Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Greece bans overweight tourists from riding donkeys
Screen grab of Help the Santorini Donkey's Facebook
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Greece has banned overweight tourists from riding donkeys on the island of Santorini after activists complained that the animals suffer spinal injuries.
According to local media Wednesday, the country's Ministry of Rural Development and Food has published a new set of regulations to protect the donkeys.
People who wish to ride the donkeys now have to weigh less than 100 kilograms ― or 20 percent of the donkey's body weight.
The animals “should not be loaded with a weight excessive in size, age or physical condition,” the ministry said.
Riding a donkey is a popular way of looking around the tourist island, which has pathways too narrow for cars.
Videos and pictures of obese tourists riding donkeys prompted a backlash on social media in July, and an online petition calling for an end to the “unnecessary animal torture” garnered more than 100,000 signatures.