The Korea Internet Newspaper Association held an awards ceremony for the June 2026 coverage category of the "Internet Newspaper Reporter of the Month Award" on the 5th at a conference room in the Korea Press Center in Seoul. One grand prize and four excellence awards were selected at the ceremony.

Grand Prize: In-Depth Reporting on Alternative Education for North Korean Background Youth

The grand prize went to Today Korea reporter Jin Min-seok for his series reporting on "The Reality and Institutional Gaps in Alternative Education for Youth of North Korean Background." Reporter Jin conducted in-depth coverage of the operational realities and institutional limitations of alternative schools serving youth of North Korean background. He received high marks for presenting specific support measures and institutional improvement tasks along with field case studies.

Four Excellence Awards: From Stock Market Polarization to Franchise Structures

The excellence award recipients and their winning works are as follows:

• EBN Reporting Team (reporters Choi Soo-jin, Lee Yoon-hyung, Cho Seung-yeol, Nam Young-jae): "The Trap of Cheon's Stock" series. Analyzed stock market polarization and institutional improvement tasks arising from the KOSPI's strong performance and KOSDAQ's sluggishness.
• THE Biz Reporting Team (reporters Hwang Dae-young, Cheon Seong-yoon, Jung Yoon-sik, Park Dong-in): Tracked the U.S. local securities lawsuit filed after Naver Webtoon's NASDAQ listing. Was recognized for highlighting the disclosure responsibilities and legal risks of overseas-listed companies.
• Mydaily reporter Lee Ho-bin: Conducted in-depth coverage of consumer damages such as non-delivery and shipment delays by proxy delivery service companies in the overseas direct purchasing market. Exposed structural problems in the market and prompted discussions on institutional improvements.
• Inews Today reporter Han Min-ha: Conducted field reporting on the so-called "liquidity domino" phenomenon, where the fallout from corporate rehabilitation procedures spreads to small franchise consignment store owners and small business owners. Identified the fundamental problems in franchise structures.