(Ministry of Government Legislation) ● Updated Law: Korean Sign Language ActWhat it does: Requires sign language interpretation for major government announcementsTook effect: May 12South Korea has expanded sign language services to improve access to public information for Deaf people who use Korean Sign Language as their primary language.Previously, sign language interpretation was mainly provided for disaster- and safety-related announcements. But major government announcements — including presidential speeches — often did not include interpretation, limiting access to important information for the Deaf community.Under the revised law, sign language interpretation must now be provided for key government announcements related to disasters, infectious diseases and national emergencies.New emergency hotlines introduced to speed up treatment for critical patients● Updated Law: Emergency Medical Service ActWhat it does: Creates dedicated emergency hotlines between hospitals and emergency transport providersTook effect: May 12South Korea has introduced dedicated emergency hotlines aimed at helping critically ill patients receive treatment more quickly.Under the revised law, hospitals and emergency transport personnel will be able to use dedicated hotlines to quickly check whether a medical institution can accept an emergency patient.Hospitals must report the establishment or modification of these hotlines to the health ministry, while designated emergency medical centers must assign staff or departments to ensure the hotlines operate around the clock.Medical institutions are also required to share real-time information on available facilities, staff and equipment with the National Emergency Medical Center. The information will be made available through the country’s emergency medical information network to improve coordination and reduce delays in emergency care.Labor Day and Constitution Day officially recognized as public holidays● Updated Law: Act on Public HolidaysWhat it does: Designates Labor Day and Constitution Day as official public holidaysTook effect: May 1 and May 11South Korea has officially designated Labor Day and Constitution Day as public holidays, increasing the number of nationally recognized days off.Under the revised law, Labor Day on May 1 will become an official public holiday, guaranteeing a day off for all workers.Constitution Day on July 17 — which marks the enactment and proclamation of South Korea’s Constitution — has also been designated a public holiday in recognition of its importance to the country’s democratic system.In collaboration with the Ministry of Government Legislation, The Korea Herald publishes a monthly feature introducing recently updated South Korean laws. The ministry’s Easy Law service (https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSM/Main.laf) provides accessible summaries of Korean laws categorized by topic in English and 11 other languages: Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian, Simplified Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Mongolian, Nepali, Thai, Uzbek and Vietnamese. — Ed.