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Bahk Eun-ji

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.

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Defense

Seoul pushes for dialogue with NK, but gov't speaks in different tones

President Lee Jae Myung’s renewed call for dialogue with North Korea following a recent land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is highlighting differences in tone within his administration over how to respond to Pyongyang. While the government remains committed to restoring inter-Korean dialogue, Cheong Wa Dae, the unification ministry and the military have differed in how they have addressed North Korea’s responsibility for the incident and how Seoul should respond. Lee referred to the Sept. 21 explosion, which injured three South Korean soldiers, as an “unfortunate accident,” during his Armed Forces Day speech Thursday. Rather than directly blaming North Korea, he called on Pyongyang to “restore trust and resume the dialogue that has been severed.” “Firm security means creating peace in which there is no need to fight,” Lee said, pledging to continue “practical steps” to reduce military tensions. Cheong Wa Dae sought Friday to dispel criticism that Lee’s wording was intended to play down North Korea’s responsibility. “The expression ‘unfortunate

1h agoBy Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul pushes for dialogue with NK, but gov't speaks in different tones
Defense

COVER STORY Questions remain over when NK mines were planted in DMZ

More than a week after two land mines exploded in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), injuring three South Korean soldiers, investigators are getting a clearer picture of what caused the blasts, though questions remain over when and why the mines were planted. The United Nations Command said Wednesday that an active North Korean anti-personnel mine was found south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) during a joint investigation into the Sept. 21 DMZ explosions, determining that a violation of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement had occurred. South Korea's military believes the mines were buried rather than washed into the area but has yet to determine when they were planted or whether they were intended to target South Korean troops. What was found The intact mine recovered during the investigation was a North Korean resin anti-personnel mine, a box-shaped device similar to the North’s wooden-box mine but made of plastic. The JCS says North Korea has used this type since 1969. Forensic analysis of the injured soldiers’ helmets and body armor detected TNT and brown foreign material but no

2d agoBy Bahk Eun-ji
[COVER STORY] Questions remain over when NK mines were planted in DMZ
Politics

UNC confirms armistice violation as military demands NK apology

The South Korean military and United Nations Command (UNC) made it clear on Wednesday that North Korea violated the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement by laying mines south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in South Korean territory. While the South demands an apology from the North over the recent mine explosions that seriously injured South Korean soldiers, the North has denied any involvement, claiming the accident was fabricated by the South. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said three South Korean soldiers, who had been carrying out routine search operations south of the MDL on Sept. 21, were seriously injured by North Korean mines. The MDL separates the two Koreas and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a buffer zone extending 2 kilometers on either side of the MDL. The North has been burying mines along the MDL as part of what it calls “border fortification activities.” “North Korea must immediately halt activities that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including the so-called fortification of its border. We strongly call on the North to apologize and take responsible

2d agoBy Bahk Eun-ji
UNC confirms armistice violation as military demands NK apology
Defense

DMZ mine blast puts Seoul's NK outreach at risk

President Lee Jae Myung ordered the military on Tuesday to determine the cause of a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border and take necessary measures, raising questions about how his administration, which has been pursuing dialogue with Pyongyang, might respond if North Korea is found responsible. Possible responses range from resuming propaganda broadcasts along the border to adjusting military operations inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and seeking action through the United Nations Command (UNC). The government has yet to announce any specific measures. “The military must work closely with the UNC to conduct a swift and thorough investigation and establish the facts transparently,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting. “Necessary measures will then be taken based on the findings.” His remarks followed an interim military investigation that found a very high likelihood that North Korean mines caused the Sept. 21 explosions, which injured three South Korean soldiers. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) have pledged corresponding measures

Sep 29, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
DMZ mine blast puts Seoul's NK outreach at risk
Defense

Military says NK mine almost certainly caused DMZ blast, vows response

South Korea’s military said Monday it is highly likely that a North Korean mine was almost certainly responsible for last week’s explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), holding Pyongyang responsible and announcing plans for corresponding measures. “Based on our overall assessment of the investigation and field inspection so far, we have determined that the explosion was highly likely to have been caused by a North Korean mine,” Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Vice Chairman Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won said during an evening briefing at the defense ministry in Seoul. Kwon said North Korea would bear full responsibility if the final investigation confirms that the North planted the mines that injured South Korean troops who were conducting operations south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). “Our military will take appropriate and corresponding measures,” he said. The Sept. 21 incident occurred as 18 soldiers were clearing a new search route to allow the United Nations Command (UNC) to inspect terrain changes suspected to be linked to North Korean mine-laying activity near the MDL.

Sep 28, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Military says NK mine almost certainly caused DMZ blast, vows response
Defense

Defense minister vows 'corresponding measures' if NK land mine confirmed in DMZ blast

South Korea will take corresponding measures if last week’s explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is confirmed to originate from a land mine placed recently by North Korea, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Monday. “Appropriate and corresponding measures will be necessary and we will take them,” Kang told reporters after meeting main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyeok at the National Assembly. His remarks came as the accounts given by troops raised the possibility that a North Korean anti-personnel mine was present near the blast site, although the military said neither the type of mine involved nor who planted it had been established. Brig. Gen. Hwang Ju-bong, director of Operations Division 1 at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said at a regular defense ministry briefing on Monday that some soldiers reported seeing a wooden box that could have housed an explosive device near the blast site, although others described it differently. “There was testimony that its shape resembled a wooden box mine but that the material appeared to be plastic,” Hwan

Sep 28, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Defense minister vows 'corresponding measures' if NK land mine confirmed in DMZ blast
Foreign Affairs

POW transfer, DMZ blast complicate Lee's peace initiative

President Lee Jae Myung’s trip to the United Nations and Mexico, where he emphasized peace on the Korean Peninsula and renewed U.S.-North Korea dialogue, was overshadowed at home by controversy over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war and a suspected land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Experts said the incidents drew attention to the challenges facing Lee’s peace initiative as Pyongyang maintains its hostile stance toward Seoul. They also questioned whether renewed U.S.-North Korea talks would adequately address South Korea’s security concerns. Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Sookmyung Women’s University, said North Korea would be unlikely to respond positively to peace overtures under normal circumstances, and that the incidents have likely added to the tension. “I don’t think North Korea would have shown much enthusiasm toward the Lee Jae Myung government even if these two incidents had not happened,” Nam said. “North Korea is already playing a bigger game with President Trump.” Nam said Pyongyang is more interested in negotiating directly

Sep 27, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
POW transfer, DMZ blast complicate Lee's peace initiative
Defense

New defense chief stresses trust in push for OPCON transfer

New Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Tuesday that he would push ahead with the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) based on trust between Korea and the United States, emphasizing that the process should strengthen their alliance and combined defense posture. “OPCON transfer will move in a direction that strengthens the Korea-U.S. alliance,” Kang told reporters at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul shortly after officially beginning his duties. He noted that successive Korean administrations and the two allies have worked toward the transfer for years, while acknowledging that the process cannot be driven by Seoul alone. Because an alliance involves two sides, Kang said, the process may not always proceed exactly as one side wants, making mutual trust particularly important. “In some ways, I believe trust is even more important than the conditions,” he said, pledging to pursue the transfer “without wavering” in a way that preserves trust. Kang also rejected the notion that the transfer would weaken the allies’ combined defense posture. Drawing on his ex

Sep 22, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
New defense chief stresses trust in push for OPCON transfer
Health

YouTube ad restrictions put Korean 'mukbang' creators on alert

YouTube’s tighter enforcement of its policies on eating disorder-related content is affecting Korean food and diet creators, with some losing advertising revenue or deleting hundreds of old videos. Tzuyang, one of Korea’s best-known "mukbang" creators, also weighed in on the issue in a video uploaded Sunday. Mukbang, which translates to eating broadcast, refers to content showing people eating large quantities of food. “I heard eating a lot isn’t the trend these days,” she said while vising Sinpo Market in Incheon. “I’ll try to be a YouTuber who eats a reasonable amount from now on.” She nevertheless went on to eat fried chicken, spicy rice cakes, Korean blood sausage, donuts and several other dishes in her usual mukbang style. Tzuyang has about 13.5 million subscribers on YouTube. Other creators have already faced restrictions. DietJo, a food and diet YouTuber with about 440,000 subscribers, said her channel had been demonetized as YouTube applies stricter guidelines to videos involving binge eating and eating disorder-related content. She said she had also stopped uploadi

Sep 22, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
YouTube ad restrictions put Korean 'mukbang' creators on alert
Politics

Inside the Seo Hui: A look at Korea's newest submarine

GEOJE, South Gyeongsang Province — Wearing gloves, reporters ducked beneath a canvas cover and descended a ladder into the Seo Hui, a 3,600-ton submarine under construction at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard. At the bottom was a narrow passage, barely wide enough for two adults. Pipes and equipment remained exposed, while stickers reading “painting inspection completed” showed that work was still underway. Hanwha Ocean opened the interior of the Seo Hui, the second Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine, to the media for the first time Tuesday. Its launch ceremony is tentatively planned for November, although the timing could change depending on the Navy’s schedule. The contract stipulates that delivery is set for December 2027. Measuring about 89 meters long, the Seo Hui is larger than the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho-class submarines of Batch-I. Its combat management and sonar systems have been upgraded to improve data processing, target detection and land attack capabilities. Its overall localization rate is about 80 percent. In the torpedo room in the bow, horizontal launch tubes were arrange

Sep 20, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Inside the Seo Hui: A look at Korea's newest submarine
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