South Korea

Korea Herald | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | North Korea

North Korea convened the 13th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on December 9, presided over by leader Kim Jong-un. The session brought together senior party officials, government ministries, provincial leaders, and military commanders to review state policy implementation and prepare for the Ninth Party Congress expected in early 2025. The upcoming congress, held every five years, is anticipated to set the roadmap for economic management, military development, and foreign policy toward Seoul and Washington. The plenary session, originally expected mid-December, was moved up to accelerate these preparations.

Following the start of the plenum, North Korea fired around 10 artillery rockets into the Yellow Sea, likely from a 240 mm multiple rocket launcher system, as part of its annual winter training drills. The rockets have the capability to reach Seoul and surrounding areas. This launch occurred shortly after South Korea reported incursions by Chinese and Russian military aircraft into its air defense identification zone, suggesting a possible signal of solidarity with Beijing and Moscow amid growing trilateral military cooperation.

The plenum resulted in the approval of discussions on five agenda items, including finalizing preparations for the upcoming congress and reviewing the five-year economic plan adopted in 2021. Analysts expect limited public disclosures from this meeting, reserving major policy announcements for the formal party congress. Key points under observation include the potential institutionalization of "Kim Jong-un’s revolutionary thought" as an official guiding ideology, the possible revival of the abolished state presidency system to strengthen Kim's authority, and the formal adoption of the "two-state theory" in the party charter, signaling a shift to treating South Korea as a hostile foreign state rather than a divided nation.

Additional interests include signs of internal reforms, such as anti-corruption measures, tighter party discipline, or reorganization of economic and administrative bodies, as Kim prepares his governance priorities for the next five years. The regime appears to be maintaining a calm, domestically focused stance ahead of the congress, emphasizing internal party management over external messaging.

Yonhap | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Corporate Corruption or Fraud

The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced the official end of mediation between Oxy Reckitt Benckiser and victims of the toxic humidifier disinfectant scandal, as no settlement was reached in an ongoing appeal case. Mediation efforts were led by the National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct, a government body implementing OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises. The NCP has made three attempts to facilitate a settlement after individual consumers requested additional relief measures for victims whose injuries were not covered under the existing damage classification system.

The humidifier disinfectant scandal is considered one of South Korea's worst consumer product disasters, with Oxy, a Korean subsidiary of the British company Reckitt Benckiser, held responsible for selling products linked to deaths and illnesses starting in 2011. By 2023, 5,691 people were eligible for government-backed compensation, including 1,262 fatalities. Oxy maintains it cannot provide further compensation, having completed settlements and paid into a government-managed relief fund.

The NCP criticized Oxy for insufficient efforts to verify product safety and for making false safety claims. It urged the company to improve its internal policies, strengthen communication with victims outside the existing injury classification, and participate in the environment ministry-led relief efforts. The NCP also recommended that Oxy’s headquarters in Britain engage in these processes and submit a progress report within one year.

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC | English | AcademicThink | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has amended its Consumer Protection Guidelines in Electronic Commerce Transactions, effective October 24, 2025. The amendments establish detailed standards and recommendations concerning regulations on six types of online dark patterns under the Act on Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce. These include hidden renewal, drip pricing, pre-selected options, false hierarchy structures, obstructing cancellation or withdrawal, and nagging.

The amended Guidelines clarify that businesses must obtain explicit consumer consent at least 30 days prior to increasing recurring payments or converting free trials to paid services. They define the initial price display page and the total mandatory price, which must include all compulsory fees but exclude optional or circumstance-specific costs. The Guidelines provide concrete examples of prohibited practices relating to pre-selected options, false hierarchy, obstructing cancellation, and nagging to enhance clarity and market predictability.

Recommendations within the Guidelines advise businesses to clearly disclose pricing conditions, notify consumers of possible additional charges from optional selections, ensure consumers can decline these options, and prominently display cancellation or withdrawal buttons. These changes signal the KFTC's intent to strengthen enforcement against dark patterns, urging businesses to review and comply with the updated regulations to avoid violations.