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dahyun08

Jung Da-hyun

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.

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Society

Seoul’s population outflow slows as young residents move in

Seoul has consistently seen more people in their 20s and 30s move in than relocate to other regions over the past 24 years, while the overall decline in number of people leaving the capital city has slowed. The Seoul Metropolitan Government released the data Thursday, based on a comprehensive analysis of population movement into and out of the capital from 2001 to 2024, including migration flows, reasons for relocation and age-specific mobility patterns. The data shows that Seoul continues to experience a net population outflow, with more people leaving the city than moving in. Still, the scale of the outflow has narrowed: In 2024, the city’s net loss fell to 44,692, less than half the 113,949 recorded in 2001. Among young adults, the trend has reversed. Since 2019, Seoul has attracted more residents in their 20s and 30s than it has lost. This age group saw a net inflow of about 19,000 in 2019 and has continued to record annual gains, with the sole exception of 2021. Employment has emerged as an increasingly important factor driving young people to move into Seoul. Among those relocatin

Jan 22, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Seoul’s population outflow slows as young residents move in
Society

PHOTO Deep freeze grips Seoul

A foreign tourist takes a photo at the ice-covered Hongjecheon Artificial Waterfall in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Tuesday, amid a bitter cold wave. The cold snap is expected to continue through the weekend, with morning lows hovering at around minus 14 degrees Celsius and daytime highs at around minus 5 degrees Celsius. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Jan 20, 2026By Jung Da-hyunphoto
[PHOTO] Deep freeze grips Seoul
People & Events

Late taekwondo master named overseas Korean of the month

The Overseas Koreans Agency said Thursday that late taekwondo master Rhee Jhoon-goo has been named overseas Korean of the month in recognition of his role in globalizing taekwondo and advancing Korea-U.S. sports diplomacy. Rhee, widely regarded as the person who first established taekwondo in the U.S., helped elevate the martial art beyond self-defense into a tool for cultural exchange, diplomacy and international sports engagement. Born in 1932 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Rhee was first introduced to taekwondo at age 16 through the Chung Do Kwan, one of Korea's oldest martial arts schools. While studying civil engineering at Texas State University in 1957, he founded a taekwondo club and began teaching U.S. students. He established more than 60 taekwondo studios across the country, helping transform the discipline into a popular mainstream sport in the U.S. He also played a key role in expanding taekwondo in the former Soviet Union, where martial arts were illegal at the time. Rhee traveled there to persuade senior officials to legalize the practice, organizing seminars and hel

Jan 16, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Late taekwondo master named overseas Korean of the month
Society

AI-assisted cheating could impact universities' global standings: QS

A series of artificial intelligence (AI)-related cheating scandals at Korean universities could carry long term risks for their global rankings, potentially weighing negatively on their reputation scores. While Korea's top universities face growing pressure to adapt to AI, most institutions have yet to translate that urgency into concrete action. QS, the global higher education analytics firm that publishes widely cited university rankings, said AI-related academic misconduct controversies could affect how universities are ranked. In response to a query from The Korea Times, QS said such incidents are not assessed directly, but could be reflected indirectly in academic and employer reputation scores — indicators that carry significant weight in their global rankings. “History shows that sustained reputational damage from governance failures to academic misconduct can, over time, shape how institutions are viewed by global academic and employer communities,” said Simona Bizzozero, QS communications director. She added that the firm's reputation surveys, which are perception-based, la

Jan 14, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
AI-assisted cheating could impact universities' global standings: QS
Society

Sungkyunkwan University, Wando County sign MOU on offshore marine plant research

Sungkyunkwan University said Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Wando County in South Jeolla Province to jointly advance marine research and develop an offshore seaweed farming testbed aimed at expanding Korea’s blue carbon capacity. Under the agreement signed on Jan. 6, the two sides will establish and operate an offshore experimental marine plant farm near Cheongsan Island, aiming to strengthen research infrastructure and accelerate commercialization. The marine plant biomass production research group, in which the university participates, was established under a Korea–U.S. joint initiative led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to develop technologies for seaweed biomass production. The five-year project aims to lay the groundwork for carbon neutrality by advancing the scientific use and industrialization of the carbon absorbed and stored by marine ecosystems, known as blue carbon. More than 30 domestic institutions, including Sungkyunkwan University, are participating, with total funding reaching 41 billion won ($27.9 million). The research group will establ

Jan 14, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Sungkyunkwan University, Wando County sign MOU on offshore marine plant research
Society

Overseas campuses embrace AI while Korean universities clamp down

Cheating scandals involving artificial intelligence (AI) have continued to emerge at Korea’s top universities, prompting the government to move toward establishing the country’s first ethics framework for student use of the technology. Beyond Korea, however, universities are embracing a different approach to AI, highlighting calls for a broader shift in how the country’s higher education system responds to the AI era. “AI use has become impossible to fully restrict,” said Lim Woo-young, an economics professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He explained that the overall campus climate at HKUST is broadly supportive of AI use, with the university encouraging students to engage with the technology rather than banning it outright. At HKUST, the university does not impose a single, institution-wide mandate on how faculty should handle AI in their courses. Instead, individual professors are expected to establish clear standards on AI use and communicate them explicitly to students, including by outlining those guidelines in course syllabi. When generative AI

Jan 13, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Overseas campuses embrace AI while Korean universities clamp down
  • Cheating scandals at top universities prompt rethink of education in digital era
  • Online finals at Korean universities again marred by cheating
Law & Crime

Court delays final hearing in trial of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol

The Seoul Central District Court said Friday that it would postpone the final hearing in the insurrection case against former President Yoon Suk Yeol until Tuesday. The court had planned to proceed Friday with the defense’s review of documentary evidence, followed by sentencing demands from the special counsel, final arguments by defense lawyers and closing statements from each defendant. But despite the session beginning at 9:20 a.m., the defense had not completed its review of the evidence, even after more than 12 hours. Yoon’s legal team said the volume of case materials had increased after the special counsel recently amended the indictment, requiring at least six additional hours of review and making it impractical to conclude arguments that day. The court set the next hearing for Tuesday, when it plans to complete the defense’s review of the evidence before proceeding to sentencing requests and final statements. During Friday’s hearing, the court said it would be fairer and more efficient to allow those who had prepared to speak while they still had the energy to do so, ad

Jan 9, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Court delays final hearing in trial of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol
Politics

Lee pushes back on anti-China sentiment tied to Coupang data leak

President Lee Jae Myung pushed back against anti-China sentiment stemming from allegations that a Chinese employee at Coupang stole customer data, warning that hate-driven rhetoric risks deepening unnecessary divisions. During a luncheon meeting with the press in Shanghai, Lee responded to a question about rising public hostility toward China following reports that the prime suspect in the Coupang data leak case was Chinese. He said: "The prime suspect is Chinese. So what?" He cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions based on nationality, calling such logic flawed and dangerous. "If the suspect were Japanese, would people suddenly start hating Japanese people? If there were Americans working at Coupang, would we then be told to hate the United States?" Lee said. Lee rejected allegations of Chinese interference in Korea’s elections as well, warning that the claims fuel hostility without evidence and undermine public trust. There have been rumors, especially among far-right groups, that China has interfered in elections here — a rumor which former President Yoon Suk Yeol cited as o

Jan 7, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Lee pushes back on anti-China sentiment tied to Coupang data leak
Society

K-water highlights AI-powered water management technologies at CES

Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) is using the global stage of CES 2026 in Las Vegas to showcase artificial intelligence (AI)-driven water management technologies, reflecting Korea’s broader ambition to compete in the emerging market for AI-powered water systems. The event is expected to provide a platform for K-water to present its approach to AI water management, which combines public sector operational expertise with technologies developed by private firms. The initiative comes as Korea prepares to implement its new Framework Act on Intelligent Informatization, amid the growing integration of AI across public services. K-water has accumulated extensive experience applying AI across water management, including AI-powered water treatment plants and digital twin systems that simulate real-world water infrastructure. Proven in flood response operations in Korea, the technologies have already been exported to Saudi Arabia and Japan, and are now entering the U.S. market. Of the 21 domestic water-tech companies participating alongside K-water, seven have earned CES Innovation Awards,

Jan 7, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
K-water highlights AI-powered water management technologies at CES
Foreign Affairs

China's degree delisting hits Korean universities, impacting key student pipeline

Several Korean universities are struggling to attract Chinese students after being dropped from China’s list of recognized overseas institutions. With the reasons for the removals unclear, affected universities say they have been left in a difficult position, given China’s long-established role as a major source of international students and tuition revenue. “The university has clearly felt the impact, with a decline in applications from Chinese students,” said an official at Daejin University, one of the institutions affected by the delistings. The Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), an organization under China’s Ministry of Education, updated its list of accredited overseas higher education institutions in late October, removing 270 universities worldwide, including 15 from Korea. CSCSE certifies foreign degrees for use in China’s domestic job market and civil service recruitment system. Of the Korean universities affected, five were removed from the list in July last year, followed by another 10 in October, bringing the total number of delisted instituti

Jan 6, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
China's degree delisting hits Korean universities, impacting key student pipeline
  • China delists 15 Korean universities from recognized overseas institutions
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