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.
Pence confirms rainbow flag ban at US embassies
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks at JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania, June 6. AP
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has confirmed the Donald Trump administration's decision to ban U.S. embassies from flying rainbow flags during “LGBTQ Pride Month.”
Pence told
Tuesday that the U.S. State Department was “right” to reject embassy requests to fly the popular symbol of gay rights in other countries.
“I'm aware that the State Department indicated that on the flagpole of our American embassies, one flag should fly, and that's the American flag. And I support that,” Pence said.
His comment comes after
took down a large rainbow flag from the mission building.
Asked about Trump's Twitter message in support of LGBT people, Pence, who once described himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order,” said both of them are “proud to be able to serve every American.”
“But when it comes to the American flagpole at American embassies and American capitals around the world, having the one American flag fly, I think is the right decision,” Pence said.
The practice of flying the rainbow flag by U.S. embassies, which started during the previous Barak Obama administration, now requires top-level approval from the State Department.