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.
Ex-culture minister convicted of sexual assault
Former Culture Minister Kim Myung-gon walks toward the courtroom at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Kim Myung-gon, a famous actor and musical director who served as Korea’s culture minister between 2006 and 2007, has been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 2014.
Kim, 71, who was the minister of culture and tourism under the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration, was sentenced on Thursday to four months in prison, suspended for a year, for touching one of his junior colleagues inappropriately on two occasions in May 2014 when he was working as a musical director.
Judge Kwon Kyung-sun at the Seoul Central District Court said their hierarchical relationship and the victim’s call for a heavy penalty were factored into the ruling.
Kim was also ordered to attend 40 hours of a government program on sexual violence.
He is best known for starring in and writing the screenplay of the Korean film classic "Seopyeonje," for which he won Best Actor at the 1993 Blue Dragon Film Awards.
He then worked as a college professor while being active in the musical field. He became the head of the National Theater of Korea in 2000 and held the post for six years before taking the ministerial position.