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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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Education

Private education spending surges over 60% despite shrinking student population

Even as Korea’s student population has shrunk because of the country’s low birthrate, spending on after-school tutoring and test preparation academies has risen by more than 60 percent over the past decade. The increase has been driven largely by a surge in private tutoring among elementary school students, as demand shifts to increasingly younger ages. According to data released Sunday by the Korea Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), household spending on private tutoring academies reached 29.19 trillion won ($20.18 billion), marking a 60.1 percent increase from 2014. After declining through 2015, when spending fell to 17.83 trillion won, expenditures on after-school tutoring and test preparation centers began rising again in 2016 and surpassed 20 trillion won in 2019. Spending dipped temporarily to 19.35 trillion won in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has increased for four consecutive years since 2021. While the number of students is declining, overall spending on private tutoring has continued to rise, influenced by a range of social and economic factors. KOSIS attribut

Jan 4, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Private education spending surges over 60% despite shrinking student population
Health

Foreign graduate employment tops 30% for first time

The employment rate of foreign graduates in Korea topped 30 percent for the first time, according to the Ministry of Education Tuesday, in contrast to a decline in Korean graduate employment statistics. An analysis released by the ministry and the Korean Educational Development Institute showed that 36,271 international students completed undergraduate and graduate programs in Korea between August 2023 and February 2024. Of those, 42.9 percent, or 15,576 individuals, ended their stay in Korea. Of those who remained, 4,993 of the 14,966 international graduates eligible for employment, or 33.4 percent, landed jobs locally as of Dec. 31 last year. This represents an increase of 11.7 percentage points from the previous year, when 3,607 foreign graduates secured jobs. The figures are the first accurate statistics of foreign graduate employment based on cross-ministry data sharing introduced last year, the ministry said. Until 2022, such data was compiled solely through the Basic Higher Education Statistics, relying on email and phone surveys to determine employment status. However, authoritie

Dec 30, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Foreign graduate employment tops 30% for first time
Society

Hanyang University launches Shandong Alumni Association to expand global student network

Hanyang University held the inaugural ceremony of its Shandong International Alumni Association in Qingdao on Dec. 20, bringing together alums from China’s Shandong region as part of its broader effort to expand its global international student network, the university said Monday. The Shandong association marks the university’s fourth international alum group, following the launch of associations in Shanghai in 2023, Beijing in 2024 and Malaysia in November this year. The university noted that the launch of the Shandong chapter reflects its continued efforts to build and strengthen international student alum communities across overseas regions. Around 90 people attended the ceremony, including local alums, university officials and the head of the Korean alum association. Zhang Yafei, a member of the class of 2011 who earned a master’s degree in cultural contents studies, was appointed the inaugural president of the Shandong association. Si Xiaoyu, a 2021 graduate with a master’s degree in management information systems, was appointed auditor. Presidents of the previously establish

Dec 30, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Hanyang University launches Shandong Alumni Association to expand global student network
Society

Korea looks beyond employment to retain international startup founders

Employment has long been seen as the primary pathway for international students seeking to settle in Korea. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, however, is advancing a parallel strategy centered on entrepreneurship, targeting global startup personnel — including foreign students — to encourage long-term settlement. “The initiative aims to attract top global startup talent to establish businesses in Korea, integrate them into the domestic economy and ultimately enhance the global competitiveness of the country’s startup ecosystem,” said Oh Ji-young, director of the Global Startup Division at the SMEs ministry in a written interview with The Korea Times. A flagship policy driving the ministry’s efforts to attract foreign founders is the K-Startup Grand Challenge. Launched in 2016, the program promotes Korea’s startup ecosystem globally through an international competition that seeks to identify promising overseas startups and encourage them to establish operations in the country. Selected teams receive a package of settlement support, including assistance with visas and corpor

Dec 30, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Korea looks beyond employment to retain international startup founders
Society

New guidelines on 'Yellow Envelope Law' rekindle dispute between labor, business

Sharp differences have emerged between business groups and labor unions following the government’s release of new guidelines on the so-called “Yellow Envelope Law,” a measure intended to protect striking workers from crippling liability lawsuits. Historically symbolized by the yellow envelopes of cash donations used to support penalized workers, the revised law has drawn warnings from business leaders that it could embolden unions and disrupt operations. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the new guidelines on Friday, ahead of its implementation on March 10 next year. It clarifies that subcontracted workers are entitled to collective bargaining rights with a main contractor if the contractor exercises structural control over their working hours or work methods. Labor groups have criticized the guidelines for imposing stricter standards that reduce the liability of main contractors, while business associations warned that vague criteria could sow confusion on the ground and heighten uncertainties for management. The law is a landmark revision that expands the definition

Dec 26, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
New guidelines on 'Yellow Envelope Law' rekindle dispute between labor, business
  • ‘Yellow envelope law’ decree sparks dual backlash from labor, businesses
Politics

Bill targeting 'fake news' sparks backlash over press freedom

Backlash is mounting over potential restrictions on press freedom and free expression after the National Assembly, led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, passed a contentious bill against "fake news." Journalists and media labor unions have voiced strong opposition to the legislation, while media scholars warned that the bill could weaken the press’s ability to hold those in power accountable. Some experts also noted long-standing reporting practices that have contributed to public distrust. The revised Information and Communications Network Act defines false or fabricated information and prohibits its circulation across telecommunications networks. It also allows for punitive damages of up to five times the assessed losses to be imposed on media outlets and YouTubers found to have deliberately spread disinformation for illicit gain, resulting in harm to others. The legislation has been contentious since its proposal and concerns have intensified within the media after its passage. Five media organizations, including the Journalists Association of Korea and the National Union of

Dec 25, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Bill targeting 'fake news' sparks backlash over press freedom
Society

Vietnam replaces China as largest source of int'l students at Korean universities

Korea’s international student population reached a record 300,000 this summer as universities looked overseas to offset domestic shortages. Long dominated by students from China, foreign enrollment is now diversifying, according to recent data presented during the Korean Association of Foreign Student Administrators (KAFSA) winter conference, where officials from nearly 200 universities gathered to discuss shifting trends. In its place, a growing influx from Southeast Asia is reshaping the landscape, reflecting broader changes in regional economic ties and the expanding reach of Korean soft power. The most striking increase has come from Vietnam. Since 2017, enrollment from the country has surged, overtaking China this year as the largest source of international students. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the number of international students staying in Korea reached a record high of 305,329 as of August. Although enrollment figures from the Ministry of Education showed 253,000 international students as of April, residency and visa data suggest the government has effective

Dec 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Vietnam replaces China as largest source of int'l students at Korean universities
Education

Education minister casts classrooms as answer to AI upheaval, balanced national development

With classrooms emptying in provincial towns and employers warning of widening skills shortages, Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said at a briefing Monday that Korea’s education system had become a frontline response to the country’s deeper national and regional structural problems. These include demographic decline and the hollowing out of areas beyond the capital. While the ministry identified priorities like fostering democratic citizenship and bolstering regional universities, it made no reference to policies concerning international students. At a briefing marking his first 100 days in office, Choi said Korea as a whole — and its regions in particular — was entering a period of profound change and crisis. “The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the type of talent society demands, while the crisis of regional depopulation is calling for a fundamentally new role for education policy,” he said. “Even amid these changes, what must not be forgotten is the core of education. Above all, it is essential to provide education that enables students to

Dec 23, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Education minister casts classrooms as answer to AI upheaval, balanced national development
Politics

PHOTO Return to Cheong Wa Dae nears

Staffers inspect the briefing room at Chunchugwan in Cheong Wa Dae, the official presidential residence and executive office, in Jongno District, Seoul, Sunday. President Lee Jae Myung is set to resume work at Cheong Wa Dae by the end of the year, relocating the office back from Yongsan District. Newsis

Dec 21, 2025By Jung Da-hyunphoto
[PHOTO] Return to Cheong Wa Dae nears
Society

Online finals at Korean universities again marred by cheating

Mass cheating in online exams has resurfaced during finals at Korean universities, exposing institutions’ incomplete preparedness and ongoing struggles to establish effective online test controls and guidelines for students' artificial intelligence (AI) use. According to Seoul National University, Sunday, the results of a final exam for a general education course offered by its College of Natural Sciences were invalidated after signs of cheating were detected among nearly half of the 36 students enrolled. The course was an online distance-learning class designed for students on leave for mandatory military service, with both lectures and exams conducted remotely. To prevent misconduct, the exam system was set to record activity whenever test-takers opened any windows other than the exam screen. A subsequent review by a teaching assistant later found such logs for nearly half of the students, leading the university to invalidate the exam results. However, it has been difficult to conclusively establish misconduct because the logs do not indicate which screens were accessed. As a result,

Dec 21, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Online finals at Korean universities again marred by cheating
  • Top universities react to AI cheating scandals, yet concrete disciplinary steps remain elusive
  • Cheating scandals at top universities prompt rethink of education in digital era
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