Convenient Access to Trial Records through Online Pre-booking

Until now, accessing or copying trial records often involved the inconvenience of multiple court visits or long waiting times. Especially for cases requiring the judge’s permission or those currently under review by the presiding court, same-day access or copying was impossible, leading to many wasted trips. However, starting in February 2026, these inconveniences will be significantly alleviated. This is because a pre-booking system for accessing and copying trial records will be fully implemented in all courts nationwide.

Now, you can make a reservation in advance by submitting an application via email before visiting the court. Once the application is received, the person in charge will notify the applicant of available times, and on the designated date, you can visit to handle the access and copying tasks. This will significantly reduce unnecessary waiting times and wasted trips, improving work efficiency for both lawyers and parties involved. It is expected that public judicial accessibility will be further enhanced.

• What’s Changing: Full implementation of a pre-booking system for accessing and copying trial records in all courts nationwide.
• How to Apply: Submit an application via email, then book and visit on the designated date.
• Expected Effects: Reduced waiting times and wasted trips, improved judicial accessibility and work efficiency.

Introduction of ‘Living Expense Accounts’ Free from Seizure and Increased Limits

A living expense account system, designed to protect debtors’ basic livelihoods, will be newly introduced starting in February 2026. Previously, if an account was seized, many individuals faced severe economic hardship, unable to even withdraw money for living expenses. Following the amendment of the Civil Execution Act Enforcement Decree, the limit for seizure-exempt living expenses will also be raised from the current 1.85 million won to 2.5 million won.

Only one living expense account can be opened per person across all financial institutions, and only an amount within the seizure-exempt living expense limit can be deposited for one month. Deposits in this account are protected from seizure. This system is an effort by the judiciary to balance the protection of creditors’ rights with the guarantee of debtors’ minimum right to survival. Debtors will be able to use a certain amount without fear of seizure, ensuring a minimum livelihood. It is expected to play a crucial role in preventing excessive infringement on daily life and providing a stepping stone for economic recovery.

Implementation of ‘Goo Hara Act,’ Parents Forfeiting Inheritance Rights for Neglecting Parental Duties

The ‘Declaration of Forfeiture of Inheritance Rights’ system, also known as the Goo Hara Act, which aims to improve the unreasonable structure where parents who neglected their parental duties inherit property after their child’s death, will be fully implemented starting January 2026. This is a significant change reflecting societal demands that prioritize actual responsibility and justice over formal kinship. Inheritance rights can be restricted if the lineal ascendant of the deceased significantly violated their parental duties during the deceased’s minority, or committed serious criminal acts or severely unfair treatment against the deceased, their spouse, or lineal descendants.

The intention to forfeit inheritance rights can be expressed by the deceased through a will by notarized deed, in which case the executor of the will can petition the family court for the forfeiture of inheritance rights. Even if there is no will, co-heirs can petition the family court for forfeiture of inheritance rights within six months from the day they became aware that a person with such grounds became an heir. This will improve the unreasonable situation where parents who failed to fulfill their childcare or parental responsibilities inherit their child’s property, and new standards for inheritance disputes will be established.

• System Introduction: Implementation of the declaration of forfeiture of inheritance rights system for violating parental duties.
• Main Reasons: Significant violation of parental duties during minority, serious criminal acts, severely unfair treatment, etc.
• How to Apply: Petition by the deceased’s will or by co-heirs to the family court.

Streamlining Personal Rehabilitation Procedures and Expanding Support for Small Business Owners

The personal rehabilitation procedure for those preparing for economic recovery will also be further streamlined starting in 2026, and support for small business owners will be expanded. The previously complex document preparation and procedures were a significant burden for many. Now, personal rehabilitation application documents will be simplified, and with the applicant’s consent, the court will be able to directly link with administrative agencies to verify necessary data.

Notably, support for small business owners with annual sales of 300 million won or less is being expanded. They will be able to receive support for attorney fees, service fees, and trustee appointment fees in personal bankruptcy and personal rehabilitation cases. This aims to help small business owners recover more easily with the help of legal professionals during economic crises. These changes will increase accessibility to personal insolvency procedures and significantly reduce the actual financial burden, greatly contributing to promoting economic recovery. It is an important measure to strengthen the social safety net.

• Procedure Streamlining: Simplified personal rehabilitation application documents, direct verification of administrative agency data by the court.
• Support for Small Business Owners: Small business owners with annual sales of 300 million won or less, support for attorney fees, service fees, and trustee appointment fees.
• Expected Effects: Improved accessibility to personal insolvency procedures, promotion of economic recovery.

Promotion of Three Judicial Reform Laws, Including Increase in Supreme Court Justices

In late February 2026, the National Assembly passed amendments to the three judicial reform laws (Constitutional Court Act, Criminal Act, and Courts Organization Act), bringing fundamental changes to South Korea’s judicial system. Notably, the amendment to the Courts Organization Act announced a significant change, increasing the number of Supreme Court justices from the current 14 to a total of 26. This expansion will be phased in, with four justices added annually for three years, starting two years after the law’s promulgation.

The increase in the number of Supreme Court justices is expected to enable more in-depth deliberation of appellate cases and diversify the composition of the Supreme Court in terms of its stance on social issues and expertise in specific fields. While this presents challenges from a business management perspective, such as the ‘normalization of judicial risk’ and ‘increased uncertainty in dispute resolution,’ for citizens, it means an expanded opportunity to receive more careful and specialized trials. Furthermore, the introduction of new offenses like ‘distortion of law’ will bring changes to the investigation and trial environment, serving as an opportunity to strengthen the overall transparency and accountability of the judicial system.

2026 will be a significant year for the further development and evolution of the judicial system, which is closely linked to the lives of citizens. By understanding and utilizing these changes well, the barrier to accessing courts will be lowered, and our rights can be protected more effectively. If you have any questions, it is important to always contact the relevant institutions to confirm accurate information.

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The JoongAng Plus: Value Beyond Simple News

The JoongAng Plus differentiates itself by focusing on in-depth analysis and exclusive content rather than general breaking news. This strategy aims to provide the insights that readers truly need amidst the rapidly consumed fragments of information. It operates over 30 specialized topic channels, including FactPL, Global Money, Antz Lab, and Hello Parents, expanding its formats beyond text to include videos and interactive content. For example, it delves into the hidden aspects of events that shook Korean society, such as ‘People of the Special Investigation Unit,’ or explores the business future of innovative companies with ‘FactPL Original,’ providing in-depth content in specific fields. This content is created based on the expertise and in-depth reporting capabilities of JoongAng Ilbo journalists and editors, delivering highly reliable information to readers.

The JoongAng Plus covers a wide range of topics to satisfy readers’ diverse interests. It features experts from various fields such as finance, IT, parenting, culture, and current affairs, who offer unique perspectives. This helps readers deeply explore content relevant to their interests and discover new intellectual curiosities. Furthermore, it provides diverse viewpoints and interpretations on specific issues, supporting readers in developing critical thinking skills. Beyond simply acquiring information, helping readers understand the world and form their own perspectives through content is the core value pursued by The JoongAng Plus.

Personalized Experience and Reader Participation Services

The JoongAng Plus provides a personalized content recommendation system that reflects individual readers’ tastes and interests. This is an important feature that helps readers easily discover desired content within a vast amount of information. It has subdivided the existing 6 categories into 23 topics and introduced an ‘Interest’ button, allowing readers to directly list topics or series they are interested in. Additionally, a proprietary personalized recommendation engine, developed based on user behavior data, displays customized content in the ‘For You’ section. If a series registered as interesting content is updated, readers are notified every morning via email and app push, ensuring they don’t miss it.

Features that encourage reader participation are also noteworthy. The JoongAng Plus allows only subscribers to write comments, creating a platform for in-depth and reliable exchange of opinions on content. Additionally, subscribers can share the value of paid content with their acquaintances through the ‘Gift’ feature, which allows them to gift 5 pieces of content each month. Various badges are provided based on membership registration, subscriptions, and article views to increase user participation, and promotions are offered to expand benefits for users with many badges. These features are designed to allow readers to go beyond simply consuming content and interact with the platform for a richer experience.

Digital Transformation Strategy and Future Vision

The JoongAng Plus is more than just a paid service; it is a core pillar of JoongAng Ilbo’s overall digital transformation strategy. Bold investments have been made in digital infrastructure, including the adoption of its proprietary CMS (Content Management System) called JAM, reader login and billing, and the establishment of a data analysis system. This is an effort to strengthen digital competitiveness throughout the entire process, from content production to distribution and reader analysis. Furthermore, the journalist compensation system has been reorganized, and product-centric thinking has been introduced, creating an environment where journalists can focus on producing premium content that meets reader needs.

This strategic approach is an essential element for sustainable growth in a rapidly changing media environment. Although The JoongAng Plus achieved significant results by surpassing 100,000 cumulative subscribers by 2025, it also faces challenges such as insufficient content personalization and recommendation curation, and heavy workloads for journalists. Nevertheless, JoongAng Ilbo continues its efforts to diversify the quality of digital content and continuously discover killer content through The JoongAng Plus to secure new readership. This is considered an important case that presents a crucial direction for traditional media to survive and grow in the digital age.

Success Factors and Challenges of the Premium Subscription Model

The success of The JoongAng Plus stems from providing valuable content that readers are willing to pay for. Exclusive in-depth analysis, diverse specialized content, and personalized experiences combined to increase subscriber satisfaction. In particular, bundled subscription plans with The New York Times and Fol:IN served as a strategy to broaden content choices and offer more value. This premium subscription model also employed a marketing strategy to encourage subscriptions through collaboration with habit-forming apps, based on the premise that ‘reading articles is also a habit.’

However, the premium subscription market still faces many challenges. Content personalization and recommendation curation are areas that require continuous improvement. Additionally, the heavy workload of journalists and the lack of public statistics on user retention and churn rates are also pointed out as challenges to be addressed. Ultimately, to increase reader loyalty and achieve sustainable growth, continuous efforts are needed to discover new killer content and optimize the reader experience through technological innovation. The JoongAng Plus is expected to solidify its position in the premium news market by addressing these challenges.

The JoongAng Plus is more than just a digital news platform; it is the culmination of JoongAng Ilbo’s efforts to provide readers with in-depth insights and value in a changing media environment. It remains to be seen whether it will continue to lead innovation in the digital news market with content and services that exceed reader expectations.

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This incident goes beyond a mere individual transgression, clearly revealing the increasingly diversified and complex reality of Korea’s immigration administration and the dark side that exists behind it. While the need for an influx of foreign labor is growing to address labor shortages and population decline due to low birth rates and an aging population, such illegal attempts can shake the trust in immigration policies and increase social anxiety. Today, we delve deeply into the full story of this illegal entry brokerage case and analyze the challenges and response measures facing Korean society’s immigration administration.

The Full Story of the Illegal Entry Brokerage Case Disguised as Taekwondo Athletes

According to the announcement by the Incheon Airport Immigration and Foreigners Office, foreign national Mr. A and others brokered false visa applications for 46 Kyrgyz nationals who wished for Korean employment from April 2023 to May 2025. Mr. A is accused of facilitating their illegal entry by disguising them as taekwondo athletes, receiving approximately 6.2 million won (4,500 USD) per person.

Of the 46 individuals who received false visas, 33 who had not yet entered had their visas canceled and entry denied. Among the 13 who had already entered, 8 were forcibly deported. The remaining 5 are currently being tracked. Additionally, last month, four Chinese nationals who entered Incheon Airport using the group tourist visa-free program and then illegally overstayed were apprehended. Investigations revealed they paid local Chinese brokers 4 million to 10 million won per person to enter for the purpose of domestic employment. As such, illegal entry attempts are occurring in various forms, driven by the demand for jobs in Korea and the organized involvement of brokers.

Growing Foreign Population and the Reality of Immigration Administration

As of 2026, South Korea’s resident foreign and immigrant-background population has exceeded approximately 2.72 million, accounting for 5.2% of the total population, officially surpassing the 5% threshold for a ‘multicultural and multi-ethnic nation’ as classified by the OECD. This indicates a rapidly changing demographic landscape, with projections of reaching 5 million around 2050. Notably, while the native Korean population is decreasing, the foreign population is increasing, offsetting the overall population decline. As of 2025, Korea’s total population increased by 10,000, a result of a 50,000 decrease in native Koreans being compensated by a 70,000 increase in foreigners.

As the foreign population rapidly increases, the importance of immigration policy is growing. The Ministry of Justice’s 2026 Foreigner Policy Implementation Plan presents multifaceted goals including economic growth, safety, social integration, and human rights. However, the reality is that while there are expectations that the increase in foreigners will solve population decline and labor shortages, there are also coexisting anxieties about increased social costs and deteriorating public safety. In particular, public perception surveys have identified “solving safety and social problems” as the most urgent immigration policy challenge.

Types and Challenges of Illegal Entry and Stay Issues

Illegal entry and stay, like the taekwondo athlete disguise case, occur through various channels. The main types and resulting challenges are as follows:

Such illegal entry and stay issues can cause disruption in the domestic labor market, burden social safety nets, and spread negative perceptions towards legally residing foreigners. Therefore, along with systematic and strong crackdowns, a multifaceted approach is crucial to address the root causes of illegal stay.

Efforts for a Safe and Orderly Immigrant Society

The illegal entry brokerage case once again highlights the need for Korea’s immigration administration to establish a more sophisticated and robust response system. Through its 2026 Immigration Policy Implementation Plan, the Ministry of Justice has set ‘establishing a response system for immigration order violations’ and ‘creating a living environment harmonious with social order’ as key objectives.

Specific efforts include strengthening information exchange through international cooperation and cracking down on illegal broker organizations, scientification and precision of immigration screening processes, and enhancing the efficiency of crackdowns on undocumented immigrants and forced deportation measures. Furthermore, alongside improving the visa system to meet the demand for legitimate foreign labor, it is crucial to strengthen social integration policies to help foreigners settling in Korean society overcome difficulties such as language barriers, cultural differences, and discrimination, and live stable lives. Efforts to support the stable settlement of foreigners are also continuing in the private sector, such as Gwangju Bank recently opening a Foreigner Financial Center in the Seoul metropolitan area to expand customized financial services.

This incident is part of the growing pains Korea is experiencing as it moves towards becoming a multicultural society. While upholding firm principles that do not tolerate illegality, wisdom is needed to create a society where both foreigners and citizens can coexist and prosper through transparent and predictable immigration policies. Continuous attention and effort are crucial for a safe and orderly immigrant society.

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