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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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Politics

PPP sends mixed messages on early voting amid fraud conspiracy theories

When Kim Moon-soo accepted the conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) nomination for president in his speech at the party's national convention on May 3, he vowed to abolish the early-voting system, which some extreme conservatives believe can be used for vote rigging. Despite previously promoting conspiracy theories about early voting, Kim on Sunday urged his supporters to participate in the early-voting process after visiting the birthplace of former first lady Yuk Young-soo, the assassinated wife of former President Park Chung-hee, in North Chungcheong Province. "Our party pledges to mobilize all available resources to thoroughly monitor and oversee early voting," Kim said, adding that he, too, will cast his ballot during the early voting period. Kim was expected to face a dilemma over early voting, as many of his conservative supporters remain wary of the system due to lingering election fraud conspiracy theories. Avoiding or downplaying early voting could have fueled doubts about his position on election integrity, while actively promoting it risked alienating his core base. In th

May 23, 2025By Jung Min-ho and Jung Da-hyun
PPP sends mixed messages on early voting amid fraud conspiracy theories
Society

Chicken price hike feared as Brazil halts exports due to bird flu outbreak

An outbreak of bird flu at a Brazilian poultry farm — the source of over 80 percent of Korea’s imported chicken — has sparked concerns throughout the chicken and food service industries here. Following the decision by Brazil to suspend chicken exports for 60 days, the Korean government is weighing measures such as increasing imports from other countries and bringing in fertilized eggs for domestic production. Brazil has confirmed its first-ever case of highly pathogenic avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, at a commercial poultry facility, raising concerns about potential disruptions linked to one of the world’s largest chicken exporters. Brazilian authorities said Friday (local time) that the virus was detected at a farm in Montenegro, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which produces 60 percent of Brazil’s total chicken output. While officials stressed that the virus is not transmitted by consuming chicken or eggs, they announced the launch of an emergency response plan aimed at safeguarding production capacity, stabilizing supply and protecting food secur

May 20, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Chicken price hike feared as Brazil halts exports due to bird flu outbreak
Politics

Presidential hopefuls pledge childbirth incentives, but lack control tower plan

As Korea's demographic crisis deepens, with its persistently low birthrate casting a long shadow over the nation's economic and social future, presidential candidates are now outlining detailed policy proposals aimed at reversing the trend, placing the issue at the forefront of the electoral debate. Despite the urgency, none of the candidates have yet pledged to establish a population ministry — a control tower to coordinate demographic policies. Attention is now turning to whether creating such a ministry will be part of broader reforms to the Government Organization Act. Korea’s total fertility rate fell to 0.75 last year, the lowest among OECD countries and less than half the average for the group of industrialized nations. If this trend continues, the nation’s population is projected to shrink to 36 million within the next 50 years. Amid growing concerns over the demographic crisis, presidential candidates are unveiling plans to tackle the country’s declining birthrate, with some placing related measures among their top 10 policy priorities. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential ca

May 19, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Presidential hopefuls pledge childbirth incentives, but lack control tower plan
Society

Inspire, Korea’s largest foreigner-only casino resort, up for sale

Inspire Entertainment Resort, a sprawling integrated complex in the port city of Incheon, has been put up for sale — a move that raises fresh concerns about the profitability of such ventures within Korea’s tightly regulated gaming sector. Private equity firm Bain Capital, which assumed management control in February of the resort’s holding company, MGE Korea Limited — the Korean subsidiary of U.S.-based Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment — recently initiated the sale process. An official notice obtained by The Korea Times confirmed that the resort, which opened last year, has been put up for sale. The notice describes the proposed deal as a rare opportunity to acquire a newly built, high-end resort complex with a fully approved casino license. Situated near Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island, the integrated resort boasts three five-star hotel towers with a total of 1,275 rooms, the nation's largest foreigner-only casino and a convention center. It also features Korea’s first 15,000-seat multipurpose arena dedicated to live entertainment and a glass-domed indoor wa

May 16, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Inspire, Korea’s largest foreigner-only casino resort, up for sale
Politics

Candidates revive debate over moving presidential office, parliament to Sejong

Sejong, a city in central Korea built to house numerous state ministries and agencies and help the government implement its balanced regional development initiative, is once again at the center of a political debate as presidential candidates propose plans to solidify its role as an administrative capital ahead of South Korea's June 3 election. Decentralization has been a recurring theme in past presidential races, but this time, the proposal to relocate key government functions outside of Seoul is drawing more attention. The issue has taken on new urgency amid uncertainty over the location of the next presidential office following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who relocated it to Yongsan. Creating an administrative capital outside of Seoul has long been a symbolic agenda for balanced national development and decentralization. Presidential candidates are pledging support for the initiative as a proposed solution to overpopulation in Seoul and surrounding areas like Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, while also aiming to win backing in the Chungcheong region — a key swing are

May 15, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Candidates revive debate over moving presidential office, parliament to Sejong
  • Can Sejong attain full status as Korea's administrative capital?
  • Where will Korea's next presidential office be?
Society

EU envoys explore water tech collaboration with K-water

Ambassadors from the European Union and four of its member states visited Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) on Tuesday, showing strong interest in the company’s cutting-edge water management technologies. The visit has sparked expectations of expanding Korea’s presence in the European water market amid growing challenges posed by climate-induced water crises. It also marks a pivotal step in advancing Korea’s water industry on the global stage and lays the groundwork for the potential commercialization of its technology in European markets. The EU delegation at K-water’s headquarters and research center in Daejeon included EU Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez, along with Greek Ambassador Loukas Tsokos, Belgian Ambassador Bruno Jans, Slovak Ambassador Marek Repovsky and Slovenian Ambassador Jernej Müller. The ambassadors toured facilities showcasing K-water’s next-generation water management technologies, including digital twin platforms and satellite-based monitoring systems for floods and droughts. The envoys were particularly impressed by real-time disaster response sys

May 14, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
EU envoys explore water tech collaboration with K-water
Politics

PROFILE Who is Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok?

From Harvard graduate to youngest presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative Reform Party is only 40 years old, but he benefits from strong public recognition, given his political career spanning more than a decade. A central focus of his campaign is winning over voters in their 20s and 30s through targeted policy pledges, including major pension system reforms aimed at appealing to younger generations. He stepped into the political arena in 2011 at the age of 26, when former President Park Geun-hye, then head of the conservative party's interim committee, selected Lee as a member for his outspoken opinions on social media. The selection earned him the nickname "Park Geun-hye kid." Lee is known for his elite education and upbringing. Born in Seoul in 1985, he attended Seoul Science High School and was accepted into the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), but withdrew and went to Harvard University with a presidential scholarship, obtaining a degree in computer science and economics. In 2011, he launched an education-technology startup that develo

May 14, 2025By Kim Bo-eun and Jung Da-hyun
[PROFILE] Who is Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok?
Society

UN committee slams Korea's treatment of migrants, foreign workers

A rise in hate speech and the mistreatment of migrants and foreign workers in Korea is drawing heightened international scrutiny. A U.N. committee has voiced concerns over the country’s response to racial discrimination and, for the first time, criticized the country's national human rights watchdog for failing to take effective steps. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recently released a report highlighting the growing prevalence of racist rhetoric both online and offline. It noted that migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, Muslims and individuals of Chinese descent are increasingly being targeted. Since joining the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1978, Korea has undergone regular U.N. reviews to assess its compliance. This year’s review was the first since December 2018. The committee also criticized the National Human Rights Commission of Korea for lacking effective measures to address these growing issues. This marks a significant warning for Korea, as it is the first time the committee has dir

May 13, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
UN committee slams Korea's treatment of migrants, foreign workers
Society

Korea’s seasonal worker program faces scrutiny amid US forced labor sanctions

Amid the government's push to attract more foreign labor to offset population aging, its seasonal workforce program is facing growing scrutiny, especially after the U.S. government banned imports of salt from Korea's largest sea salt farm over forced labor allegations. Labor exploitation, often driven by brokers who extort fees disguised as commissions, has been exacerbated by systemic flaws in the program's management, experts say. Concerns are mounting that other Korean exports — particularly agricultural and marine products — could face similar import bans, following confirmation that the U.S. State Department conducted an investigation into Korea's human trafficking cases including the seasonal worker program earlier this year. Initially launched as a pilot program from 2015 to 2016 and implemented in full in 2017, the seasonal worker program was designed to address chronic labor shortages in rural areas, especially at harvest seasons. In 2022, the government expanded the initiative, easing visa rules to allow more short-term foreign labor. However, cases and allegations of human

May 12, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Korea’s seasonal worker program faces scrutiny amid US forced labor sanctions
  • Korea braces for Trump's review of forced labor in seafood sector
  • US bans imports from Korea's biggest salt farm over forced labor claims
Society

Over 8,000 med students to be flunked, 46 expelled amid class boycott

Amid a yearlong standoff between the government and medical doctors over plans to increase medical school admission quotas, the Ministry of Education announced Friday that 8,305 students — about 43 percent of all medical students at the nation’s 40 medical schools — will receive failing grades. Another 46 students are set to be expelled for refusing to return to class in protest. This decision comes despite the government's partial retreat from its original proposal under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, scaling back the planned increase in medical school admissions to 3,058 from the original proposal of 5,058 seats as part of its broader medical reform initiative. Students who receive failing grades will be precluded from progressing to the subsequent academic year or semester. Those expelled will lose their status as medical students and will be formally dismissed from their respective institutions. According to data from 40 medical schools nationwide submitted to the education ministry, 42.6 percent of the total 19,475 enrolled students have received failing grades, and 0.2 pe

May 9, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Over 8,000 med students to be flunked, 46 expelled amid class boycott
  • Universities threaten to expel striking med school students
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