Supporters of individuals alleging election fraud have gathered at a polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, Songpa District, Seoul, where a ballot shortage has occurred. They have been protesting for two days, blocking the removal of ballot boxes.
According to Yonhap News Agency, as of 7 p.m. on June 4, approximately 600 people, including conservative YouTubers and citizens, were gathered around the polling station set up at the Wuseong Apartment community center. They are demanding the preservation of two ballot boxes containing around 2,000 ballots.
Following the nationwide local elections on June 3, newly elected regional leaders are beginning preparations for their terms. On June 4, they received their certificates of election, formalizing their status as elected officials, with some starting to form transition teams.
The National Election Commission reported that local election offices across the country issued certificates to the newly elected officials on this day.
Choo Mi-ae, the newly elected governor of Gyeonggi Province and the first woman to hold such a position in South Korea, paid her respects at the Hyeonchung Tower in Suwon in the morning and received her certificate from the Gyeonggi Election Commission in the afternoon. Park Chan-dae, the newly elected mayor of Incheon, also attended the certificate presentation at the Incheon Election Commission.
Lee Cheol-woo, the newly elected governor of North Gyeongsang Province, and Park Wan-soo, the newly elected governor of South Gyeongsang Province, received their certificates and returned to their respective offices.
Since the announcement of the U.S. mutual tariff policy in April last year, South Korea's effective tariff rate ranking for exports to the U.S. has improved. In the second quarter of 2025, South Korea ranked third among the top ten exporting countries to the U.S., but by the first quarter of this year, it had dropped to sixth place, indicating a reduction in tariff burdens.
According to an analysis of customs statistics by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, South Korea's exports to the U.S. in the first quarter of this year amounted to $36.74 billion, with a tariff amount of $3.2 billion and an effective tariff rate of 8.7%. This is significantly lower than China's rate of 26.4%. South Korea ranked sixth among the top ten exporting countries to the U.S., following India (14.1%), Japan (11.2%), Germany (10.3%), and Vietnam (9.9%).
In the first quarter of this year, South Korea's tariff amount for exports to the U.S. was $3.2 billion, ranking seventh among the top ten exporting countries. The implementation of a 10% general tariff on U.S. imports in April last year and the introduction of item-specific tariffs on automobiles and parts (25%) and steel and aluminum (50%) peaked in the third quarter. However, it is believed that the reduction in tariffs resulted from the conclusion of tariff negotiations between South Korea and the U.S., which led to a decrease in automobile tariffs to 15% starting in November last year. Compared to China's tariff amount of $16.58 billion, South Korea's performance is considered satisfactory.
Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics labor union, has faced criticism for not taking responsibility even after a wage negotiation agreement was reached for the next year. He has attributed internal dissatisfaction with the agreement to 'government pressure' and is accused of avoiding conflict with the DX division.
On June 4, industry sources reported that Choi stated in a recent internal message, "If there is a strike, the government will intervene within 30 minutes, and adjustments reflecting operating profit will not be possible." This suggests that the possibility of urgent government mediation influenced the Samsung Electronics union's decision to accept the tentative wage agreement for 2026.
Choi also mentioned that regarding the deferral of performance bonuses for loss-making divisions, "A one-year deferral was tentatively agreed upon as the bottom line by the joint action headquarters." He added, "I would like to provide more explanation about the tentative agreement, but there was a request to do so within a day."
With the results of the June 3 local elections and the by-elections for the National Assembly confirmed on June 4, potential presidential candidates are beginning to emerge. Among the ruling party, Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, and Choo Mi-ae, the newly elected governor of Gyeonggi Province, are being mentioned as contenders. From the opposition, Oh Se-hoon, the newly elected mayor of Seoul, and Han Dong-hoon, the newly elected representative of Busan's Buk-gu, are also being discussed as potential candidates.
Jeong demonstrated his leadership by leading the Democratic Party to victory in this election. Although the party lost the highly contested Seoul area, it achieved significant success by winning 12 out of 16 regional governor elections. The party also retained nine seats in the by-elections.
Notably, Jeong successfully defended Jeollabuk-do, a region previously classified as a weak area for the party. The election in Jeollabuk-do was marred by allegations of bribery against independent candidate Kim Kwan-young and controversies surrounding the meal expenses of elected official Lee Won-taek, leading to a hunger strike by lawmaker Ahn Ho-young, who was later hospitalized after demanding a re-investigation of Lee.
