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.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, center, poses for a photo with Korean and U.S. service members, including Gen. Xavier Brunson, second from left, commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, during a visit to the command's headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense
![[PHOTO] Defense minister visits Combined Forces Command](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Delays in year-end defense budget disbursements have spilled over from government accounts into the lives of individual soldiers, with thousands of recently discharged service members receiving their government-backed, interest-accruing savings deposits later than scheduled. The Ministry of National Defense said payments under a government-backed savings program, which provides enlisted soldiers with a lump sum upon discharge, were delayed by around a week for roughly 15,000 soldiers who completed their service in December. Defense officials attributed the delay to a disruption in the flow of defense funds at the end of the fiscal year. The defense ministry said the required budget was transferred from the finance authorities in two installments, with the final installment arriving close to the Bank of Korea’s year-end settlement deadline, leaving little time to process payments. While the government has framed the issue as a temporary liquidity problem, this explanation has done little to ease the frustration among soldiers and their families. On online community forums, the delay was
A lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require the government to compile and publish crime statistics involving foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, claiming the need for more precise data to guide immigration and public safety policies. Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party submitted a revision to the Immigration Control Act on Monday that would require the Ministry of Justice to compile and publish comprehensive annual statistics — including border crossings, foreign resident status and crimes involving foreign nationals — broken down by nationality and type of stay. The move reflects a growing push in Seoul for data‑driven evidence as Korea’s population rapidly diversifies. By demanding detailed breakdowns, proponents hope to move beyond generalizations, even as critics warn that such disclosures risk stigmatizing migrants and fueling an already sensitive national debate over immigration. Under current law, the ministry regularly discloses data on immigration flows and the number of foreign residents. But there is no clea
Korea’s defense minister on Friday rejected speculation that the recent deactivation of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter unit here signals a reduction in U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), saying the move appears to be part of a broader transformation of the U.S. Army. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told reporters that the suspension of operation at the unit should not be interpreted as a troop cut. When asked whether this indicated a reduction in number from the current 28,500-strong USFK, Ahn said, “I do not think that is the case.” “There seem to be a number of changes underway within the U.S. Army related to Apache helicopters,” Ahn said. “This does not appear to be an issue limited to U.S. Forces in Korea, but rather part of reforms taking place across the U.S. Army as a whole.” His comments followed a U.S. congressional report which revealed that the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment at the main U.S. base of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, ceased operations in the middle of December. The unit had operated Apache attack helicopters and reconnaissance
President Lee Jae Myung’s reported offer of the prime ministership to former conservative lawmaker Yoo Seong-min has reignited debate over the new administration’s approach to cross-party appointments, raising questions about whether pragmatism can withstand Korea’s deeply polarized political environment. The disclosure followed Lee’s earlier decision to nominate Lee Hye-hoon, a former opposition People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker, as the first minister of the newly established Ministry of Planning and Budget. The two cases have come to define Lee’s stated intention to draw talent from across party lines — a governing philosophy that is often praised in principle, but rarely rewarded in practice. Despite the presidential office’s emphasis on unity and pragmatism, the political response was immediate and unforgiving. Efforts to cross partisan boundaries were quickly recast as attempts to weaken the opposition, highlighting how narrow the space for nontraditional appointments remains. Cross-party moves Yoo said that Lee’s camp had approached him with an offer to serve as pri
A recording containing abusive remarks allegedly made by Lee Hye-hoon, nominee for Korea’s first budget minister under the Lee Jae Myung administration, has sparked controversy ahead of her confirmation hearing after it emerged that the comments were directed at a junior staff intern in her National Assembly office. The recording was disclosed by a domestic cable broadcaster and captures a phone call from 2017, when Lee was serving as a lawmaker with the conservative Bareun Party. In the call, she is heard reprimanding the intern for failing to report a news article in which her name was mentioned. According to the broadcast and subsequent media reports, Lee raised her voice during the exchange and made a series of disparaging remarks. The recording includes statements questioning the intern’s comprehension and intelligence, along with language that has drawn criticism for its severity. Despite the intern attempting to explain the situation, the verbal outburst reportedly continued for several minutes. The intern left Lee’s office roughly two weeks after the call, according to acc
The Korea Times announced the promotion of Kim Jae-kyoung, who serves as managing director of Content and Business Planning, to vice president on Thursday. Kim has led content and business coordination since early 2024 and is a board member and director of the Korea News Editors’ Association. From April 2020, he served as managing editor, overseeing both the print and online editions. He previously worked as finance desk editor and economic desk editor, contributing to business, finance and macroeconomic policy coverage. From 2015 to 2018, Kim was based in Singapore as the paper’s Asia bureau chief, covering regional economic and diplomatic developments across Southeast Asia. Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Sungkyunkwan University and a master of business administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Canada.
Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is scrambling to contain political fallout after allegations surfaced that money may have been exchanged during its candidate nomination process ahead of the 2022 local elections — a controversy that now threatens to complicate preparations for this year’s local polls. The allegations center on claims that during the 2022 local elections, Kim Byung-kee — who served as secretary of the Seoul party nomination committee — was aware that an aide to DPK lawmaker Kang Sun-woo had received 100 million won ($69,200) in cash from Kim Kyung, then a prospective city council candidate, but failed to intervene. The controversy escalated after media reports on Monday disclosed audio recordings related to the case. Kim stepped down from his post the following day. Kim said the growing controversy had reached a point where it risked damaging the party as a whole. “I concluded that remaining in this position would inevitably become a burden on the DPK and on the Lee Jae Myung administration,” Kim said, adding that he could not allow the issue t
A maintenance engineer checks the engine of a Boeing 777-200 aircraft at Asiana Airlines' second hangar at Incheon International Airport, Dec. 18, to prepare for operation in the new year. After various accidents and fires in 2025, citizens hope for safety and security in the coming year. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Hanwha Aerospace has signed an execution contract worth about 5.6 trillion won ($4 billion) to supply Chunmoo guided missiles to Poland, according to the company and government officials. The contract was signed on Monday (local time) at the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw with the Polish Armament Agency. It covers the supply of CGR-080 guided missiles with a maximum range of 80 kilometers and will be carried out through Hanwha-WB Advanced System, a joint venture established by Hanwha Aerospace and Poland’s WB Group. The missiles will be produced at a dedicated facility in Poland, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2030. This is the third execution contract Poland has signed for the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system. Hanwha Aerospace concluded a framework agreement with Poland in 2022 and later that year signed its first execution contract, valued at about 5 trillion won. A second execution contract worth roughly 2 trillion won followed in April 2024. With the latest agreement, the total value of Chunmoo-related contracts with Poland has reached about 12.6 trillion won. Speaking