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[2026-09-25] Korea and Mexico Finalize Investment Protection Treaty After 7 Years, Launch $100M Trade Finance, Sign 17 Cooperation Documents

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[2026-09-25] 한-멕시코 투자보장협정 7년 만에 타결·전대금융 1억 달러·협력문건 17건 — 중남미 첫 장학프로그램까지, 국빈방문 하루의 성적표 좌담

President Lee Jae-myung’s state visit to Mexico produced a finalized investment protection treaty amendment after seven years of talks and a new $100 million trade finance facility between the two countries’ export-import banks.
The summit yielded 17 cooperation documents, including Korea’s first bilateral scholarship program with a Latin American nation.
An AI Cooperation Declaration and new space and defense working groups extend the relationship into advanced industries.
Execution details for the trade finance facility and the treaty’s ratification timeline remain unspecified.

[2026-09-23] Korea Sets First Resource Security Targets — Cut Oil Dependency Below 50%, Expand Reserves to 20M Barrels by 2030

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Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy confirmed its first National Resource Security Basic Plan, targeting oil dependency below 50% on any single region by 2035 and 20 million barrels of added reserve capacity by 2030.
The critical minerals list expands from 38 to 51 items, with 10 of the 13 new additions being rare earth elements.
The plan is compared against the U.S. SPR’s 714-million-barrel capacity and the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which cited 98% EU dependency on China for rare earths.
Funding details for the new Resource Security Fund remain undisclosed.

[2026-09-18] Korea Extends Fuel Tax Cut to Late November, Adds Temporary 100 KRW/Liter Highway Discount for Chuseok

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Korea’s fuel tax reduction — 15% for gasoline, 25% for diesel and butane — is extended two months through late November.
Highway gas stations get an extra 100 KRW/liter discount during the September 24-27 Chuseok holiday only.
The 10th-round maximum oil price ceiling stays frozen at the same level as the 9th round.
Korea’s percentage-based tax cut differs structurally from fixed per-liter subsidy approaches used elsewhere.

[2026-09-17] Korea’s 2027 Budget: New $731 Marriage Grant, Record EV Subsidies, and Expanded Childbirth Support

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Korea’s 2027 budget introduces a new one-time 1 million KRW marriage grant and expands childbirth support to up to 15 million KRW per child.
Electric vehicle subsidies expand to a record 430,000 vehicles with a 2.1 trillion KRW budget, keeping the per-vehicle cap unchanged.
A new job-preparation loan of up to 20 million KRW targets unemployed youth earning under 35 million KRW annually.
Comparable Japanese childbirth support and EV subsidy programs offer a useful design contrast.

[2026-09-15] Korea Overhauls 15-Year-Old Renewable Energy Quota System — Competitive Auctions Replace RPS Starting 2027

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Korea has overhauled its 15-year-old Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), replacing it with a competitive-auction-based contract market starting 2027.
New solar and wind operators will bid within a government ceiling price and sign long-term fixed-price contracts with KEPCO.
The UK’s comparable CfD scheme saw a failed offshore wind auction in 2023 when its ceiling price was set too low.
Korea’s own ceiling-price levels remain undisclosed ahead of a September 30 public hearing.