Election Commission's Golf Practice Raises Trust Issues Amid Ballot Shortages Democracy begins with voting. Citizens delegate power through their votes, and the state secures legitimacy through procedures that respect those choices. Therefore, elections are the starting point of democracy, and trust in the electoral process is the most crucial pillar supporting it. Acceptance of election results ultimately relies on the belief that the electoral process was managed fairly and accurately. In this context, the recent ballot shortage during local elections is a serious issue June 13, 2026

Average Gas Prices Continue to Decline, Falling Below 2000 Won This week, the average prices for gasoline and diesel at domestic gas stations have seen a slight decline for the fourth consecutive week. On June 13, the Korea National Oil Corporation's oil price information system reported that the average gasoline price nationwide fell by 0.5 won to 2,009.9 won per liter compared to last week. Specifically, the highest prices were recorded in Seoul, where the average rose by 0.7 won to 2,051.5 won, while Daegu reported the lowest average price, whi June 13, 2026

Song Il-gook Reinterprets Anger Acting in 'Mermaid Lady' on MBC's 'DocuPrime' MBC's 'DocuPrime - Life Needs a Script' revisits the popular drama 'Mermaid Lady.'The second episode, airing on the 14th, will focus on the 2002 drama 'Mermaid Lady,' which garnered significant acclaim during its original broadcast.'Life Needs a Script' is a health-oriented program that explores health issues through the characters and stories of MBC's classic dramas, hosted by actor Song Il-gook and announcer Park Ji-min.This episode will delve into the casting story of Jang Seo-hee, who create June 13, 2026

Weather Forecast: Highs Reach 32 Degrees Amid Continued Warm Weather On Saturday, the 13th, temperatures are expected to rise to a high of 32 degrees Celsius, continuing a trend of warmer-than-average weather. While the central region and North Gyeongsang Province will see mostly clear skies, southern areas, excluding North Gyeongsang, will be cloudier, with Jeju Island experiencing overcast conditions. From the afternoon into the evening, inland areas of Jeolla Province may experience gusty winds along with thunderstorms and brief showers, bringing 5 t June 13, 2026

South Korea Positioned to Become an AI Full-Stack Nation, Says IITP Chief Hong Jin-bae South Korea is currently at the forefront of the artificial intelligence (AI) power competition. The United States, led by OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Google, dominates the AI ecosystem, while China is engaged in a national effort to catch up. AI has evolved beyond being merely a technological competition among companies; it has become a critical infrastructure that determines a nation's economic strength, security, and industrial competitiveness. At the center of this transformation is not just AI mode June 13, 2026

Canada Draws 1-1 with Bosnia in Opening Match of 2026 FIFA World Cup Host nation Canada secured a point in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, drawing 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina. On June 13, local time, Canada faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first match of Group B at Toronto Stadium in Ontario. The match ended in a stalemate, with both teams earning one point. Fueled by support from home fans, Canada started aggressively, earning a corner kick early in the match to seize control of the offense. Despite creating several s June 13, 2026

Characteristics of the Wealthy: Insights from Korea's Top 1% What do the top 1% of asset holders in South Korea have in common? They tend to allocate a significant portion of their income to savings and investments rather than consumption. This suggests that the key to building wealth lies not in how much one earns, but in how consistently one saves and grows their assets. According to a report released on June 12 by NH Investment & Securities’ 100-Year Life Research Institute, the top 1% of households utilize about 40% of their income for savings June 13, 2026

KOSPI Volatility Continues Amid Geopolitical Risks and Interest Rate Uncertainty The South Korean stock market continues to experience high volatility, driven by profit-taking in the semiconductor sector, geopolitical risks, and uncertainty surrounding interest rates. Market observers expect a cautious sentiment to prevail ahead of the upcoming meetings of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ). However, the ongoing investment cycle in artificial intelligence (AI) and improving semiconductor performance suggest a potential return to a June 13, 2026

Chinese Football Dreams Realized Through 'Shaolin Soccer' Ahead of World Cup The North and Central American World Cup kicked off on June 11. However, once again, the Chinese national team is absent from the tournament. While China has established itself as a powerhouse in international sports like the Olympics, soccer remains an unresolved challenge for the country. China has qualified for the World Cup only once, during the 2002 tournament co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. The team advanced through the Asian qualifiers but failed to score a single goal, losing June 13, 2026

Lee Jae-yong: 'We Must Work Harder for Global Interest in Korean Manufacturing' Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, stated on June 12, local time, that the international interest in Korean manufacturing technology means, "We must work harder." Lee made the remarks during the Korea-Italy Business Roundtable held at a hotel in Rome, responding to a question from reporters about the growing foreign interest in Korean manufacturing technology. He discussed his company's relationship with Ferrari, one of Italy's leading firms, saying, "We supply displays and are build June 13, 2026