South Korea's newly drafted acqui-hire merger rule will let most Big Tech AI talent raids go unreported in its first year.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission's draft guideline, open for public comment until 30 September, extends its existing "business transfer" merger category to organised staff transfers, triggered once a deal clears 10 billion won (roughly $7 million) or 10% of the seller's total assets, alongside proof the buyer now runs the seller's former business or has gutted its revenue. Most acqui-hired AI startups are pre-revenue with no sales to gut, so that qualitative test, not the modest monetary one, will keep filings rare.