Domestic Politics
South Korea shifts focus from tariff pledges to delivery under US pressure
Seoul sends delegation to Washington as investment commitments face legal, political and commercial constraints
February 19, 2026
South Korea’s Special Chips Act underwrites capital, leaving execution risk
Semiconductor law defers 52-hour reform as firm-level execution models determine competitive edge
February 17, 2026
South Korea passes small modular reactor special act
National Assembly creates science ministry-led control tower and five year master plan for next-gen nuclear energy
February 17, 2026
South Korea’s ruling party reform and merger collapse test June election unity
Leadership voting overhaul passes while RKP merger talks are suspended, exposing early succession strains
February 16, 2026
South Korea activates tariff linked investment panel before law passes
MOTIR launches temporary system to review US bound projects as special act remains pending in National Assembly
February 16, 2026
Japan’s election, Seoul’s security calculus and court reform in Korea — Ep. 119
Sanae Takaichi’s supermajority, deepening Saudi defense ties and South Korea’s judicial overhaul debate
February 13, 2026
South Korea’s judicial reform push raises questions over legal finality
Bills allowing constitutional complaints and Supreme Court expansion could reshape dispute resolution and investor risk
February 12, 2026
South Korea privacy law reform shifts liability burden to businesses
If passed, consolidated bill would remove intent standards, raise revenue-based fines and expand breach disclosure duty
February 11, 2026
Coupang breach sets enforcement template as MSIT formalizes conclusions
Science ministry formalizes breach findings, setting timelines for inspections and follow-on enforcement across agencies
February 11, 2026
US tariff threats turns Korea’s investment bill into a governance stress test
Donald Trump compresses Seoul’s parliamentary timelines and expose unresolved disputes over funding and oversight
February 9, 2026
