NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

Highlighting achievements of leader Kim Jong-un's decade in power, North Korea has vowed to continue its missile and nuclear advancements. The ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun argued today that the only way to permanently end the schemes of interference and invasion by foreign powers is to possess absolute power and the world's strongest self-defense capabilities, which are believed to refer to nuclear weapons.
The Board of Audit and Inspection plans to look into the National Election Commission's overall management of election affairs including its accounting. This follows allegations of poor oversight during the early voting period for COVID-19 patients in the March presidential election. It's the first time in 3 years the election watchdog is subject to an audit. The BAI said it began gathering related data since June 20. Following the mishap, the audit agency expressed plans in April that it would inspect the election management system across the board.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has asked the Korea Customs Service to seize goods purchased overseas by people who have provincial tax arrears of over 10 million won. This includes overseas items bought online. One-thousand-127 such individuals are on the 2021 tax delinquent list unveiled by Seoul City. Combined, they have 71.2 billion won in overdue taxes. Until now, imported goods were confiscated from those who are late in paying national taxes. But under a legal revision, starting this year, the rule also applies to delinquents of local taxes.