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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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Politics

Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee arrested

A local court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Wednesday, on stock price manipulation and other charges. The court decision led to the unprecedented case of both a former president and first lady being imprisoned at the same time, as Yoon is currently in pretrial detention on insurrection charges. Kim has also become the first former first lady to be arrested. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant for Kim, citing risks of destroying evidence, noting her inconsistent statements during questioning and concerns she might coordinate testimony with her former aides and other suspects. Kim, who had been waiting for the court decision at the Seoul Nambu Detention Center, took procedure for confinement upon the warrant issuance. Kim faces charges of involvement in stock price rigging, meddling in the candidate nomination process for the 2022 by-elections and taking bribes in return for business favors to several companies and the Unification Church. Kim's demeanor on Tuesday for the court hearing stood in stark contrast to her appear

Aug 12, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee arrested
Politics

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk given presidential pardon ahead of Liberation Day

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday granted a special pardon to Cho Kuk, former head of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, despite fierce protest from conservative political parties and civic groups. Cho has been jailed for academic fraud involving his children. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which has claimed Cho was scapegoated and subjected to a wrongful and excessive investigation for political reasons, hopes that this decision will consolidate liberal supporters and build momentum for judicial reform. However, the opposition has condemned the pardon as an affront to justice. Lee approved Cho's pardon during an extraordinary Cabinet meeting held to discuss the list of special presidential pardons for National Liberation Day, following its review by the Ministry of Justice last week. The session was held a day before a regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting, with aides saying the president wanted to deal with the politically controversial issue separately from the economic and social policy discussions. Cho, who was also a senior presidential secretary for civil affairs

Aug 11, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk given presidential pardon ahead of Liberation Day
  • S. Korea grapples with long-standing debate over presidential pardons
Defense

Armed forces down to about 450,000 due to low birthrate

The size of South Korea’s standing military force has fallen to about 450,000 personnel, around 110,000 fewer than six years ago. This reduction includes 17 divisions and other large units that have been disbanded or merged, according to figures obtained from the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration by Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. These figures illustrate a steady decline from 563,000 in 2019 to the current level as of July 2025. The Army has been hit hardest by the reduction, losing more than 100,000 troops during this period. At the same time, the selection rate for career officers has dropped to roughly half of previous levels, making it increasingly difficult to secure long-term service members. The restructuring has been most keenly felt in the northern border regions of Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces, where several combat formations have been consolidated or dissolved. The remaining units are now responsible for wider defensive sectors — a shift that some analysts warn could strain personnel

Aug 10, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Armed forces down to about 450,000 due to low birthrate
Politics

Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee

Korea’s special counsel investigating Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, filed for an arrest warrant on Thursday, accusing the former first lady of stock manipulation and bribery. If granted, the warrant would mark a first in Korea’s constitutional history, making Kim the first former first lady to face arrest. The request was submitted to the Seoul Central District Court by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki’s office, who cited violations of the Capital Markets Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. Kim was questioned for around 12 hours on Wednesday regarding allegations that she manipulated the stock price of Deutsche Motors, a BMW dealership. Prosecutors say her alleged crimes are serious and that there is a risk of evidence being tampered with.

Aug 7, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee
Politics

Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee

Prosecutors filed a pre-trial detention warrant on Thursday for Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, on charges of stock manipulation and bribery. This marks the first time in Korean history that a former first lady has faced arrest. This decision was made just one day after Kim was questioned for 12 hours as a criminal suspect by the special counsel. This signals a significant escalation in the special counsel’s investigation into corruption allegations surrounding the former presidential couple. Prosecutors contend that Kim’s suspected role in manipulating shares of Deutsch Motors, a local car dealership, amounts to a serious economic crime and raises concerns that she could tamper with evidence. The Seoul Central District Court is expected to review the arrest request early next week. This development comes amid a separate case against Yoon, who has refused to cooperate with investigators twice while being held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on separate charges. A second attempt to arrest him in his prison cell on Thursday morning co

Aug 7, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee
People & Events

94-year-old survivor of Japanese forced labor awarded national medal

Yang Geum-deok, a 94-year-old survivor of Japan’s forced labor during World War II, has spent decades fighting for justice. She was recently awarded Korea’s Moran (Peony) Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor. The medal was presented Saturday at a hospital in Gwangju, where Yang has been receiving treatment due to her deteriorating health. The ceremony was modest and held without public notice. It was organized by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) and attended by a few local officials and civic representatives. “I’m thankful to President Lee Jae Myung for this recognition,” Yang said, expressing her appreciation for the administration’s support. The idea of awarding her the medal had previously been raised by the NHRCK under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, but the plan was dropped after the foreign ministry objected, citing concerns about fairness among victims. Yang was born in Naju, South Jeolla Province, in 1929. She was only 15 when she was taken to work at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factory in Nagoya, Japan. She was misled by her t

Aug 6, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
94-year-old survivor of Japanese forced labor awarded national medal
Politics

Ex-first lady appears for questioning by special prosecutor

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, appeared at the office of the special prosecutor in central Seoul on Wednesday to address a wide range of corruption allegations. This public summons as a criminal suspect is an unprecedented moment in Korea’s constitutional history, as she is the first former first lady to face this level of prosecutorial scrutiny. Arriving shortly after 10 a.m., she crossed the photo line outside the building, surrounded by journalists and cameras. There was no escort or formal reception. After standing briefly in front of the assembled reporters, she said, “I apologize to the public for causing concern. I’m just a nobody. I will undergo the investigation faithfully.” The investigation, led by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki, covers 16 allegations relating to financial crimes, political interference and abuse of power. Investigators are initially focusing on three main charges: her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, intervention in political nominations, and influence-brokering involving a controversial religious group. At

Aug 6, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Ex-first lady appears for questioning by special prosecutor
Defense

S. Korea to upgrade integrated military command network for 1st time in 10 years

South Korea is preparing its first major upgrade in a decade of the Allied Korea Joint Command and Control System (AKJCCS), the central platform for combined operations with the United States, which maintains 28,500 troops on the peninsula to deter a possible North Korean attack. The overhaul is set to begin in the second half of the year, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. A bid notice to select the main contractor for the platform overhaul was issued last month, stating that the project "seeks to equip the current system with new capabilities needed to support combined operations led by South Korea’s military after the transition of wartime operational control," also known as OPCON. Developed in 2012, the AKJCCS is currently used by the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul and field units across the military. The system serves as the digital backbone of the U.S.-ROK alliance, enabling joint forces to share intelligence, coordinate actions and manage operations on the Korean Peninsula. This marks the system’s first major re

Aug 5, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
S. Korea to upgrade integrated military command network for 1st time in 10 years
Politics

Ruling party pushes ahead with 'yellow envelope bill' despite fierce backlash

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) unilaterally pushed the so-called "yellow envelope bill" through the National Assembly Monday, igniting one of the fiercest debates around labor in years. The bill broadens the definition of "employer" and restricts companies on claiming substantial compensation from striking unions — a measure that labor groups have sought for over a decade and which business leaders and conservatives have fought just as hard to block. The passage of the yellow envelope bill — named after a 2014 grassroots campaign in which the public sent donations in yellow envelopes to laid-off SsangYong Motor workers facing damage compensation lawsuits — would mark a major victory for President Lee Jae Myung, fulfilling a key campaign pledge and reinforcing his pro-labor stance. By pushing ahead with the contentious legislation, Lee shifts policy priorities toward union and worker protections, even as the move draws sharp criticism from the business community. The decision contrasts with his recent efforts to court corporate leaders and promote deregulation to boos

Aug 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Ruling party pushes ahead with 'yellow envelope bill' despite fierce backlash
Defense

Seoul signals shift on USFK role as Korea, US seek modernized alliance

South Korea and the United States may discuss an expanded role for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) from its current function of deterring North Korean threats to addressing wider regional issues in the Indo-Pacific, a ranking Seoul official has signaled. While the U.S. has sought to make the change under the label of a “modernized alliance,” primarily as a means of checking China’s increasing influence in the region, it marks the first time a top Korean official has acknowledged the possibility. “It is possible that the role and nature of USFK can change for various reasons,” the senior official told Korean correspondents in Washington, Thursday (local time), on condition of anonymity. As for those reasons, the official cited “evolving geopolitics, technological shifts and the growing strategic influence of China.” At its core, modernizing the alliance means expanding USFK’s focus from deterring North Korea to include “strategic flexibility,” which refers to the Pentagon’s long-standing position that American troops stationed in Korea should be able to respond to crises be

Aug 1, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul signals shift on USFK role as Korea, US seek modernized alliance
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