South Korea will ease Bogeumjari Loan income rules for new applications from Oct. 19, allowing newlywed couples to qualify when one spouse earns ₩70 million or less annually even if their combined income exceeds the applicable household threshold. President Lee Jae-myung described the change as correcting a policy often cited as a marriage penalty. The existing newlywed limits are ₩85 million for couples without children, ₩90 million for those with one child and ₩100 million for those with two or more children. Repayment capacity will be assessed using the qualifying applicant’s income and debt, while both spouses’ finances and the couple’s home ownership will remain subject to review. In a separate post, Lee praised the Fair Trade Commission for uncovering franchisors that routed transactions through lenders owned by controlling families and imposed high-interest loans without disclosing key terms.