Domestic Politics
Hyundai wage deal sets stage for South Korea’s next retirement age battle
Union wage protections could shape how companies respond to longer careers, youth hiring and automation after reform
August 26, 2026
Future Response Fund would give Seoul more control over future tax windfalls
New mechanism would redirect part of tax booms into AI, regional growth, education and fiscal stabilization reserves
August 24, 2026
South Korea’s retirement age push could make companies hire fewer young workers
Hyundai dispute revives evidence that keeping older staff longer can weaken youth hiring without wider labor reform
August 20, 2026
South Korea-Japan ties weather history as ACSA and CPTPP tests now loom
Seoul and Tokyo can contain historical disputes, but deeper military and economic ties face domestic political limits
August 18, 2026
Kim Min-seok wins DP leadership, strengthening Lee Jae Myung’s party grip
Victory gives Lee a trusted ally atop the ruling party, but Jung Chung-rae’s camp retains a Supreme Council majority
August 18, 2026
Youth unemployment, housing misfire and AI legal gray zones — Ep. 145
South Korea’s headline employment gains mask weaker prospects for young workers as lawmakers test new housing, AI rules
August 14, 2026
Lee Jae Myung speeds up Seoul housing supply as financing risks rise
New plan targets 230,000-plus homes while expanding project finance support and cutting years from public site timelines
August 14, 2026
DP leadership race tests Lee Jae Myung’s grip on South Korea’s ruling party
Kim Min-seok and Jung Chung-rae offer competing models as Lee’s ratings fall and lawmakers look toward the 2028 election
August 13, 2026
Seoul bets on frontier technologies to build South Korea’s next industries
Government wants today’s mega projects to finance future industries as supply-chain and power constraints loom larger
August 13, 2026
South Korea’s record employment rate is becoming a demographic illusion
Working-age employment is falling while an aging population and care sector hiring increasingly drive headline numbers
August 12, 2026
