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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

S. Korea, US defense chiefs visit JSA ahead of talks on nuclear subs, OPCON transfer

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a joint visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) at the truce village of Panmunjeom on Monday, marking the first such appearance by the defense chiefs of the two allies in eight years. The visit took place one day before the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul, where both sides are expected to review the alliance’s key security agenda, including South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine program and the long-awaited transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Ahn and Hegseth had earlier met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday during the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, where they discussed follow-up measures to last month’s summit between Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump. Hegseth arrived in Korea over the weekend for a two-day visit, which included the JSA tour alongside Ahn. The joint appearance followed last week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where a potential U.S.-North Korea summit did not take place. The tw

Nov 3, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
S. Korea, US defense chiefs visit JSA ahead of talks on nuclear subs, OPCON transfer
Defense

Minister pushes two-track defense diplomacy balancing engagement and deterrence

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to pursuing both deterrence and dialogue in managing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation, including with China and other neighboring countries. Speaking at the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Ahn warned that North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile programs — along with its modernization of conventional forces — pose a grave threat to peace and stability in the region. “The Ministry of National Defense will maintain a strong deterrence posture through close Korea-U.S. combined defense readiness, while consistently pursuing a two-track approach of easing military tensions and building trust,” he said. He added that lasting peace on the peninsula “must be built together by both Koreas, neighboring countries and the international community.” Ahn’s remarks, the defense ministry said, reflect Seoul’s broader strategy of balancing deterrence and dialogue — a dual-track approach that has become the foundation of its

Nov 2, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Minister pushes two-track defense diplomacy balancing engagement and deterrence
Foreign Affairs

APEC 2026 host China will leverage experience from Shanghai, Beijing summits

China will chair the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2026, marking the third time it has hosted the event. Although the host city has yet to be decided, China’s previous hosting of the forum in Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014 demonstrates its ability to handle major international events requiring political, economic and logistical coordination. Notably, the 2001 Shanghai APEC summit took place only weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, becoming the first large-scale multilateral meeting to address economic uncertainty and global security concerns in its aftermath. With the theme of “Meeting new challenges in the new century,” China added counterterrorism to the agenda, emphasizing trade liberalization and regional cooperation. APEC 2001 carried out a wide range of infrastructure upgrades — from airports and hotels to media facilities — to accommodate the thousands of participants. The summit coincided with China’s preparations to join the World Trade Organization, helping to strengthen Shanghai’s status as an emerging global busine

Oct 31, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
APEC 2026 host China will leverage experience from Shanghai, Beijing summits
Foreign Affairs

After Trump-Xi summit, Seoul faces real test of balance

The long-awaited meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan on Thursday has patched up the escalating tension between the world's top two superpowers over trade and other issues. While the brief but symbolic encounter on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings signaled a fragile pause in the rivalry, Seoul — as the host of APEC — is now placed at the center of the increasingly narrow diplomatic corridor, with its carefully calibrated foreign policy of “balance” now being tested in practice, not just in principle. During the 100-minute meeting, the U.S. and Chinese leaders agreed that China will cooperate in preventing the inflow of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, into the U.S., and the U.S. in return will reduce tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percent. China also agreed to suspend its export restrictions on rare earths exports for one year. Trump called Xi “a great leader of a great nation,” and Xi responded by saying that the differences between the two countries were “normal” — indicating b

Oct 30, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
After Trump-Xi summit, Seoul faces real test of balance
Foreign Affairs

Seoul wins US support to develop nuclear submarines

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed agreement on the need for South Korea to develop nuclear-powered submarines in response to the changing regional security situation, according to National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. Wi told reporters Wednesday that during the 87-minute luncheon summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Trump “acknowledged that changing conditions, including North Korea’s construction of nuclear submarines, require South Korea to acquire nuclear-powered submarine capabilities,” and agreed to “pursue follow-up consultations.” “The two leaders discussed a broad range of issues, including economic and industrial cooperation, alliance modernization, peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional developments,” Wi said. “The key outcome was confirmation of the U.S. administration’s active support for strategic agenda items aimed at modernizing the alliance.” Wi added that President Lee Jae Myung “highly valued the role of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in maintaining peace and

Oct 29, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul wins US support to develop nuclear submarines
Society

Gov’t probes London Bagel Museum on overwork allegations

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched a special inspection into London Bagel Museum, a popular bakery chain, after the death of a 26-year-old employee raised allegations of overwork and labor law violations. The ministry said Wednesday that inspectors have begun reviewing the company’s headquarters and its Incheon branch, where the employee, identified as Jeong Hyo-won, had been working. Officials are examining working-hour records, payroll data and management practices to determine whether the Labor Standards Act was breached. “We will review whether employees were made to work beyond legal limits and if management took proper safety measures, a ministry official said. Jeong, who joined the company about 14 months ago, had been helping to open the Incheon store and oversee daily operations. His family said he had been working close to 80 hours a week, often skipping meals and sleeping for only a few hours at night. He was found dead in the company dormitory in July, a day after returning from a late shift. “The photo he took for his job interview ended up as his funeral

Oct 29, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Gov’t probes London Bagel Museum on overwork allegations
North Korea

Trump renews call for Kim meeting, but North Korea remains silent

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is willing to extend his stay in South Korea in order to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but Pyongyang has offered no response, maintaining its customary silence ahead of this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tokyo on Monday, Trump said, “If he [Kim] wants to meet, I’d love to,” adding that he “could go over there” while in South Korea. He emphasized that he and Kim had a “very good relationship” and that extending the trip would be “easy if needed.” It was the latest in a series of gestures that began before his departure for Asia last week. Trump also referred to North Korea as “a nuclear power,” repeating a phrase he has used since returning to office, and said he is “100 percent open” to another encounter with the North Korean leader. He noted that Washington’s strongest leverage remains “sanctions,” describing them as “a pretty big issue to start f

Oct 28, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Trump renews call for Kim meeting, but North Korea remains silent
Politics

Seoul downplays role in possible Trump-Kim meeting, citing need for direct US-NK dialogue

President Lee Jae Myung does not believe South Korea needs to be involved in a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a senior presidential official said Monday. Oh Hyun-joo, the third deputy national security adviser, told foreign correspondents in Seoul that Lee believes any meeting between the U.S. and North Korean leaders should be allowed to proceed independently. “President Lee does not think South Korea necessarily needs to participate in a meeting between North Korea and the U.S.,” she said. Speculation over a potential meeting between Trump and Kim surfaced after the U.S. president said aboard Air Force One on Friday that he was open to meeting Kim during his upcoming trip to South Korea. Trump is set to arrive in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday for the APEC summit, where he will also hold a bilateral summit with Lee. However, Oh said that a separate meeting between Trump and Kim was “very unlikely,” although she added that “North Ko

Oct 27, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul downplays role in possible Trump-Kim meeting, citing need for direct US-NK dialogue
Foreign Affairs

Kevin Kim appointed US chargé d'affaires in Seoul

Kevin Kim, a senior official at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, has been appointed as chargé d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, the embassy announced Monday on its official website. According to the statement posted on the embassy’s site, Kim “will work with the Embassy team and the Republic of Korea government to advance our mutual interest and shared values, as well as our ironclad commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance.” Kim, a Korean American, previously served as deputy assistant secretary for Japan, South Korea and Mongolia at the State Department. Prior to joining the department, he worked as a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee and as a national security fellow in the office of U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty. Domestic reports said Kim played an operational role in arranging the 2019 impromptu meeting between the then-U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Panmunjeom. During the Trump administration, he was closely involved in coordinating North Korea-U.S. summit logis

Oct 27, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Kevin Kim appointed US chargé d'affaires in Seoul
Foreign Affairs

POLL Koreans expect Trump-Xi meeting at APEC to ease trade tensions

Koreans see U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming summit as the highlight of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events, a recent survey commissioned by The Korea Times showed Monday. With world leaders set to gather this week in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, for the APEC meetings, the surveyed Koreans demonstrated a view of Trump and Xi's visits here primarily in the context of their intensifying rivalry in trade and other geopolitical affairs. They showed this view of the international gathering in the poll conducted by Hankook Research at the request of The Korea Times to mark the APEC summit and commemorate the newspaper’s 75th anniversary, which falls on Nov. 1. According to the poll conducted for two days beginning Thursday, 30 percent of the 1,004 respondents said Trump’s visit is meaningful as his bilateral summit with Xi is expected to ease global trade tensions. The two nations have been in a prolonged confrontation over tariffs after the U.S. imposed high levies on Chinese products and China retaliated with its own tariff

Oct 27, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
[POLL] Koreans expect Trump-Xi meeting at APEC to ease trade tensions
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