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On March 18, 2026, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) released its 2026 inspection operations plan, outlining the annual inspection framework and priority inspection areas to strengthen consumer confidence in South Korea's financial industry. The FSS will prioritise three key areas aligned with its supervisory objectives of strengthening consumer protection and maintaining financial market stability. First, the FSS will conduct systematic themed inspections across five consumer protection areas across all regional offices, concentrating inspection resources on consumer protection matters. Second, the FSS will advance corporate governance at banks by examining chief executive officer succession, independent director appointments, and performance-based compensation systems, while strengthening internal control management systems and assessing compliance effectiveness. Third, the FSS will enhance financial soundness by intensifying checks on vulnerable areas within financial institutions to proactively manage risk factors, and by examining preparedness for newly introduced business operations and regulatory systems to prevent consumer harm and ensure stable implementation of new regulations. The FSS has identified virtual assets as a particular focus area. Ahead of the implementation of the second phase of virtual asset legislation, the FSS will conduct on-site consulting to assess preparedness by virtual asset service providers, identify gaps, and establish a comprehensive virtual asset supervisory framework. The FSS will also strengthen information technology security and internal controls, including dual verification systems. The inspection operations plan will be implemented across the FSS's consumer protection supervision division, banking inspection division, insurance inspection division, financial investment inspection division, and small finance inspection division.