ESG: From Choice to Obligation — Korean Companies Facing the Wave of Global Regulations

A composite image superimposing ESG indicators and renewable energy facilities over a carbon-emitting factory. Global carbon regulations taking full effect from 2026 make establishing data management systems in industrial sites an essential task for companies. [Image = AI-generated image] Lately, calls from corporate legal teams to the ESG dedicated team at a large law firm in Yeouido, Seoul, have been non-stop. The questions are mostly similar. "How far does our company need to go?" The responsible lawyer is said to answer like this: "You must do it right now. It might already be too late." 2026 is the year Korean companies realize that ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is no longer a voluntary choice. The wave of regulations triggered simultaneously at home and abroad has now emerged as a core variable dictating corporate survival and export competitivenes…