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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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Law & Crime

Gov't seeks public debate on lowering juvenile criminal age amid rising youth crime

The government will convene a public deliberation panel to seek broad consensus on whether to reduce the minimum age at which juveniles can be held criminally liable, currently set at 14. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Monday, the government is considering a two-track approach to discuss lowering the age threshold for juvenile offenders to be exempt from criminal punishment. The plan includes forming an offline public deliberation committee with four other government bodies — the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Police Agency — as well as experts, while simultaneously collecting public opinion through an online platform. Following the direction of President Lee Jae Myung to gather public consensus within two months, related ministries plan to hold a kickoff meeting as early as this month. Under the Criminal Act, individuals under the age of 14 are not subject to criminal punishment. Instead, they are classified as juveniles exempt from criminal responsibility and are placed under protective measure

Mar 2, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Gov't seeks public debate on lowering juvenile criminal age amid rising youth crime
Education

Visa rejections for overseas students expose cracks in Korea's rural rescue plan

A string of visa denials preventing about 45 overseas students from enrolling at a vocational high school in South Jeolla Province has cast a harsh light on structural weaknesses in Korea’s system for admitting international students to secondary schools. As the government increasingly casts the retention of international students as a remedy for demographic and economic stagnation outside major cities, calls are mounting for more coordinated policies linking immigration and education authorities. Jeonnam Mirae International High School in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, is set to open on March 9 with only six students, after the Ministry of Justice denied visas for incoming international students, barring them from entering the country. The school had drawn attention as the nation’s first alternative vocational high school designed for integrated students from migrant backgrounds and overseas recruits. According to the Jeollanamdo Office of Education, the school was expecting 45 overseas students from four countries — 13 from Vietnam, 15 from Mongolia, nine from Kazakhstan and eig

Mar 2, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Visa rejections for overseas students expose cracks in Korea's rural rescue plan
Society

Korea University vows leading role in human-centered AI era

Korea University has declared a new “Next Intelligence” vision, pledging to take a leading role in developing human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) evaluation frameworks. The university aims to position itself as a front-runner in integrating the technology across education, research and administration as higher education institutions seek to redefine their roles in the rapidly evolving AI era. "This year will mark the first year of Korea University's leap toward becoming a 'Next Intelligence' university, where AI and humans together lead solutions to the challenges of the future," Korea University President Kim Dong-one said in a speech at a graduation ceremony. "AI is bringing profound changes to human civilization, and humanity can no longer afford to ignore or resist it," he added. The vision goes beyond simply adopting AI, reflecting the university’s commitment to cultivating innovative talent capable of leading future society by integrating AI and human intelligence. To support the initiative, Korea University has formed a dedicated committee. Starting this year, the univ

Feb 26, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Korea University vows leading role in human-centered AI era
Society

Chonnam National University steps up global recruitment with stronger student support

As regional universities step up efforts to attract and retain international students beyond the Seoul metropolitan area, Chonnam National University is seeking to position itself at the forefront — offering cradle-to-career support from admission through long-term settlement, while building on its expanding strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). “Our goal is to further solidify the university’s standing as a prestigious institution that nurtures global talent — one that grows together with the region, reaches out to the world and leads the future,” Chonnam National University President Lee Keun-bae said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. Declaring this year the launch of a major global leap, the university plans to establish a dedicated Office of International Affairs to consolidate all functions related to globalization. The new office will integrate responsibilities currently handled by the international cooperation division under the Office of Public Affairs, creating a centralized system to support the university’s growing international s

Feb 25, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Chonnam National University steps up global recruitment with stronger student support
Society

In the global race to attract experts, Korea urged to listen to int'l students

Korea has never been more popular with the world’s students, its classrooms filling with thousands drawn by the global allure of K-pop and high-tech prowess. But for those who stay, the transition from "guest" to "resident" remains governed by top-down policies crafted without the input of those they affect. “As Korea has gained global recognition as a leading study destination in recent years, it is time to incorporate the perspectives of people with foreign backgrounds when designing policies related to foreign residents’ settlement,” Nihat Khalizade, an Azerbaijani-born naturalized Korean and head of the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) alumni association, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “I hope to draw on my experience to help shape policies that better support international students and talents seeking to build their lives in Korea,” he added. The association is a group of international students who studied here through the Korean government-sponsored GKS program, started in 1967. As of February, it has 82 chapters across 76 countries, with 1,093 register

Feb 23, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
In the global race to attract experts, Korea urged to listen to int'l students
Society

Gov’t expands university-led AI, digital training for working adults

The Ministry of Education and the National Institute for Lifelong Education said Friday that they will significantly expand an intensive artificial intelligence (AI) and digital retraining program for employed people and adult learners this year. The “AI and digital intensive course” is a project that supports adult learners, including employees, in strengthening practical AI and digital capabilities through programs that draw on universities’ expertise and resources. Launched in 2025, the initiative provides workplace-focused training courses developed and operated by participating universities. In its first year, 30 universities participated and operated training courses tailored to AI and digital job skills needed across various sectors, including sales, education, finance, architecture, and design and manufacturing. A total of 11,683 learners took part in the program. This year, the number of participating institutions is expected to expand to around 38 universities, according to the education ministry. The universities selected to offer the program will be announced in May, fol

Feb 20, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Gov’t expands university-led AI, digital training for working adults
Politics

Life sentence for ex-president triggers political backlash

The Seoul Central District Court's decision to sentence former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment on insurrection charges drew sharply divided reactions from political parties, with the ruling bloc criticizing the verdict while the opposition largely remained silent. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) strongly criticized the court’s decision, denouncing the verdict as inadequate and out of step with public sentiment while directing sharp criticism at the judiciary. “I believe the judiciary has shaken the foundations of justice by sentencing the ringleader of an insurrection that rocked the very foundations of the nation to life imprisonment rather than death,” DPK leader Jung Chung-rae said during an emergency meeting of the party’s Supreme Council at the National Assembly. Expressing deep regret over the court’s decision, he added that it ignores the unarmed citizens who stood up against the Dec. 3 martial law forces and the peaceful protests that defended democracy. “The public will view the judiciary’s decision to effectively defer a historic reckoning

Feb 19, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Life sentence for ex-president triggers political backlash
Education

3 in 10 Korean elementary students discuss grades with parents almost daily: survey

Nearly 3 in 10 elementary school students in Korea say they speak with their parents about schoolwork and grades almost every day, underscoring concerns that family conversations are increasingly centered on academic performance, while discussions about career paths and personal interests remain comparatively limited. According to the Career Education Survey in Primary and Secondary Schools released Wednesday by the Ministry of Education, 30.5 percent of elementary school students said they talk with their parents about studying and grades “almost every day.” The survey, conducted over four weeks beginning May 16, 2025, polled 22,911 students nationwide. Another 25.9 percent said they have such conversations two to three times a week, while 20 percent said they do so about once a week. The figure of elementary school students who discuss academic performance with their parents on a near-daily basis has increased notably over the previous five years. Compared with the 2020 survey, the proportion responding “almost every day” increased by 4.8 percentage points from 25.7 percent to 3

Feb 18, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
3 in 10 Korean elementary students discuss grades with parents almost daily: survey
Society

AI expected to streamline dockets, reduce backlogs in Korean courts

As the legal sector expands its use of artificial intelligence (AI), many expect that AI-driven systems could help ease crowded dockets and allow judges to turn their attention to cases that demand greater human discernment. However, while the technology is embraced as a way to ease the judiciary’s burden, experts caution that firm boundaries and clear guidelines will be essential to guard against ethical risks. Legal experts say the Supreme Court’s administrative arm has quietly rolled out its own AI platform, a move intended to streamline legal research and trial management as the nation’s judiciary moves toward a digital future. The system, developed by the National Court Administration, is now undergoing an evaluation of a pilot program. The system draws on a deep reservoir of court records, including every ruling issued since 2013, to provide judges with more efficient access to case law. Eschewing public AI services, the National Court Administration opted for a proprietary framework to ensure that trial-related work remains contained within the judiciary’s own secure netw

Feb 18, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
AI expected to streamline dockets, reduce backlogs in Korean courts
People & Events

Korea Foundation appoints Rami Kim as inaugural Korea Chair at UK’s IISS

Rami Kim, an expert in nuclear technology and East Asian security, has been appointed as the inaugural Korea Chair at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. The Korea Chair at IISS is the first permanent Korea-focused research professorship established at a European policy institute. Korea Foundation, which created the position with support from Hanwha, said the appointment marks a milestone in strengthening Korea’s presence within European security and policy networks. IISS, founded in 1958, is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading security think tanks. It publishes The Military Balance, a globally referenced assessment of defense capabilities, and hosts high-level international security forums including the Shangri-la Dialogue in Asia. Based at IISS headquarters, Kim will conduct research on advanced technologies and defense and security issues, areas expected to grow in strategic importance as geopolitical competition intensifies. Kim officially assumed the role Monday (local time). Before joining IISS, Kim served as a professor at the Daniel K

Feb 12, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Korea Foundation appoints Rami Kim as inaugural Korea Chair at UK’s IISS
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