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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

Abortion legislation returns to spotlight after 7-year limbo

Seven years after the Constitutional Court struck down the abortion ban in Korea, the country’s stalled effort to establish a new legal framework has returned to the spotlight following President Lee Jae Myung’s call to review the introduction of the abortion pill mifepristone. The issue stems from legislation left unresolved since the court ruled in 2019 that the criminal provision on abortion was incompatible with the Constitution and ordered lawmakers to revise it by the end of 2020. Although the criminal provision lost its legal effect after the deadline passed, the National Assembly has yet to pass replacement legislation defining when and under what conditions abortions are permitted. Lee reignited the issue during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, criticizing the government’s handling of mifepristone, commonly known overseas as Mifegyne or Mifeprex, which has not been approved in Korea. “Even if it creates some difficulties for the government, women should be able to receive the medication under appropriate medical supervision. Leaving the situation as it is now is irresponsib

Jul 19, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Abortion legislation returns to spotlight after 7-year limbo
K-pop

IVE invited to MLB game, Jang Won-young to throw 1st pitch

K-pop girl group IVE has been invited to attend a Major League Baseball game on July 26 at New York’s Citi Field, where member Jang Won-young will throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the matchup between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to the group’s agency, Starship Entertainment, the group accepted an official invitation from the Mets. While all six members are expected to attend the event, Jang will represent the group on the mount before the game. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to throw the first pitch at a game watched by baseball fans around the world,” Jang said. “I’ll do my best to share positive energy with both the players and everyone in the stands.” The girl group will also film special content with former Korean major leaguer Kim Byung-hyun and former professional pitcher Dustin Nippert during its MLB visit. The appearance comes as IVE prepares to kick off the North American leg of its second world, “SHOW WHAT I AM." The group is scheduled to perform in Toronto, Oakland and several other cities between Tuesday and Aug. 9. T

Jul 17, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
IVE invited to MLB game, Jang Won-young to throw 1st pitch
Politics

Korean parents welcome gov't move to curb minors' social media use

A new plan by Korea's media watchdog to curb social media use by minors drew mixed reactions from parents, with some cautiously optimistic and others raising concerns. On Thursday, the Korea Communications Commission said it was considering restricting children under 14 from creating social media accounts and limiting addictive platform features for users under 19. Hong Eun-hee, a parent of a middle school student in Seoul, welcomed the proposal, saying she hopes it will help her child and other teenagers spend less time on social media. "They watch [YouTube] Shorts and [Instagram] Reels whenever they have a spare moment. They say they will watch for 10 minutes, but it becomes 20 minutes or an hour," Hong said. "They have difficulty controlling it themselves." She said her child often checks her phone while doing homework and resists putting it away before bed. "When parents try to control it on their own, it ends in a fight," Hong added. Parents also cite sleep deprivation, declining concentration, cyberbullying and exposure to gambling, sexual content and other harmful material as major

Jul 17, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korean parents welcome gov't move to curb minors' social media use
Defense

Defense export boom runs into overtime rule hurdle

Korea’s booming defense exports are running into a new challenge as manufacturers call for greater flexibility on working-hour rules, arguing that labor shortages and production deadlines are becoming harder to manage under the current 52-hour workweek. Defense companies say surging domestic and overseas orders have outpaced their ability to secure skilled workers, prompting the industry to seek broader use of the country’s special overtime system. But the Ministry of Employment and Labor maintains that it has no plans to ease the current framework for the defense sector, saying similar demands are raised across a wide range of industries. According to industry and government officials, major defense contractors recently met with labor ministry officials to explain the need for additional flexibility under the special overtime system, which allows employers to extend working hours beyond the statutory limit under limited circumstances with government approval. Defense manufacturers argue that the problem is not simply a shortage of workers, but a shortage of skilled workers. “Manufa

Jul 15, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Defense export boom runs into overtime rule hurdle
Defense

Korea launches military service support system for nationals abroad

The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) launched an interagency support network for overseas Koreans after finding that some citizens living abroad miss military service procedures simply because they are unfamiliar with Korea’s conscription system. The move reflects a broader demographic shift. As the number of multicultural families in Korea has grown over the decades, so too has the population of children born to one Korean and one foreign parent who reside outside Korea. Many of these individuals retain their Korean nationality — and the legal obligation to fulfill military service that comes with it — but grow up with little exposure to Korea's conscription system or the procedures it entails. The MMA formally launched the network on Tuesday with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Overseas Koreans Agency. The four agencies will work together to provide military service and nationality counseling, enlistment guidance and other support for Korean citizens living overseas, particularly those who have spent much of their lives abroad a

Jul 14, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea launches military service support system for nationals abroad
Defense

US commander praises Korea's RIMPAC leadership

HONOLULU — The top U.S. commander overseeing this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise praised the Republic of Korea Navy’s leadership in its first command of a major multinational maritime force, as Korea continues to take on larger leadership roles in the world’s largest naval exercise. Vice Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, commander of the Combined Task Force for RIMPAC 2026, said he was “extremely pleased” with the performance of Rear Adm. Kim In-ho, commander of the ROK Fleet, who is serving as Combined Maritime Component commander — the first time the role has been assigned to an Asian nation. “We are very happy to partner with the Republic of Korea and Rear Adm. In-ho Kim and his team,” Jablon said in a written interview with the Korean press corps. “I am extremely pleased with their performance.” He said training together in “complex, realistic scenarios” strengthens warfighting skills and interoperability, adding that such cooperation depends on partners continuing “to invest in their people and capabilities to increase their role in multinational maritime

Jul 12, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
US commander praises Korea's RIMPAC leadership
Defense

From 'cute navy' to RIMPAC command

HONOLULU — Foreign navies once referred to the Korean Navy as the “cute navy.” Rear Adm. Kim In-ho, commander of the Republic of Korea Fleet, recalled hearing the nickname from senior officers who participated in earlier Rim of the Pacific exercises (RIMPAC), when sending two frigates across the Pacific to Hawaii was considered an achievement. Those days are long gone. Today, Korea commands the maritime component of the world’s largest multinational naval exercise. Kim, the first officer from an Asian country to lead the Combined Force Maritime Component Command (CFMCC), said the experience extends beyond this year’s exercise and will help strengthen the Korean military’s combined maritime capabilities as it prepares for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul. “RIMPAC is designed to improve interoperability, protect sea lines of communication and strengthen multinational responses to maritime threats,” Kim told reporters during a media roundtable. “In that sense, it also provides a valuable opportunity for our military to further stre

Jul 10, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
From 'cute navy' to RIMPAC command
Defense

Philippine captain praises Korea-built frigate after 1st year at sea

HONOLULU — Alongside Korean warships drawing crowds at this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), another vessel built in Korea has been attracting attention — one flying the Philippine flag. The BRP Miguel Malvar, the Philippine Navy’s newest frigate built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, entered service a year ago and is taking part in the multinational exercise for the first time. Capt. Paul Michael P. Hechanova, the ship’s first commanding officer, said the frigate has operated without major problems since its delivery and has met the Philippine Navy’s operational requirements. “So far, the ship has really met the requirements of the Philippine Navy when it comes to capabilities,” Hechanova told a group of Korean reporters aboard the frigate Tuesday. “We have not encountered any major problems. The ship is well buit.” He said the vessel was also deployed to India’s MILAN exercise earlier this year. “Its seakeeping is very good, and the design has been excellent so far,” he said, comparing it with the Jose Rizal-class frigates. “It is bigger, heavier and

Jul 9, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Philippine captain praises Korea-built frigate after 1st year at sea
Defense

Korean Navy's P-8A demonstrates submarine-hunting capability at RIMPAC

HONOLULU — At 9:54 a.m. Monday, a Republic of Korea Navy P-8A Poseidon roared down the runway at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and climbed over the Pacific, heading toward its assigned patrol area. Minutes later, a U.S. Navy P-8A lifted off from Kalaeloa Airport, marking the start of another joint anti-submarine warfare mission during this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). For the Korean Navy, the flight carried added significance. It marked the Korean Navy’s first RIMPAC deployment of the newly introduced P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and the first time reporters were allowed to observe one of its operational missions while onboard. The exercise centered on tracking a submarine target simulator designed to replicate the movements of a real submarine. Before the patrol aircraft arrived, the U.S. Navy deployed separate simulators into the Korean and American operating sectors. Once in the water, the devices quietly followed preprogrammed routes while attempting to avoid detection. The mission for both aircraft was straightforward in concept but notoriously difficult in pra

Jul 8, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korean Navy's P-8A demonstrates submarine-hunting capability at RIMPAC
Defense

Still evolving after 4 decades: Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt at RIMPAC 2026

HONOLULU — Standing beneath rows of fighter jets on the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), Capt. William Mathis greeted visiting reporters with a smile before introducing the warship in a few simple words. “This is a floating city.” The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier carries about 3,000 sailors assigned to the ship and another 2,000 with Carrier Air Wing 11. “We go out to sea and we run four and a half acres (1.8 hectares) of sovereign U.S. territory,” Mathis said. “It’s a floating airport, and really it’s a floating city.” Moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the carrier’s flight deck was lined with F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning II fighters, EA-18G Growlers and E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Sailors moved steadily between aircraft and maintenance equipment as the ship prepared to get underway. Commissioned in 1986, Theodore Roosevelt marks its 40th anniversary this year. Yet Mathis said the ship’s age matters less than its ability to adapt. “We alway

Jul 7, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Still evolving after 4 decades: Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt at RIMPAC 2026
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