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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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Health

Vaccine pass system for teenagers pushed back to March

A visitor scans a QR code of a vaccine pass app to enter a large discount store in Seoul, Friday. YonhapCurrent social distancing measures extended to Jan. 16By Bahk Eun-jiChildren aged 12 to 18 will be subject to the COVID-19 vaccine pass system from March 1, a month later than the government's initial plan, following protests and concerns from parents over its hasty implementation.The health and education ministries said, Friday, that the system will be applied to the age group in March when the new semester begins, for accessing multiuse facilities including private academies or “hagwon,” libraries, study cafes and PC rooms.A one-month grace period will also be applied during March, and violators won't be fined until April 1.The government initially planned to enforce the vaccine pass system for the age group from Feb. 1, as the number of daily infection cases here has spiked. But this plan faced strong criticism from children and parents for virtually forcing vaccination without full information about the possible side effects on youth. The plan was also denounced for

Dec 31, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Vaccine pass system for teenagers pushed back to March
Global Community

Multicultural families' fathers group launched

The members of “Moduda,” a group of fathers from multicultural families based in Jecheon and Danyang of North Chungcheong Province, pose during a launch event at the Chungcheongbuk-do International Education Institute Bukbu Branch in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of the Chungcheongbuk-do International Education Institute Bukbu BranchBy Bahk Eun-jiThe concept of parenting as a shared job for both mothers and fathers has gradually gained acceptance in Korea, but in many international marriage couples here, it is still recognized as mainly the role of immigrant wives. However, in one region, fathers of multicultural families who want to take an active part in childcare and are eager to communicate with other parents of multicultural backgrounds have launched a group, named “Moduda,” short for the Korean phrase meaning, “we are all multicultural.”This parents' group is comprised of Korean men who are married to wives of foreign nationality and who have children attending kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school in Jec

Dec 30, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Multicultural families' fathers group launched
Global Community

Central, local gov'ts increase support for multicultural children

gettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiThe central and local governments are expanding their support for children with multicultural backgrounds, with the goals of guaranteeing their right to education and better facilitating their integration into Korean society.The Ministry of Justice said, Wednesday, that the F-4 visa for overseas Koreans will be available for underage children here who are either ethnic Korean Chinese or ethnic Koreans from former Soviet Union states, starting Jan. 3.Children attending elementary, middle or high school here, or those between ages six and 18 not attending school due to long-term treatment for disease or disabilities, will be subject to the new visa system.The measure was designed to resolve unstable stay statuses and guarantee the right to education for children eligible for F-1 visas, which allow for temporary stays in Korea of up to two years for family members in accordance with their parents' residential visa status.Until now, these children were required to graduate high school in Korea in order to receive the F-4 visa. Previously, if a child's parents

Dec 29, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Central, local gov'ts increase support for multicultural children
Environment & Animals

Over 2,000 wild dogs inhabit Jeju: study

Wild dogs are shown near a village on Jeju Island in this provided photo. Courtesy of Jeju Self-Governing Provincial GovernmentBy Bahk Eun-jiAround 2,000 wild dogs are estimated to live in the mountains and hills of Jeju Island, becoming the top predators on the island, a study showed, Tuesday. According to a study conducted by Jeju National University's Wildlife Rescue Center on wild dog habitation of the island from April 1 to the Dec. 15, between 1,626 and 2,168 wild dogs are presumed to live in its mountainous areas, between 300 meters to 600 meters above sea level.The rescue center defined a wild dog in the first instance as “a dog that was once owned by people but was lost or abandoned, and has come to live and breed in the mountains and fields.” The offspring of the animals are also defined as “wild.”The estimated number of wild dogs is based on how many animals have been caught in the hills and mountains in the 300 meter to 600 meter range, and analysis of the environment in the areas connecting Mount Halla and the coastal lowland village areas.The wil

Dec 29, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Over 2,000 wild dogs inhabit Jeju: study
Society

'Seoul Learn' platform draws positive reviews

A student accesses online lectures on Seoul Learn, a learning platform introduced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, in this photo provided by the city. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Bahk Eun-jiSeoul Learn, an online learning platform introduced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to bridge the education gap for underprivileged students, is displaying high user and satisfaction rates, according to the city.Some 8,800 children have registered since the website providing lectures opened on Aug. 27, meeting 88 percent of the membership goal set by the city government.One user was taking an average of five courses.Seoul Learn is an educational support service implemented as part of Mayor Oh Se-hoon's campaign promises to restore the collapsed “educational ladder” in the country, by providing online lectures from popular private academies, or “hagwon” in Korean, for free. Elementary, middle and high school students from low-income households, children from mixed heritage families as well as those not attending school can join the website and use t

Dec 29, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
'Seoul Learn' platform draws positive reviews
Health

Local governments seek rebound in medical tourism

A dermatologist treats patients from Mongolia at a medical center in Daegu, in this April 23, 2019 photo. Courtesy of Daegu Metropolitan CityBy Bahk Eun-jiThe COVID-19 pandemic, which has lasted for almost two years, has impacted local governments' efforts to promote medical tourism. Foreign patients come here to receive treatment at local medical institutions, during which they are also free to go sightseeing, shopping and experience Korean culture, and many programs are offered by public and private agencies to offer support at various stages of their stay.But medical tourists have been unable to visit the country due to travel restrictions and fears of infection during travel. Unless they need to get urgent treatment available only in Korea, many who planned to travel here for medical purposes have delayed their plans because a large ratio of medical tourists used to come for health checkups or cosmetic surgeries.According to data from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the number of medical tourists visiting Korea last year was 117,069, down 76.5 percent from 2019's

Dec 28, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Local governments seek rebound in medical tourism
Health

Workers reluctant to receive booster shot without vaccine leave

Members of the public remain under observation to check for any serious side effects after receiving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at an inoculation center in Gwangju in this Nov. 15 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiReceiving a booster shot to defend against COVID-19 has become a necessity rather than an option as the government has made the vaccine pass system mandatory in order to access multiuse facilities within a six month expiration date window. However, many office workers are complaining about the additional dose because most companies are now not providing any vaccine leave, unlike during the first round two-shot vaccination drive.Decisions such as this are not only seeing workers voicing their frustration but also are having the counterproductive effect of making them reluctant to get the third shot.Kim Tae-yeon, a teacher at a private day care center in Seoul's Jungnang District, hasn't decided yet whether to get the booster shot.The head of the day care center told the teachers that she can't give them vaccine leave for the booster shot, so teachers should receive the vaccine

Dec 28, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Workers reluctant to receive booster shot without vaccine leave
  • Coronavirus: Number of critical cases surges to record high
Health

'Beep' sound for unvaccinated people feared to violate human rights

Visitors scan QR codes of a vaccine pass app on their mobile phones to enter a restaurant in Seoul, Dec. 14. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwonBy Bahk Eun-jiCriticism is rising over the government's plan to introduce a warning sound function to the vaccine pass system to check the validity period of the permit and identify unvaccinated people.Critics say it could violate their human rights and lead to discrimination, treating unvaccinated people like shoplifters or criminals with electronic anklets.According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the 180-day validity period of a vaccine pass from the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will take effect on Jan. 3 at multiuse facilities including restaurants and cafes, a measure to encourage people to get booster shots. When unvaccinated people or those with expired passes scan their QR code, the scanner will beep. The headquarters said the alarm function is expected to ease the burden on eatery owners and facility operators who have to check every customer's vaccine pass, especially during busy times.But this has caused human righ

Dec 27, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
'Beep' sound for unvaccinated people feared to violate human rights
Politics

Meeting on support for postpartum care

Lee Jae-myung, left, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a meeting at the party headquarters in Seoul, Sunday, to discuss policy ideas on a public postpartum care service center, one of his campaign pledges. Yonhap

Dec 26, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Meeting on support for postpartum care
Society

Stuck in snow

Vehicles are stuck in heavy snow on a sloping road in Mokpo, Sunday, after the city received a heavy snowfall. Southwestern parts of the country and eastern coastal cities have received huge amounts of snow since Saturday, while the mercury dropped to the season's lowest level so far in almost all parts of the nation, with Seoul's temperature going down to minus 15.5 degrees Celsius. Yonhap

Dec 26, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Stuck in snow
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