SEOUL — The Ministry of Strategy and Finance recently issued a booklet that contains 268 national regulations, systems, and improvements that will be changed this year. The booklet will be handed to over 4,000 national institutes including community centers and public libraries.
Starting this year, parents who have children under six years of age who attend a kindergarten or daycare center can apply for government support worth 200,000 won per month, regardless of income. Elderly people over 75 years of age can have 50% health insurance coverage for complete dentures.
-Tax System
Starting this year, council tax payments can be made online. Using an ATM, council taxes can be searched for and paid without paper tax bills.
Eco-friendly buildings are exempted from property taxes. Energy efficient buildings are also exempted 3 to 15% of the property taxes for five years depending on the energy efficiency level of the building.
Starting on the day that the Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) becomes effective, the personal consumption tax rate for vehicles over 2,000cc will be reduced from 10% to 8%.
The car tax for vehicles for non-business purposes will also be lowered 20 won per cc. For a 1,000cc vehicle, the tax will be reduced by 20,000 won while there will be a 60,000won reduction for a 3,000cc vehicle.
-Fair Trade, Finance, and Procurement
Vendors that work with large distributors including department stores and discount stores will be able to use an estimation system to prove the contract they made with the distributors without paper contracts. When vendors make and send documents that contain the date the contract was made and payment details, the distributors have 15 days to answer whether the contract is correct. Otherwise, the written agreement on the document will be considered correct.
Starting this year, if power bloggers receive financial support including cash or products from a company, it has to be open to the public.
Moreover, high-risk investments of banking investment firms and investors will be managed by improvements in the Net Capital Ratio (NCR) system.
-Industry (Small- and Medium-Sized Companies and Patents)
Social enterprises will be considered small- and medium-sized companies and will be eligible for support from the Korean government.
Starting this year, gift certificates that can be used in traditional markets will be issued in two denominations: 50,000 won and 100,000 won. Developed to promote and envigorate traditional markets in Korea, the gift certificates can be purchased at the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK).
When reporting imported goods, documents that have been submitted on paper will be digitized. Under the revised acts on administrative work for import clearance, all documents regarding imports will be handled as electronic files.
As different types of trademarks have developed according to the development of communication technologies and marketing methods, trademarks law will be applied to new types of trademarks such as sound and fragrance. For example, the lemon fragrance of a laser printer and MGM’s lion’s roar will be registered as trademarks.
-Environment and Land
Starting this year, manufacturers and sellers of ten-seater vehicles or smaller vehicles will need to follow emission standards and obey the standard of average energy consumption.
Moreover, starting in April this year, sewage treatment plants will be required to report such matters as disposal costs, additional costs, and the results from last year within a month from the day sewer bills are made, to guarantee the citizens’ right to know and encourage water conservation. Starting at the end of January, water bills can be paid by credit or debit card.
Jeju had to go through a much harder process when applying for Global Geoparks Network membership due to the absence of a national management system for geoparks. Starting at the end of January, a national geopark certification system will be introduced to Korea to protect and manage geological resources in Korea.
A volume-rate food garbage disposal system will also be introduced by the end of this year. Small electronics including cell phones and cameras will need to be separated from garbage starting in November, and a red recycling bin will be installed in residential areas across the nation.
The M-pass, a transportation pass for short-term foreign visitors, will be made available this year. The pass includes various benefits and discounts for traveling around Korea and can be purchased at tourist centers or airports in Korea.
Following the revised laws for vehicles, scooters under 50cc also have to be registered and apply for a license plate. If not registered, the owner will be fined a maximum of 500,000 won.
-Health, Welfare, and Women
Senior citizens over 75 years of age will receive 50% health insurance coverage for complete dentures.
The cost for essential vaccinations for children under 12 years of age will be reduced from 15,000 won to 5,000 won. Starting this year, the number of medical institutes that offer vaccinations will also be expanded from 253 to 7,000.
The punishments and penalties for child sex offenders will be toughened and child victims will be able to request public defenders. Starting this year, a list of sex offenders will be available to the public online and the list will be handed to daycares, kindergartens, and elementary schools as well as middle schools.
-Labor and Employment
The minimum wage is increasing to 4,580 won per hour. If working 40 hours a week, a monthly salary should be 957,220 won. Moreover, if a job hunter aged over 50 fails to get a job after completing job training programs, a maximum of 400,000 won will be paid for three months.
In order to run daycare services in small and medium-sized companies, the government’s support for daycare teachers will be increased to 1 million won.
-Judicial Affairs, Public Administration and Security
Starting in 2012, non-Koreans over 17 years of age who enter Korea will have to be fingerprinted and photographed.
Starting November this year, foreign nationals on a long-term stay will be able to notify the government of address changes using an online service at www.hikorea.go.kr without visiting the Immigration Office.
An F-6 visa will be newly established in December this year. Unlike an F-2 visa, the current spouse visa, an F-6 visa allows non-Koreans married to a Korean national stay in Korea after the death or disappearance of their spouse, or divorce initiated by the spouse.
Starting this year, the number of social integration programs for immigrants will also be expanded from 150 to 400.
