Lee invites Pope Leo XIV to visit South Korea for World Youth Day 2027

President Lee Jae Myung has traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, and is en route to Evian-les-Bains, France, to participate in a Group of Seven (G7) summit as a leader of an invited partner nation. During his international engagements, President Lee extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit South Korea for World Youth Day in 2027.

Domestically, South Korea's Board of Audit and Inspection is contemplating an accounting audit of the National Election Commission. This potential audit stems from ballot shortages experienced in recent local elections and would scrutinize the commission's budget allocation for ballot printing and assign responsibility for the shortages.

In parallel, rival political parties have reached an agreement to initiate a 45-day parliamentary investigation into the National Election Commission concerning the ballot shortages during the recent local elections. This plan is scheduled for a vote on Thursday. The opposition People Power Party is slated to chair the special committee that will conduct this investigation.

The parliamentary probe and the potential audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection both aim to address the issue of ballot shortages in recent local elections. The parliamentary investigation will span 45 days and is expected to be led by the People Power Party. The Board of Audit and Inspection's focus would be on the financial aspects, specifically budget allocation for ballot printing and accountability for the shortages.