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Exit polls project South Korea's ruling Democratic Party to win 11 of 16 key races in nationwide local elections, including the Seoul and Busan mayoralties. Voter turnout reached 60.8%, up from 50.9% in 2022, signaling strong support for President Lee Jae Myung's party.
South Korean officials raided a U.S. military base command center and seized details about Air Force flights as part of a domestic investigation. The move is seen as a shift in Seoul's stance toward Washington, with critics alleging a double standard in enforcement against American firms.
A special counsel team determined former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began preparing to declare martial law as early as November 2023, over a year before his failed December 2024 bid. The finding came after questioning former Joint Chiefs Chairman Kim Myung-soo, who said Yoon demanded loyalty and raged when Kim insisted on lawful orders only.
An explosion at a Hanwha Aerospace factory in Daejeon killed five people and injured two, one critically. The blast occurred around 10:59 a.m. during a cleaning operation involving rocket-propellant tools. President Lee Jae Myung ordered a thorough investigation. Previous deadly explosions at the same facility occurred in 2018 and 2019.
The People Power Party filed a complaint against President Lee Jae-myung for allegedly violating election law by exposing a marked ballot during early voting. Party officials visited Seoul police on Saturday to file the complaint, accusing Lee and election officials of failing to act properly.
President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating hit 64% in a Gallup Korea poll, up 3 points from the previous week, as the Kospi surged nearly 90% this year. Lee took office June 4 after the Dec. 3 martial law crisis.