Broadcasters pull out all stops for election results coverage
South Korea's major broadcasters went all-out for their live coverage of the June 3 presidential election, delivering eight-hour marathon programming that combined high-profile panel discussions and broadcasts with state-of-the-art generative AI.
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, which led the viewership rating during April's general election, returned with an impressive setup for "Election 2025." The network unveiled the largest LED screen ever used in Korean election broadcasting for displaying election results, expanding from a four-panel display to a six-panel display. Ceiling-mounted wire cameras provided sweeping shots of the studio for dynamic footage.
'Debate M,' a segment of the MBC's election coverage, featured a lineup of prominent figures including author Yoo Si-min, former Korea Economic Daily editor-in-chief Chung Kyoo-jae, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Joo-min and People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae. The panel discussed election dynamics and offered insights into the country's political future.
Seoul Broadcasting System has stood out in past elections with its eye-popping graphics that heavily reference popular culture. This year, it leaned into spectacle with a 'Squid Game'-inspired segment in its election coverage program, "2025 People's Vote" (translated). Computer-generated presidential candidates, wearing tracksuits reminiscent of those in "Squid Game," were shown competing in traditional Korean games to depict the race to win the election.
SBS also debuted Korea's first extended reality live talk show as part of its election coverage. The segment, titled 'Sseoltongryeong,' changed the filming studio into a fully rendered 3D environment that transported talk show guests to digitally recreated locations such as the National Assembly and the presidential office.
Guests on the talk show included younger voices such as YouTuber Oh Chang-seok, host of YouTube political satire-comedy channel "President Namcheon-dong"; Park Sung-min, a former youth secretary at the Blue House; and Park Min-young, a People Power Party spokesperson.
Korean Broadcasting System turned to generative AI for its coverage titled "Vote That Changes My Life" (translated) -- a first for the national broadcaster. Images depicting cities that were hotbeds of democratization movements and industrial landmarks served as a backdrop to the broadcast announcing the election results, with the network also operating from a dedicated studio for panel talks at the 'K-Cube,' located in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.
KBS' analysis segment assembled a diverse panel of politicians and political pundits including Democratic Party members Lee So-young and Kim Sang-wook, People Power Party's Kim Jae-seop, Reform Party's Chun Ha-ram and former JoongAng Ilbo editorial writer Kim Jin.
According to Lee Min-young, head of KBS' Election Broadcast Planning Team, this year's coverage took on a more grounded tone. "Given that this election follows a presidential impeachment, we prioritized the public's call for democracy and a sense of returning to normalcy over celebration,' she said via KBS' press coverage of its election broadcast.
Each broadcaster also highlighted its proprietary vote prediction system. MBC utilized its own prediction system which integrated exit polls, historical data and live vote counts to forecast results, while SBS deployed 'Yoo-Hwak-Dang,' combining early exit polling with ongoing vote updates to calculate winning probabilities. Meanwhile, KBS used 'Decision K+,' a system that tracked candidate performance in real-time and categorized their chances of victory as 'likely,' 'certain,' or 'elected.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
![[Kim Seong-kon] Agenda for the Korea-US summit meeting](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F08%2F19%2Fnews-p.v1.20250819.11b6189b7ae748a3a7ec61aeadaaa48d_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Kim Seong-kon] Agenda for the Korea-US summit meeting](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
[Kim Seong-kon] Agenda for the Korea-US summit meeting
Next week, there will be a summit meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in Washington. Besides the tariff issue on which the two countries recently reached an agreement, experts say that there will be a lot to discuss at the meeting, such as cost-sharing for the US troops deployed in Korea, changing the role of US troops on the Korean Peninsula, and transferring wartime operational control of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. The Korean people will be anxiously watching this important event with high expectations that President Lee may return home with fruitful results. However, the higher our hopes, the greater our disappointment will be. The current situation is not in our favor, as the Trump administration's outstanding policy is 'America First' — not 'other countries first' or 'our allies first.' Moreover, we hold no advantage at the negotiation table. Anyway, a summit meeting is not usually the place for tense negotiations. Rather, they are symbolic events that confirm mutual friendship between countries. Usually, policymakers conduct negotiations behind the scenes in advance. Thus, instead of having high hopes for the summit, we should brace ourselves for the outcome, whatever it may be. Under the circumstances, we can only hope that the two presidents become good friends during the summit, and that the friendship continues in the future. Then, the two leaders can discuss and negotiate a host of other matters later — there is no need to rush. At the summit, therefore, making a good impression is much more important than trying to negotiate or win an argument. We need to look further afield and far ahead. To build trust, perhaps President Lee should assure President Trump that he does not support authoritarian socialist countries, but is a leader in the Free World who values liberal democracy and the South Korea-US alliance. In Washington, some American politicians and policymakers are concerned about the radical atmosphere of the Democratic Party in Korea, which, in their eyes, favors socialist countries. President Lee will need to dispel such worries and suspicions in order to maintain the rock-solid alliance between South Korea and the United States. As President Lee must know already, the moment he assumed the presidency, he took on the solemn duty of representing and serving his country and people, not his political party or ideology. As for the transfer of wartime command, there is absolutely no rush to pursue it because the project reflects America's intention and policy of avoiding involvement in overseas conflicts. If and when a Korean general is given command in wartime, the US can easily pull out its troops from the Korean Peninsula. This is military strategy and tactics 101. Besides, US troops will never be under a foreign general's command. That too is American military studies 101. Not realizing it, many Koreans are naively elated, thinking that if wartime command is transferred, US troops would be under the command of a Korean general if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula. Having a summit meeting with Japan before coming to the US was a wise choice for President Lee. The gesture could symbolize that Korea and Japan are close friends and important allies of the US. At the same time, President Lee might get some helpful tips from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has already had a summit meeting with President Trump. In Washington, President Lee should remind President Trump of the importance and strategic value of the Republic of Korea as a blood ally. President Lee should also discuss with President Trump the things South Korea and the US could do together in the future for global peace. Cooperating through Korea's cutting-edge shipbuilding technology might be an example. The possibility of Korea-US collaboration on semiconductors and electric car batteries could be another. President Lee should also remind President Trump that Korea has been contributing greatly to the American economy by building automobile and semiconductor factories on US soil, creating numerous jobs for American workers. Another thing President Lee may want to mention is that, together with Japan, Korea is also an indispensable military partner of the US, which America can rely on if international conflicts arise in East Asia. President Lee may also want to discuss Korea's vulnerability to possible nuclear attack by North Korea, especially amid the chaos of international conflicts. From President Trump, he should secure Washington's unconditional guarantee of protection under the US nuclear umbrella. The above-mentioned things are as important and urgent as the tariff issue and cost-sharing for US troops stationed in Korea. Both national security and the economy are equally crucial to us. We strongly hope that the two leaders can discuss those issues in depth during the summit meeting in Washington. We also hope that through the meaningful event, both Korea and America can understand each other better and strengthen their invaluable ties.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
KHNP denied access to power plant projects in N. America, Europe under Westinghouse deal: sources
The state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has been prohibited from bidding for new power plant projects in North America and the European Union (EU), excluding the Czech Republic, and other countries under its agreement with US energy firm Westinghouse over an intellectual property (IP) dispute, industry sources said Tuesday. Under the agreement signed in January, the KHNP is only allowed to sign fresh deals in the Philippines, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, according to the sources. But the Korean company is banned from bidding for new nuclear power plant deals in North America and Britain, Japan, Ukraine and EU nations, except for the Czech Republic. The KHNP and Westinghouse signed the settlement deal in January this year after the latter accused the Korean firm of infringing on its IP, claiming the KHNP's APR 1000 and APR1400 plant designs utilize its licensed technology. The deal removed a major hurdle for the KHNP-led Korean consortium to sign a final contract in June, with an estimated value of 26 trillion won, to build two nuclear power units in the Czech Republic. The Czech deal, which marked South Korea's first overseas nuclear power plant contract since 2009, was initially expected to open new doors for Korean firms seeking business opportunities in Europe. Earlier in the day, KHNP President Whang Joo-ho confirmed his company has closed operations in Poland amid speculations that its deal with Westinghouse influenced the decision. Poland is the fourth European country where the KHNP confirmed its business closure, following Sweden, Slovenia and the Netherlands. "After the new Polish administration took office ... the country decided to drop the state-owned enterprise projects (in the nuclear power sector) ... and that is why we withdrew our business there," Whang said during a meeting with the parliamentary industry committee. It also reportedly includes a condition requiring Korean companies to pass the latter's technology independence verification when independently developing and exporting next-generation nuclear reactors. The 50-year deal is also said to include provisions requiring the KHNP to sign a goods and services purchase contract worth about $650 million with Westinghouse per export of a single nuclear reactor, and to pay $175 million per reactor in technology licensing fees. Asked whether the KHNP believes the deal with Westinghouse was fair, Whang said, "As the party accepting the terms, I cannot say it was fair," but added, "I believe it is something we can endure and still make a profit from." Whang refused to confirm the details of the deal, citing a nondisclosure agreement. Earlier in the day, the presidential office said it has ordered the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to review whether the deal was signed under due process. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Workplace bullying cases of migrant workers tripled since 2020, many more likely uncounted
Reports of workplace harassment cases involving migrant workers in South Korea have more than tripled between 2020 and 2024, government data shows. But advocates warn these official figures may be only the tip of the iceberg. According to Labor Ministry data released by Rep. Kim Wi-sang of the People Power Party, reported cases of workplace bullying and harassment targeting foreign national workers rose from 65 in 2020 to 225 in 2024, marking a 3.5-fold increase. By May of this year, 112 new complaints have already been filed, suggesting 2025 will likely see the highest number yet. The bullying of migrant workers drew renewed attention last month: a video emerged of a Sri Lankan worker at a brick factory in Naju being tied to a stack of bricks with plastic wrap and lifted by a forklift. Authorities determined the act constituted workplace harassment and fined the employer 3 million won ($2,200). President Lee Jae Myung condemned the incident as 'unacceptable violence' and pledged strong action. South Korean police are currently conducting a nationwide, 100-day special crackdown on workplace abuse and violence against foreign national workers. Migrant workers and their advocates argue that the true extent of workplace harassment is largely missing from official statistics, as such complaints are often handled internally by employers. Many foreign national workers are employed by small businesses with fewer than five employees, where reporting abuse by coworkers or supervisors is often difficult. Even when victims file complaints, many cases end without penalties due to gaps in the legal framework. South Korea's Workplace Anti-Bullying Act, introduced in 2019, defines harassment as abuse of authority that causes physical or psychological harm or worsens the work environment. Employers must investigate complaints, protect victims and take corrective measures. If they carry out these duties, cases can be officially recorded as 'no violation,' rendering the case as resolved. The law also does not cover workplaces with fewer than five employees or workers in special employment arrangements. Migrants are heavily concentrated in these sectors, leaving many outside the law's reach. The Labor Ministry recorded over 820 harassment complaints involving migrant workers between 2020 and May 2025. Of these, only a few dozen led to corrective orders, just over ten to fines, and slightly more to criminal referrals. Roughly 400 cases were withdrawn or closed with "no violation" findings, while several hundred were placed in 'other' categories, typically covering workplaces too small to fall under the law or jobs outside standard protections. Lawmakers have warned that the system underreports the true extent of harassment, which is often resolved internally or never reported at all. Jung Young-seop from the civil society coalition Migrant Workers Solidarity for Equality told the Korea Herald, 'About 70 percent of migrant workers in South Korea are employed at workplaces with fewer than 30 people, many of them under five. When they ask to transfer after being abused, some employers retaliate by refusing to assign them work. That means no wages and often worse treatment.' Amid a renewed push to better protect migrant workers, the Korean government is now pledging reforms. It plans to revise the E-9 employment visa system to give migrant workers more freedom to change jobs and extend their stays in three-year terms. Many working visas require employees to remain at their approved job unless authorized to relocate or change employers. Until now, workers were only allowed to transfer under limited conditions, such as unpaid wages or physical abuse.
