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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

Finland orders 112 more K9 howitzers in $635 mil. follow-up deal

Finland signed a deal worth 940 billion won ($635 million) to purchase additional K9 self-propelled howitzers from Korea, placing a follow-up order after operating the system for several years. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the contract was signed in Helsinki under a government-to-government framework between Finland’s Ministry of Defense and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), which acted as the contracting party on behalf of the Korean government. Such government-led deals are commonly used for defense exports to ensure accountability and consistent execution. The latest deal follows Finland’s initial introduction of the K9 in 2017, when it agreed to acquire 96 howitzers under a separate government-to-government contract. The system has since been deployed in active service, forming part of Finland’s artillery capabilities. Officials said the new order reflects the Finnish military’s assessment following years of field use, making it a repeat purchase based on operational experience rather than a first-time acquisition. DAPA

Apr 9, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Finland orders 112 more K9 howitzers in $635 mil. follow-up deal
Foreign Affairs

Republicans face midterm risks as Middle East crisis drags on, former Trump official says

The conflict in the Middle East could prove costly for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, a former senior Trump administration official warned Wednesday, cautioning that the crisis risks pulling U.S. President Donald Trump's attention away from the economic issues critical to securing his political base. Fred Fleitz, a former chief of staff of the U.S. National Security Council, said the war could complicate the political landscape as the midterms approach. “I think the midterms are going to be very hard for Republicans to hold the House,” Fleitz told The Korea Times, Wednesday. He urged the Trump administration to refocus on domestic priorities, particularly the economy, to maintain support among his base as well as independents. “The president and his team really need to double down right now, reassuring the American people and focusing on economic issues,” he said. Fleitz said international developments risk pulling attention away from that effort. “These international issues are distracting Trump from what he needs to do to nail down his base and independents,” he s

Apr 8, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Republicans face midterm risks as Middle East crisis drags on, former Trump official says
  • Former Trump official proposes expanding Quad to include S. Korea as 'Quint'
People & Events

Remains of soldier killed in Korean War return home after 75 years

The remains of a South Korean soldier killed in the Korean War (1950-53) have been returned to his family after 75 years, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday. The soldier was identified as Jeon Seung-nam, who was 19 at the time and served in the Army’s 8th Division. He was killed during a fight at Mount Baekseok in Gangwon Province in October 1951. His remains were recovered in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, in November 2024, and his identity was later confirmed through DNA analysis, the ministry recovery unit said. Born in 1931 in Naju, South Jeolla Province, Jeon volunteered for service in May 1951 during the height of the war. After completing training, he was assigned to the 8th Division and deployed to the front lines, where fighting remained intense. The fighting was part of a series of intense clashes in the area, as South Korean forces sought to secure key high ground against North Korean and Chinese troops during armistice talks. It took years to confirm his identity. DNA samples were first collected from his younger sister in 2017, with additional samples from his brot

Apr 8, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Remains of soldier killed in Korean War return home after 75 years
Defense

Defense minister pushes military overhaul to address troop shortage

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Tuesday the government will push ahead with a broad restructuring of the military to address a looming manpower shortage driven by the country's declining birthrate. Speaking at a press dinner in Seoul, Ahn said the Ministry of National Defense is redesigning the military’s force, unit and personnel structures as part of a comprehensive reform package. “The demographic cliff is no longer a distant concern. It is becoming a reality for our national security,” he said. The reform plan is expected to be finalized later this year, following a defense reform seminar and Cabinet review, with presidential approval targeted for the third or fourth quarter. Ahn cited rapid changes in modern warfare as another key factor behind the overhaul. “We are seeing a shift toward asymmetric warfare, where low-cost drones can neutralize expensive advanced weapons,” he said. He also used demographic data to illustrate the scale of the challenge. According to Ahn, the number of newborns in 2023 stood at about 118,000. Under the current conscription system, this woul

Apr 8, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Defense minister pushes military overhaul to address troop shortage
Foreign Affairs

Former Trump official proposes expanding Quad to include S. Korea as 'Quint'

A former senior official in the U.S. Donald Trump administration has proposed expanding the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) security grouping to include South Korea, arguing that this would strengthen the region’s security architecture. He also expressed skepticism on the prospects for meaningful progress in a potential summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Fred Fleitz, former chief of staff of the U.S. National Security Council during Trump's first term and current vice chair of the America First Policy Institute, suggested South Korea's inclusion in the strategic regional security forum. “To further strengthen regional security architecture, I propose expanding the Quad — comprising the U.S., Japan, India and Australia — into ‘Quint’ by including South Korea,” Fleitz said Tuesday in a written interview with The Korea Times, one day ahead of his participation in the Asan Plenum 2026 in Seoul. He said South Korea’s inclusion would enhance the grouping’s role in maritime security and supply chain resilience, citing the cou

Apr 7, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Former Trump official proposes expanding Quad to include S. Korea as 'Quint'
  • Republicans face midterm risks as Middle East crisis drags on, former Trump official says
Politics

Presidential aide heads to Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia to secure energy supplies

Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, will depart Tuesday as a presidential envoy to Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia to secure additional energy supplies amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Kang made the announcement during a press briefing on the Middle East situation at the presidential office earlier in the day, alongside Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy. The delegation includes officials from relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, as well as representatives from domestic energy companies. The trip aims to expand crude oil and naphtha imports and diversify supply sources as Seoul moves to reduce its dependence on a single supply corridor. “Our economy relies heavily on oil and naphtha imports from the Middle East, making it all the more urgent to secure alternative supply lines,” Kang said, adding that the government will work closely with companies to ensure shipments reach Korean ports without disruption. Kang noted that Korea imported more than 60 percent of its crude oil and over half of its naphtha

Apr 7, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Presidential aide heads to Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia to secure energy supplies
Politics

Busan mayoral race enters final stretch as parties near primary picks

The mayoral race in Busan is entering its final stage, with both major parties set to select their candidates this week, ahead of the June 3 local elections. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is holding a primary between Rep. Chun Jae-soo and former Busan party chair Lee Jae-sung. Chun, a three-term lawmaker representing Busan's Buk District, served as minister of oceans and fisheries under the Lee Jae Myung administration and is widely seen as the DPK's strongest contender. Lee is a former Busan chairman for the DPK who is challenging Chun in the party’s primary. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is selecting its nominee through a contest between incumbent Mayor Park Heong-joon and first-term lawmaker Rep. Joo Jin-woo. Park is the current mayor of Busan and is seeking a third term under the PPP banner, while Joo is a first term lawmaker representing Busan’s Haeundae District. The DPK began voting this week, combining party member ballots with a public survey using anonymized phone numbers, and plans to announce its candidate on Thursday. The PPP will make their an

Apr 6, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Busan mayoral race enters final stretch as parties near primary picks
Foreign Affairs

Lee, Macron pledge cooperation to secure passage through Strait of Hormuz

President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Friday to cooperate on securing safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with both leaders signaling a joint response to the economic and energy fallout from the Middle East war. "We agreed to share policy experiences and strategies to jointly respond to the economic and energy crisis caused by the Middle East war and to work together to resolve international economic uncertainty," Lee said, adding that the two had "confirmed their willingness to cooperate to secure safe maritime shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz." Macron said the two sides had discussed the Middle East situation at length. "I believe we can do useful things to stabilize the situation in Hormuz, and more broadly once the bombardments have ceased," he said. The agreement came out of a summit at the presidential office in Seoul, where the two leaders signed a series of agreements covering economic security and future technologies, with discussions ranging from trade and investment to artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear energy and space.

Apr 3, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee, Macron pledge cooperation to secure passage through Strait of Hormuz
Foreign Affairs

Seoul weighs direct Iran talks as Trump ramps up pressure over Hormuz

Korea is showing signs of backing away from its stance against direct bilateral talks with Iran, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz intensify with U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up pressure on allies to take a more active role. Officials now indicate that Seoul's position — that it would not pursue negotiations with Tehran solely on behalf of Korean vessels stranded in the strait — may be shifting as the conflict evolves. “A decision could be made depending on developments on the ground and the needs of shipping companies,” a government official said. Currently, 26 Korean-flagged vessels remain unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with hundreds of crew members on board. The vessels are incurring combined daily losses of about 2.1 billion won ($1.43 million), according to the Korea Shipowners’ Association. Trump has sharply raised pressure on U.S. allies, singling out Korea in unusually direct terms. “Let the European countries do it. Let South Korea, who was not helpful to us, by the way. … Let South Korea do it,” Trump said during an annual Easter luncheo

Apr 2, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul weighs direct Iran talks as Trump ramps up pressure over Hormuz
Defense

West Point cadets visit Korea Times, discuss alliance, democracy, media

Cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point visited The Korea Times in Seoul, Wednesday, as part of a regional trip across the Philippines, Korea and Japan, aimed at understanding how the U.S. engages with its allies in the Asia-Pacific. The group is traveling across Asia to better understand how the U.S. works with its allies. They chose Korea for its large U.S. military presence and long history as an ally. The visit brought together future U.S. military officers and the Korea’s oldest English-language newspaper, founded in November 1950 during the Korean War (1950-53) to inform U.S. troops and the international community about developments on the peninsula. The cadets arrived in Seoul on Sunday and spent several days visiting key military sites, including Camp Humphreys, the Demilitarized Zone and Camp Casey, where they met U.S. Forces Korea personnel and observed joint operations with Korean troops. The itinerary also included meetings with industry leaders at Hyundai Motor Group and Hanwha Aerospace. That background shaped much of the conversation with The Korea T

Apr 2, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
West Point cadets visit Korea Times, discuss alliance, democracy, media
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.