my timesThe Korea Times
ejb

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.

Go to Email

Read more

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
Foreign Affairs

Global diplomatic heavyweights converge on Gyeongju for APEC summit

The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events are set to bring together the world’s leading diplomatic powers to South Korea for high-stakes talks on trade, security and global governance. With confirmed participants including U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, are expected to be a watershed in the global trade and security structure at a time of shifting alliances and economic uncertainty. At the center of attention are bilateral talks between Trump and Xi set for Thursday. Trump will arrive here on Wednesday on a state visit after stops in Malaysia and Japan as part of his first trip to Asia since beginning his second term. He is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit on the day of his arrival and later hold a working dinner with other leaders. The following day, he will meet Xi for a bilateral meeting — their first in six years. A trade confrontation between the two countries has been escalating, with the U.S. imposing high ta

Oct 24, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Global diplomatic heavyweights converge on Gyeongju for APEC summit
Politics

Presidential office relocation blamed for police failures in Itaewon crowd crush

The government said Thursday that the relocation of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office to Yongsan District was a key factor in the police shortage during the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives. The new presidential office, relocated during Yoon's 2022-25 term, is roughly 1.5 kilometers from the disaster site in Itaewon. Announcing the results of a joint audit into the tragedy, officials concluded that the move had significantly increased demand for police services around the new presidential compound, diverting crowd control forces away from the busy streets of Itaewon on the night of the disaster. Despite advance warnings of large Halloween crowds, only a limited police presence was dispatched to Itaewon that evening. The audit — carried out by the Office for Government Policy Coordination (OPC), the National Police Agency and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety — marked the first formal inquiry into the tragedy under the Lee Jae Myung administration. Over a three-month period beginning in July, the team examined police headquarters, the Seoul Metropolitan G

Oct 23, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Presidential office relocation blamed for police failures in Itaewon crowd crush
Foreign Affairs

Korean embassy under fire as lawmakers grill officials over Cambodia crime surge

Korean lawmakers on Wednesday accused the nation’s embassy in Cambodia of failing to respond swiftly to an increase in abduction and confinement cases involving Korean nationals, following a National Intelligence Service (NIS) report suggesting that as many as 2,000 Koreans may have participated in large-scale scam operations across the country. During an on-site audit at the embassy in Phnom Penh, members of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee questioned embassy officials about what they called “a serious lapse in protecting citizens abroad.” According to the embassy, about 100 of the 550 kidnapping and confinement reports filed over the past two years remain unresolved, while 450 were closed following rescue operations or releases. The lawmakers said that the response had been slow despite repeated appeals from the families of victims and civic groups. Rival lawmakers voiced rare unity in condemning the embassy’s handling of the crisis but clashed over its root causes. Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) argued that the governme

Oct 22, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Korean embassy under fire as lawmakers grill officials over Cambodia crime surge
Defense

Korea’s defense industry showcases AI, space tech at ADEX 2025

Seoul’s biennial Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2025) offered an extensive overview of the evolution of Korea’s defense sector as it enters a new era of warfare. Key defense contractors including Hanwha, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), LIG Nex1 and Hyundai Rotem showcased an expanded range of systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI), along with unmanned operations and space technologies. With 600 companies from 35 countries, this year’s exhibition was the largest since its launch in 1996, filling every hall at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and attracting a record number of foreign delegations. The event emphasized the momentum behind what officials now call “K-defense 2.0.” AI redefines warfare Hanwha Aerospace drew attention with its demonstration of “manned-unmanned teaming” platforms designed for networked combat. Its exhibits included the THeMis-K robotic combat vehicle, Arion-SMET and Grunt unmanned ground vehicles, and a mock-up of the Gray Eagle-STOL, jointly developed with General Atomics of the United States. Executives said these systems would

Oct 21, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea’s defense industry showcases AI, space tech at ADEX 2025
Politics

Cambodia crime wave sparks political blame game in Seoul

A political storm has erupted in Seoul over a series of abductions and confinement cases involving Korean nationals in Cambodia, as rival parties clash over who bears responsibility for the government’s slow response to the growing overseas crime crisis. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) accused the previous administration under Yoon Suk Yeol of neglecting the safety of its citizens despite increasing development aid to Cambodia and maintaining ties with religious lobby groups. In response, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) claimed that Chinese criminal syndicates are the root cause of the crimes, urging the government to step up diplomatic pressure on Beijing. The controversy has intensified ahead of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee inspection in Phnom Penh, which is scheduled to take place from Tuesday to Friday. Lawmakers plan to visit crime-ridden areas and the Korean Embassy to review efforts to protect citizens abroad. DPK policy chief Han Jeoung-ae said the previous government “poured money into official development assist

Oct 20, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Cambodia crime wave sparks political blame game in Seoul
Society

Incheon Global Campus to host special Sebasi Talk event: 'Learn Bold, Lead Global'

Incheon Global Campus (IGC) will host a special lecture event titled “Learn Bold, Lead Global” in collaboration with Sebasi Talk, a Korean lecture program modeled after TED Talks. The event will take place on Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at the IGC Auditorium. The event will feature five speakers delivering relay lectures under the themes of bold learning and global leadership. The speakers include Lee Gyu-tag, professor of cultural studies at George Mason University Korea; Lee Ho-sun, chair of Christian counselling and welfare at Soongsil Cyber University; Sam Richards, professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University; Cho Yong-min, CEO of Unbound Lab Dev and former Google executive; and Han Jea-kweon, professor of robotics at Hanyang University and CTO of AeiROBOT. Each speaker will connect the event’s theme to their area of expertise, offering insights to inspire participants. Advance registration for the free public lecture is available through the Sebasi Talk website or via the QR code on the event poster until midnight on Oct. 26. “IGC has moved beyond its stabilization phase

Oct 19, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Incheon Global Campus to host special Sebasi Talk event: 'Learn Bold, Lead Global'
Politics

DPK launches early bid to regain Seoul mayoral seat

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is mounting an early campaign to recapture the Seoul mayoral office in next June’s local elections, viewing the capital as a key litmus test for the Lee Jae Myung administration at the ballot box. DPK lawmakers Park Ju-min and Seo Young-kyo have already declared their bids, while senior party member Jeon Hyun-heui is widely expected to join the race soon. The party has already gone on the offensive against incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is seeking a fifth term. Park, chair of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, said that Seoul “needs a mayor who works for ordinary citizens, not for political self-interest.” Seo accused Oh’s Han River bus project of being “a vanity project that wasted taxpayer money.” He was referring to the mayor’s Seoul river ferry project, which was suspended just 10 days after its launch due to a series of mechanical failures. Jeon also criticized Oh’s leadership, describing the project as “a symbol of showmanship and failed governance.” Other potential contenders include Reps. Park Hong

Oct 16, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
DPK launches early bid to regain Seoul mayoral seat
previous page
2223242526
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.