South Korea opened early voting for its upcoming presidential election on Thursday, with a record turnout as voters prepare to choose a new leader following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office.
South Korea has begun a two-day early voting period ahead of its snap presidential election, scheduled for 3 June. The election was called after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office following his controversial imposition of martial law during a brief political crisis.
According to data from the National Election Commission, by 10 a.m. on Thursday, 2.3 million eligible voters had already cast their ballots. This marks a record turnout for early voting, surpassing figures seen during the previous presidential election in 2022.
The snap election comes at a pivotal moment for South Korea, with the country grappling with economic difficulties, political uncertainty, and growing regional tensions. Public interest in the outcome is high, particularly given the abrupt end to Yoon’s presidency.
Election day will be observed as a public holiday to encourage voter participation. The first results are expected to begin coming in by the evening of 3 June.
Leading candidates include Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party, both of whom have pledged economic reforms and stronger national unity in the wake of recent instability.
South Korea’s chief trade negotiator, Yeo Han-koo, will travel to the United States from June 22 to 27 for a new round of high-level discussions aimed at resolving escalating trade tensions, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Saturday.
South Korea on Friday pushed back against U.S. demands to sharply increase its defense budget, saying its current spending is already among the highest relative to GDP for U.S. allies.
South Korea’s new administration proposed $14.7 billion in additional spending on Thursday to boost weak domestic demand, as President Lee Jae Myung pushes economic recovery as his top priority.
North Korea launched over 10 rockets from near Pyongyang on Thursday, prompting fresh concerns in the region.
South Korea, the U.S., and Japan held their first joint air drills since President Lee Jae Myung took office, signalling security cooperation even as Seoul seeks renewed dialogue with North Korea.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced Friday it is raising its financing ceiling to a record €100 billion to accelerate investments in defence, energy security and Europe’s technological leadership.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) held talks on advancing cooperation in decarbonization, renewable energy and modernization of the country’s power infrastructure.
Meta has teamed up with Oakley to release AI-powered smart glasses, expanding its push into wearable tech after the success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The social media company is expanding its partnership with Oakley and Ray-Ban-parent EssilorLuxottica.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced plans to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Armenia for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, scheduled for spring 2026 in Yerevan.
Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Agency and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop radiation processing technologies for medical and agricultural sectors.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
The OIC's 51st ministerial session convenes in Istanbul to tackle pressing global and regional issues.
Japan has reportedly cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the United States after Washington pressed Tokyo to increase its defense spending, according to the Financial Times.
Israel announced on Saturday that it had killed senior Iranian commander Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran’s Quds Force, in a targeted strike in Qom. Izadi was accused of supporting Hamas before its October 2023 attack on Israel.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is accelerating the development and production of interceptor drones to defend against the growing number of Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia in recent attacks.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced Friday it is raising its financing ceiling to a record €100 billion to accelerate investments in defence, energy security and Europe’s technological leadership.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) held talks on advancing cooperation in decarbonization, renewable energy and modernization of the country’s power infrastructure.
Meta has teamed up with Oakley to release AI-powered smart glasses, expanding its push into wearable tech after the success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The social media company is expanding its partnership with Oakley and Ray-Ban-parent EssilorLuxottica.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced plans to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Armenia for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, scheduled for spring 2026 in Yerevan.
Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Agency and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop radiation processing technologies for medical and agricultural sectors.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment