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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

Scandals mar minister nominees, testing Lee Jae Myung’s reform agenda

Controversies surrounding Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook and Gender Equality Minister nominee Kang Sun-woo have deepened, stirring unease within the ruling party. On Tuesday, progressive groups — including the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and prominent academics — demanded Lee's resignation, both in the lead-up to and during her confirmation hearing. Lee is under growing scrutiny over allegations of academic plagiarism and legal violations related to her daughter’s education abroad. Critics accuse Lee of copying portions of her scholarly work from a student’s thesis, and take issue with revelations that her daughter left for the United States to study alone before completing nine years of schooling — a requirement in Korea unless formally exempted. During the hearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Lee apologized for the controversy. “I sincerely apologize for the allegations that do not meet public expectations,” she said. However, she denied allegations of thesis plagiarism and misappropriation of a student’s research. “I

Jul 16, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Scandals mar minister nominees, testing Lee Jae Myung’s reform agenda
Politics

Who’s shaping Lee administration? Closer look at transition committee

A group of experts, politicians and public officials has been developing a detailed road map for the next five years of the Lee Jae Myung government under the name of the State Affairs Planning Committee. The organization was patterned on the traditional transition committee, as Lee took office right after the June 3 snap election, without the usual two-month transition period. The committee is responsible for formulating key policy initiatives and structural reforms. Leading the effort is committee Chairperson Lee Han-joo, a longtime economic adviser to the new president. A former economics professor at Gachon University, he previously headed the Gyeonggi Research Institute and the Institute for Democracy, a think tank of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Over their four-decade relationship, Lee Han-joo has played a central role in shaping the president's policy agenda, including proposals for basic income and local currency systems. The two first met in the 1980s while participating in civic activism in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and Lee Han-joo went on to support Lee Jae Myung t

Jul 16, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Who’s shaping Lee administration? Closer look at transition committee
Defense

Defense minister nominee signals commitment to regaining wartime operational control of military

Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back sought to temper expectations, Monday, regarding the timeline for reclaiming wartime operational control (OPCON) of the military from the U.S., saying remarks he made earlier in the day were meant to underscore the administration’s commitment to the long-delayed transition rather than to suggest a firm deadline under President Lee Jae Myung's tenure. During his confirmation hearing before the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, Ahn responded to a question from Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party (PPP) regarding the timeline for the OPCON transfer. “We are aiming to complete the transfer within the current administration,” Ahn said. But after his remarks, the presidential office said that Ahn’s comments reflected his personal views as a nominee and did not represent the official position of the government. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung noted that while the issue remains under review, no definitive timeline has been set for the transfer. Later in the day, Ahn's confirmation team also released a statement clarifying that

Jul 15, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Defense minister nominee signals commitment to regaining wartime operational control of military
Politics

Appointment of special envoy to US stalled by pushback within ruling party

The presidential office has named special envoys to key diplomatic partners to signal Korea’s reengagement on the global stage, outline its new policy agenda and deepen cooperation across a range of strategic sectors. But efforts to finalize its delegation to Washington have been hampered by internal divisions, particularly over whether to include Kim Chong-in, a veteran economist and influential political strategist. The delegation was initially expected to include Kim and Rep. Lee Un-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) Supreme Council. According to sources with direct knowledge of the party’s internal discussions, Kim’s exclusion may have stemmed from concerns among some members over his age, ideological posture and past criticism of the party’s trajectory. Kim is a veteran politician and economist with decades of experience at the highest levels of Korean politics. He’s served as a lawmaker and minister, and has even led major political parties. While he has worked with both conservative and liberal factions in the past, his independent streak and focus

Jul 15, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Appointment of special envoy to US stalled by pushback within ruling party
Defense

S. Korea moves cautiously on regaining wartime command over military

The South Korean government said it is reassessing the conditions for reclaiming wartime operational control (OPCON) of its forces from the U.S., noting that the timeline for the handover will hinge on future developments. While the transfer remains a central pledge of President Lee Jae Myung, officials acknowledged that no new talks are currently underway, and coordination with Washington is expected to continue. During a press briefing Sunday, the State Affairs Planning Committee announced that the administration is currently evaluating whether the conditions necessary for the transfer have been met. “The agreement states that the transfer should take place once certain benchmarks have been met. This government is now evaluating those benchmarks,” said Jo Seoung-lae, the committee’s spokesperson. “We will decide on the pace based on our assessment. This is the position of not only the committee, but also the presidential office and the Ministry of National Defense,” he added. Reiterating the administration’s intention to pursue the transfer, the committee’s chairperson L

Jul 14, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
S. Korea moves cautiously on regaining wartime command over military
Politics

President dispatches special envoys to EU, France, UK and India

President Lee Jae Myung has dispatched his first team of special envoys to the European Union, France, the United Kingdom and India, marking the administration’s opening push to bolster both bilateral and multilateral ties, the presidential office said Sunday. The envoys, who are all current or former senior officials of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), will depart in stages from Monday. Former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-joon will lead the delegation to the EU, traveling to Brussels from Monday to Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen the 2010 Korea-EU Strategic Partnership, as well as expand cooperation in digital transition, climate action and advanced technology. Lawmakers Jeon Hyun-heui and Son Myung-soo will accompany him. Former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil will head the delegation to France from Tuesday to Friday, joined by Reps. Han Byung-do and Cheon Jun-ho. The delegation will promote cooperation in strategic industries such as AI, space and defense, and will convey the president’s message about strengthening cultural and economic ties ahead of the 140th annivers

Jul 13, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
President dispatches special envoys to EU, France, UK and India
Politics

Lee administration braces for confirmation hearings, but dismissals unlikely

The National Assembly is gearing up for a crucial week of confirmation hearings for President Lee Jae Myung’s inaugural Cabinet. From Monday through Friday, lawmakers will review 18 nominees, including 16 ministerial candidates. While the opposition has vowed to challenge the nominees on ethical grounds, no disqualifications are expected unless new revelations come to light. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has singled out Kang Sun-woo and Lee Jin-sook for criticism. Kang, a Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker nominated to lead the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, faces allegations of asking aides to handle personal errands, including household chores and maintenance requests. She has also been accused of misleading the public during initial press inquiries. The opposition has also highlighted inconsistencies in Kang’s explanations, alleging they amounted to intentional misinformation. Kang has admitted to some reporting errors but insists there was no ill intent. Despite this, the PPP has intensified its calls for her to resign voluntarily. Lee, the nominee f

Jul 13, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee administration braces for confirmation hearings, but dismissals unlikely
Defense

Washington could weigh shake-ups of top US commanders in S. Korea, Japan

Speculation is mounting that the United States may be considering a shake-up of its top military command structure in South Korea and Japan — a move that could reverse the long-standing strategic standing of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ), elevating Tokyo's role while reducing Seoul's. Currently, the USFK commander holds a four-star rank, while USFJ is led by a three-star general. But with growing U.S. focus on China and the broader Indo-Pacific region, observers say Washington is weighing elevating the Japan post to four-star status while potentially downgrading the Korea command to three-star. In a recent op-ed in the Asahi Shimbun, Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, commander of USFJ, outlined the restructuring of its forces to better align with regional challenges in the Indo-Pacific. "The security, freedom and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific face increasing challenges from adversarial nations, primarily the People’s Republic of China, and I can tell you firsthand that these threats are only intensifying," Jost wrote. "Moving from a headquarters primarily charged with a

Jul 10, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin and Bahk Eun-ji
Washington could weigh shake-ups of top US commanders in S. Korea, Japan
Defense

Korea pushes for 'package deal' of trade, security in talks with US

The Korean government has called on the United States to discuss trade and security issues as a “package” in the ongoing tariff talks, with the possibility of a bilateral summit also being considered, according to National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, Wednesday. Wi’s remarks came a day after the Donald Trump administration sent a letter to Korea to notify that it would impose 25 percent “reciprocal” tariffs on Aug. 1. The next day, Trump also called on Korea to increase its share for upkeep of U.S. troops here. Wi said Trump’s letter was focused on tariff and nontariff trade barriers. “But our suggestion comprehensively includes trade, investment, purchase and security, so we proposed that these matters be considered as a package in negotiations,” said Wi, who returned home Wednesday evening after visiting Washington to meet his counterpart, U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other officials from the Trump government. “Rubio expressed understanding on this proposal.” Wi said his meeting with Rubio took place shortly after Trump had

Jul 9, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea pushes for 'package deal' of trade, security in talks with US
People & Events

Uzbek breaks ground by earning electrician certification via Korean training initiative

Before becoming the first person in Uzbekistan to earn an electrician certification, Dilmurodov Lazizbek made a living selling goods in his hometown of Shahrisabz. Now, after completing a year of vocational training supported by Korea’s development agency, he is stepping into a future that he once thought was unattainable. Lazizbek completed a training course at a center built by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and then passed a newly introduced national qualification exam. Held in May and June, the test attracted more than 200 applicants across three fields: automobile maintenance, welding and electrical work. Thirty candidates passed, with Lazizbek becoming the country’s first officially certified electrician. “I studied electrical systems through a KOICA program,” said Lazizbek during the certificate ceremony in Tashkent on June 26. “Now I have proof of my skills, and I believe this will open doors for me both in Uzbekistan and internationally.” The qualification exam forms part of a broader development initiative launched by KOICA in cooperation with U

Jul 9, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Uzbek breaks ground by earning electrician certification via Korean training initiative
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