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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

Trump wants Hanwha to build US frigates at Philadelphia shipyard

When U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled plans to build new frigates for the U.S. Navy and specifically mentioned Korea’s Hanwha, the moment stood out as more than a passing mention to a foreign defense contractor. By explicitly naming the Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, Trump seemed to signal a preferred partner in his broader push to revitalize the American shipbuilding industry — a move that has reshaped perceptions of the competitive race between Korean shipbuilders under the so-called MASGA initiative, short for “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.” The remarks have been widely interpreted as tipping the scales in favor of Hanwha over HD Hyundai, two Korean shipbuilding heavyweights often described by industry insiders as twin pillars of Korea’s naval construction sector. While both companies have been considered potential partners for the U.S. Navy, Trump’s emphasis on Hanwha suggests that the contest is being judged not only on technical sophistication, but also on which company best aligns with the administration’s political and industrial priorities. Trump’

Dec 23, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Trump wants Hanwha to build US frigates at Philadelphia shipyard
Defense

Next-generation destroyer faces more delays after shift to competitive bidding

Korea’s arms procurement agency has again postponed a final decision on how to award the Korean Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX) project, opting instead for a designated competitive bidding process after nearly two years of deadlock. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Monday that the Defense Project Promotion Committee had approved a plan to select a contractor for the detailed design and construction of the first KDDX vessel through a competition limited to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean. The agency will now redraw its master plan for the ship’s detailed design and construction, a blueprint that must clear a final committee hurdle before formal bids are solicited. While the move introduces another layer of administrative review to the already stalled program, officials insist they are committed to an aggressive timeline, aiming to finalize a contract by the end of next year. A DAPA official said the committee reached the decision unanimously after extensive deliberation. “Many members emphasized the need to restore fairness through competition

Dec 22, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Next-generation destroyer faces more delays after shift to competitive bidding
Defense

Lee gov't moves to ease North Korea sanctions

The Lee Jae Myung administration is intensifying its outreach to North Korea, signaling the change through a series of policy decisions and public remarks that emphasize dialogue, the careful management of military tensions and a selective easing of sanctions. In recent weeks, this shift has begun to crystallize as a recalibrated military posture along the inter-Korean border and a sweeping overhaul of the Ministry of National Defense’s North Korea apparatus. At the same time, South Korean officials have reopened the question of easing unilateral sanctions, moves that are aimed at restoring long-dormant channels to Pyongyang and increasingly viewed by analysts as groundwork for a potential high-stakes summit between the United States and North Korea on the sidelines of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China in April. As the latest move, the defense ministry has decided to reinstate the North Korea policy office, reversing a reorganization carried out under the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration. This office had previously been renamed the “North Korea strategy office

Dec 22, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee gov't moves to ease North Korea sanctions
Politics

Seoul to appoint Korean Peninsula peace envoy

The Ministry of Unification said Friday that it is moving to appoint a special envoy for peace on the Korean Peninsula, as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks new diplomatic channels to revive dialogue with North Korea amid prolonged tensions. The plan was outlined during the ministry’s policy briefing to the president, where officials said the envoy would be tasked with engaging key countries and international partners to explain Seoul’s peace initiatives and explore ways to restart talks. This reflects the government’s intention to play a more proactive role as a direct stakeholder in efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said South Korea should play a more active role in shaping discussions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that Seoul must not remain on the sidelines of diplomacy concerning its own future. “The Korean Peninsula issue is ultimately our own problem, and we need to strengthen our role as a direct party in pushing the process forward,” he said during the briefing. He added that the proposed peace envoy would help to

Dec 19, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul to appoint Korean Peninsula peace envoy
Defense

President rejects blanket punishment for troops mobilized for martial law

Korea’s military pledged Thursday that it would never again be used as a president's tool to impose martial law. The pledge came after a policy briefing by the Ministry of National Defense with President Lee Jae Myung. The ministry outlined measures aimed at preventing any recurrences of the martial law incident that plunged the country into political and social turmoil last year. When former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last December, troops were mobilized to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting to lift the decree. “Our military offers a deep and painful reflection on its involvement in the illegal martial law of Dec. 3, 2024, which caused national confusion and damaged the constitutional order,” Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a press briefing following the report. “We will ensure that the armed forces are never again consumed or exploited as a tool of illegal martial law.” He added that the ministry would pursue sweeping institutional reforms while maintaining full-spectrum defense readiness. “We will strengthen democratic and inst

Dec 18, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
President rejects blanket punishment for troops mobilized for martial law
Politics

New Coupang CEO’s ‘empty’ pledge for compensation stokes outrage

Coupang’s founder Kim Bom-suk came under bipartisan fire Wednesday after refusing to appear at a National Assembly hearing on the company's massive customer data breach affecting more than 33 million people, with lawmakers lashing out at him for evading responsibility. The much-awaited hearing took place without the presence of the company's founder, also known as Bom Kim, who is the chairman of Coupang Inc., the parent company of its Korean unit, Coupang Corp. He said days earlier that he would be unable to attend because he lives overseas and was busy with commitments in his capacity as chief executive of the global company. Instead, the top executive to attend was Harold Rogers, who was appointed as the Korean unit’s interim CEO only a week earlier, after his predecessor Park Dae-jun resigned — an appointment and attendance widely interpreted as a shield for Kim. Lawmakers on the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee condemned Kim for showing a "disregard for both the Assembly and Korean consumers." "We will take steps to launch a full parl

Dec 17, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
New Coupang CEO’s ‘empty’ pledge for compensation stokes outrage
Society

Overseas AI models outperform Korean rivals in CSAT math tests

Korean artificial intelligence (AI) models being developed under the government’s bid to assert technological sovereignty were found to lag behind leading overseas systems in tests modeled on the College Scholastic Ability Test and in advanced, essay-style mathematics questions. The comparison was conducted by a research team led by Kim Jon-lark, a professor of mathematics at Sogang University, which asked 10 large language models to solve a total of 50 questions. The set comprised 20 advanced CSAT mathematics problems, covering calculus, probability and statistics, geometry and common subjects, along with 30 essay-style questions drawn from top South Korean universities, Indian entrance examinations and graduate-level tests at the University of Tokyo. Overseas models took the top spots. Google’s Gemini 3 Pro Preview ranked first with 92 points, correctly solving 46 of the 50 questions. Claude Opus 4.5 from Anthropic followed with 84 points, while Grok 4.1 Fast from xAI scored 82. GPT-5.1 from OpenAI earned 80 points, and China’s DeepSeek V3.2 posted 76 points. By contrast, the per

Dec 16, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Overseas AI models outperform Korean rivals in CSAT math tests
Politics

Yoon prepared martial law plan as early as October 2023: special counsel

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol spent more than a year laying the groundwork for his martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, with preparations beginning as early as October 2023, a special probe team said Monday. He chose the timing of the declaration to minimize intervention by the U.S., as the country would be undergoing a political transition after the presidential election, it said. The investigation team led by special counsel Cho Eun-seok announced the final results of its probe into the martial law case, wrapping up its six-month investigation. During that period, investigators indicted 24 people, including Yoon, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, former Cabinet members, senior military officials and political figures on charges related to insurrection and foreign interference. The decision to declare martial law was not an incidental or improvised response to the main opposition party's budget cuts and impeachment of government officials, which Yoon publicly claimed as his justification for declaring martial law. Rather, investigators found that he mentioned martial law multipl

Dec 15, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Yoon prepared martial law plan as early as October 2023: special counsel
Defense

Seoul, Washington diverge over joint drills as Korea signals flexibility, US stresses readiness

The differences between Seoul and Washington over joint military exercises have become more pronounced. South Korean leaders have publicly suggested scaling down the exercises to bring North Korea to the negotiating table, while U.S. officials oppose the idea and emphasize their importance for alliance readiness. Scaling down or postponing joint military exercises has been proposed by previous governments, mainly liberal ones, to create a reconciliatory environment with North Korea, as the North has often called the drills “a rehearsal of war.” President Lee Jae Myung and other officials in his administration have raised the issue as they seek to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang, as communication channels are currently severed. “If necessary, and if it helps the United States exercise strategic leverage, even the issue of joint military drills can be discussed and considered,” Lee said in a press conference on Dec. 3. “Simply saying such discussions are possible can help to open conditions for negotiations.” Unification Minister Chung Dong-young echoed this view, repeatedly say

Dec 14, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul, Washington diverge over joint drills as Korea signals flexibility, US stresses readiness
Defense

Return to Cheong Wa Dae triggers wave of defense headquarters relocations

The presidential office is moving ahead with its plan to return to Cheong Wa Dae by the end of this month, setting in motion a series of relocations involving the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). If the schedule holds, the two organizations are expected to move back into the buildings they occupied prior to the presidential office’s transfer to Yongsan in 2022. Military officials say this would restore the layout that existed three years and seven months ago, although the exact timetable has not yet been finalized. According to defense officials, the ministry is preparing to return to the 10-story building in Yongsan that currently houses the presidential office. This building served as the ministry’s headquarters from 2003 until the Yoon Suk Yeol administration relocated the presidential office there shortly after taking office. Since then, the ministry has been operating out of the adjacent JCS building and the two organizations have shared the facility for more than three years. Several ministry units and direct-reporting commands have also been d

Dec 12, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Return to Cheong Wa Dae triggers wave of defense headquarters relocations
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