President Lee: Record Growth in National Income Signals Economic Progress President Lee Jae-myung highlighted the latest national income statistics from the Bank of Korea, stating, "I will do my best to ensure that the leap in the South Korean economy translates into growth for all citizens." In a Facebook post on June 9, President Lee noted that the real Gross National Income (GNI) growth rate reached 9.2% in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, marking the highest level since the data was first recorded in 1960. He added that the GNI increased June 9, 2026

Election Commission Addresses 'Twin Vote' Controversy as Coincidence The Election Commission has responded to the controversy surrounding identical vote counts for major candidates in some regions during the June 3 local elections, stating that these occurrences were merely coincidental. On June 9, the Jeonnam Election Commission released a statement addressing the identical vote counts for Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party and Lee Jeong-hyeon of the People Power Party in certain areas of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Special Mayor election. The comm June 9, 2026

President Lee Thanks Philippine Authorities for Arrest in 2016 Murder Case President Lee Jae-myung expressed gratitude to Philippine authorities following the arrest of a key suspect in the murder of Korean businessman Ji Ik-joo, who was killed in the Philippines in 2016. On June 9, President Lee announced on social media platform X that a former local police officer, who was involved in the murder of a South Korean citizen, had been apprehended after months of investigation. He thanked the Philippine authorities for their efforts, adding, "I appreciate the hard June 9, 2026

Court Orders Preservation of Evidence in Jamsil Voting Incident A South Korean court has decided to preserve certain evidence related to the ballot shortage incident during the June 3 local elections in the Jamsil area. On June 9, the Seoul Eastern District Court's Chief Judge Kim Ji-yeon partially accepted a request for evidence preservation filed by Kim Jeong-cheol, a senior member of the Reform Party and a candidate for Seoul mayor. The court designated for preservation a box containing 1,900 printed ballots and packaging materials stored at the June 9, 2026

Shortage of Voting Ballots Surges to 7,194, 1.5 Times Initial Estimate During the June 3 local elections, a total of 7,194 voting ballots were reported to be missing from 91 polling stations across the country. This figure is approximately 1.5 times higher than the initial estimate released by the Central Election Management Commission (CEMC). On June 9, Representative Jeong Hee-yong of the People Power Party revealed data obtained from the CEMC, indicating that 7,194 ballots were insufficient on the day of the election at the 91 polling stations. Previousl June 9, 2026

Joint Investigation Team Formed to Address Voting Paper Shortage A joint investigation team has been established at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to investigate the "voting paper shortage incident" that occurred during the June 3 local elections. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced on June 9 that the prosecutors and police will work together to thoroughly and swiftly clarify issues that hindered citizens' exercise of their voting rights during the elections. The team will consist of 27 members, including 12 prosecutors and 15 po June 9, 2026

Nexters Onboards RPG 'Throne of Chaos' to Cross Platform Nexters announced on June 9 that it has onboarded the collectible strategy role-playing game (RPG) 'Throne of Chaos' to the Cross platform. Set in a dark fantasy universe, 'Throne of Chaos' features a seasonal battlefield with a 60-day cycle, offering strategic competition and large-scale guild battles. The game is designed to provide continuous competitive motivation through a structure that refreshes ranking competitions and rewards each season. The game incorporates a tokenomics stru June 9, 2026

Trial for Daegu Mayor-elect Choo Kyung-ho Postponed to June 17 The trial of Choo Kyung-ho, the elected mayor of Daegu, on charges of insurrection has been postponed again. In contrast, the trial of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon for violating political funding laws will proceed as scheduled on June 10. According to legal sources on June 9, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 34, led by Judge Han Seong-jin, has rescheduled the hearing for Choo's case, initially set for June 10, to June 17. The change in date follows the submission of an abse June 9, 2026

Upstage Acquires AI Agent Platform 'Timely' to Expand B2B Operations Upstage announced on June 9 that it has acquired the generative artificial intelligence (AI) multi-platform company Timely. This acquisition follows Upstage's purchase of AXZ, allowing the company to significantly expand its footprint in the business-to-business (B2B) market. Timely operates the TimelyAI platform, which enables users to create AI agents for work tasks without any coding. The platform integrates various AI functionalities, including prompt generation and image and video con June 9, 2026

People Power Party Proposes Special Investigation Law Over Ballot Shortage in Local Elections The People Power Party has submitted a special investigation bill in response to the ballot shortage issue during the June 3 local elections, following a request for a national investigation. On June 9, all members of the People Power Party introduced a bill titled "Special Investigation Law for the Investigation of Allegations of Election Fraud and Infringement of Citizens' Voting Rights during the 9th Local Elections." The lead sponsor is Yoo Sang-bum, the party's floor leader. This m June 9, 2026