South Korea labour minister urges AI profit sharing with suppliers, staff

South Korea is undertaking a significant overhaul of its election processes in response to ballot shortages that marred recent local elections. The shortages led to public outcry and are seen as having damaged the country's democratic reputation. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, tasking the prosecution and police with conducting the probe. He also expressed regret over the National Election Commission's handling of the situation, which resulted in the resignation of the commission's head.

The ballot shortages caused considerable disruption, with young voters demanding answers after numerous polling stations were affected. Some citizens were unable to cast their votes, while others were forced to vote after the counting of ballots had already begun. This incident has prompted calls for reform to ensure the integrity of future electoral processes.

In parallel developments from the local elections, South Korea's Democratic Party (DP) achieved a notable success, winning 12 out of 16 provincial elections. This represents a significant turnaround compared to the results in 2022. However, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) managed to narrowly retain the critical Seoul mayoralty, indicating a mixed electoral outcome.

Separately, South Korea's Labour Minister Kim Young-hoon has urged major tech firms, including Samsung Electronics, to share excess profits generated from the AI boom with their suppliers and staff. He warned that these gains risk exacerbating inequality and proposed social dialogue to establish new distribution rules, while rejecting claims of state intervention.