundant or overlapping, increasing the certification count despite previous consolidation efforts. Of the schemes reviewed in 2025, 23 will be abolished, one will be integrated with a similar scheme, and 43 will continue but require improvements.

Certifications lacking standards or usage, such as the "3D printing software certification," will be eliminated to avoid unnecessary preparation and administrative waste. Certifications with similar objectives, like wooden product standards and safety assessments, will be integrated to streamline processes. The "fair trade self-compliance assessment" will be aligned with the private ISO 37301 certification to reduce certification time and costs. The "energy consumption efficiency rating" scheme will allow simultaneous registration of new and derivative models to expedite market response.

Twelve certifications critical to public safety and livelihood, including "automobile and parts certification" and "children's product safety certification," will be retained. Ministries will develop detailed plans for implementation, and all remaining certification schemes will be reviewed by 2027. Deputy Minister Moon Sin-hak emphasized efforts to balance certification rationalization with safeguarding public welfare and fostering technological innovation.

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Jan. 16, 2026 | Strikes and Work Stoppages

Samsung Electronics is on track to face its first-ever majority labor union, driven by widespread dissatisfaction among employees over performance-based bonuses. Despite record operating profits of 20 trillion won ($13.5 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2025, many semiconductor division engineers feel their bonus payouts, capped between 43 to 48 percent of annual salary, fall short of expectations. This frustration has sparked a ninefold increase in union membership since September 2025, with the Samsung Group United Union (SGUU) now representing 42.6 percent of Samsung’s workforce, nearing majority status.

Union membership growth has been most pronounced in the semiconductor division, where over 55 percent of employees have joined the SGUU, while the Device eXperience (DX) division lags with a 23.8 percent membership rate. Workers cite issues with compensation transparency and the perceived inadequacy of performance pay formulas. The SGUU demands more transparency on how bonuses are calculated and seeks to remove payout caps, arguing that the company’s current Economic Value Added (EVA) method for calculating excess profit incentives limits bonus potential by factoring in taxes and capital costs.

Samsung Electronics is currently engaged in its fifth round of wage negotiations with a joint union bargaining group. The unions have threatened to hold a strike vote if talks fail and are considering forming a task force to examine compensation and working conditions at competitors like SK hynix. If SGUU achieves majority status, it would gain exclusive bargaining rights for collective labor issues, though analysts expect no immediate drastic changes as negotiations continue.

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Jan. 16, 2026 | Accidents

Muan International Airport violated Korean aviation safety regulations by maintaining a bird strike prevention zone limited to a 5-kilometer radius, less than half of the legally required 13 kilometers. This was revealed during an investigation into the Jeju Air crash on December 29, 2024, which killed 179 people. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport mandates that airports assess bird habitats and movement patterns within a 13-kilometer radius to properly manage bird strike risks, a requirement Muan Airport failed to meet.

Additionally, the engine model on the crashed Boeing 737-800 had been subject to five mandatory safety improvement directives between November 2020 and March 2024, including one urgent action. These Airworthiness Directives require inspections and repairs to address unsafe conditions. A parliamentary special committee investigating the crash plans to conduct briefings, on-site inspections, and hearings with witnesses and victims’ families before issuing a final report by late January 2026.

The localizer, a navigational aid at Muan Airport, also came under scrutiny for exacerbating the crash impact. Initially deemed compliant with regulations by the transport ministry, it was later found to fail safety standards. Simulations suggested that replacing the concrete embankment housing the localizer with a frangible structure could have prevented serious injuries. The Jeju Air aircraft belly-landed, struck the localizer’s concrete embankment, and exploded, marking the deadliest air accident in Korean history.