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.
Landing vehicles of the Marine Corps drive on a road in Incheon, west of Seoul, Wednesday, as part of the Hoguk exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps against possible provocations from North Korea. The annual exercise, which started on Monday, will run through Friday. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-jiDebate has resurfaced over the existence of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, as leading conservative main opposition party presidential contender Yoon Seok-youl brought up the ministry's existence when he announced his election pledges last week. Yoon Seok-youl /Yonhap“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family failed to properly perform its role to accomplish gender equality, but rather disappointed the public by treating men as potential criminals,” Yoon said, Thursday, while announcing his campaign pledges targeted at young voters.“I will reorganize the ministry and readjust its tasks and budget so that the renewed ministry can embrace diversity and realize practical gender equality between men and women.”Experts say that this particular campaign pledge is aimed at appealing to young male voters, who often question the reasons for the ministry's existence and call for its abolishment.Yoon also said he would remove “women” from the ministry's full Korean name, which translates to “Ministry of Women and Family.&rdquo
GettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiExpectations are high that people will be soon able to enjoy “normal lives” like before the COVID-19 pandemic, as the government is preparing for a scheme to return to normalcy gradually starting next month since meeting its targeted vaccination rate. This forecast change, however, is not entirely welcomed by some people, as they will have to face an “unwanted” normalcy. For young workers, after-work dinners that often involve binge-drinking, or “hoesik” in Korean, are one such undesired past practice. Work dinners have virtually ceased since last year in compliance with social distancing rules limiting group sizes at restaurants and bars. During that time, they have instead had increased personal time in the evenings with family or for their hobbies. However, with the nation's scheduled entry into the “Living with COVID-19” scheme next month, more and more workers are making plans for year-end meetings and dinners, which is making many workers, especially younger employees, uncomfortable.Jang Ui-jin, 29, wh
People wait to see whether they have any side effects after receiving coronavirus vaccine shots at COVID-19 vaccination center in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-jiNearly 70 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but some people still believe and spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about the vaccines, refusing to get injections. The misinformation and groundless claims are being fueled by isolated cases of severe side effects involving vaccinated people. Experts urge the government to take countermeasures against false information, which could prevent people from getting vaccinations or vaccinated people from getting booster shots.There are hundreds of online communities populated by people refusing to get vaccinations due to their distrust of the coronavirus vaccines. Besides just fear, many people upload stories lacking any scientific grounding. One account claimed that a person experienced “vaccine sh
Police try to prevent members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions from occupying a street in downtown Seoul, Wednesday, during a labor rally. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiCivic groups and local governments have filed complaints with the police against the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for pushing ahead with mass rallies across the nation, Wednesday, in violation of the social distancing measures and the law on assembly.The umbrella union organized a general strike and held demonstrations, including one in Seoul where about 27,000 participants took to the street, even though such a large-scale gathering was illegal according to the current social distancing measures. Not only the public health authorities, but also many citizens have expressed concerns over a possible virus resurgence as the nation is moving toward a “Living with COVID-19” scheme.A civic group representing people preparing for the bar exam filed a complaint with the police, Thursday, asking them to punish all participants of the rallies for violating the laws on assembly and infectious disease
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions take to the streets in Seodaemun District, central Seoul, Wednesday, during a mass rally, despite government warnings not to hold it out of fear of spreading the COVID-19 virus. YonhapMass gathering causes traffic chaos, raises concern over virus resurgenceBy Bahk Eun-jiA major umbrella union staged a mass rally in central Seoul, Wednesday, causing serious traffic chaos in the downtown area. Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held the demonstration to demand better working conditions for irregular workers and a minimum wage hike, despite the authorities' repeated warning not to hold it out of concerns over a possible resurgence of COVID-19 infections.The union said about 550,000 of its members staged a walkout from their workplaces nationwide, while 80,000 took part in rallies in 13 cities across the country, including 27,000 in Seoul.The KCTU did not disclose the venue of the mass gathering in Seoul until the last moment, as police had not given permission for it, defining it as illegal. The National Police
Pusan National University's campus / Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-jiLee Ju-young, who graduated from high school in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in 2020, was admitted to Kangwon National University, a prestigious national university in the province. But she chose to enter Dongguk University in Seoul, where she was also admitted. “As a national university, Kangwon is not bad because the tuition is a lot cheaper than Dongguk, and the school is close to my parents' home. But I decided not to attend the school because I was not sure if I could land a good job after graduating from a regional university,” Lee said. “My parents and most of my friends agreed. I think many other high school students in my neighborhood would prefer universities in Seoul too.”Lee's decision is a very common case among students outside of Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan area. Many national universities in other provinces, even prestigious ones, are experiencing a sharp decrease in the number of students. The cause is a combination of the declining birthrate, the lack of infrastruct
Camping vans and cars fill a camping ground in Gokseong County, South Jeolla Province, in this July 26, 2020 photo. YonhapLocal governments troubled by poorly mannered campersBy Bahk Eun-jiCamping has been gaining in popularity, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is an activity in which people can enjoy nature in a quiet space while minimizing contact with others. While people usually enjoy camping with tents at designated campsites, many also choose auto camping, called “chabak” in Korean, which translates to, “spending the night in one's car.”The number of campsites in Korea has increased from 1,851 to 2,760, as of July of this year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. The number of camping cars registered with the transport ministry also increased from 3,325 in 2019, to 5,610 in 2020, and that of trailers from 10,783 in 2019, to 17,979 in 2020.However, this trend has grown without a corresponding increase in civic awareness concerning camping etiquette and relevant laws, resulting in problems such as environmental damage and
Plants are covered with frost on Mount Halla on the southern resort island of Jeju, Sunday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiUnseasonably low temperatures hit the country over the weekend, forcing people to put on their winter coats early, with cold weather alerts being issued in almost all regions.On Sunday, Seoul's morning lows fell to 1.3 degrees Celsius, which is usually not seen until the end of November or early December. It was the lowest mid-October temperature in 67 years since 1.2 degrees was recorded on Oct. 13, 1954, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).With strong winds, the windchill was minus 3 degrees. The strong winds caused some property damage, breaking a window at a restaurant in Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul on Saturday. Northern Gyeonggi Province and some mountainous regions across the nation recorded subzero temperatures and had the season's first frost. The mercury at Mount Seorak in Gangwon Province nose-dived to minus 9.3 degrees. The KMA issued cold wave alerts on Saturday evening for almost all parts of the country, with Seoul having a cold wave a
An image of Korea University (KU) Medicine Koyoung Campus in Gangnam District, Seoul / Courtesy of KU MedicineBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea University (KU) Medicine has supported the government's quarantine efforts as a large general hospital since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.It was the first university hospital in the country to send medical workers to Daegu, which was a virus hotbed in the first wave of the pandemic here, and operated three facilities in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province for treating patients with mild symptoms. Doctors and researchers at KU Medicine also participated in developing COVID-19 diagnostic kits, vaccines and plasma treatments, as well as giving policy recommendations to health authorities.These are part of KU Medicine's efforts to invest in future value rather than seeking short-term results.The university hospital is also expanding its facilities and rearranging their functions and resources to provide medical treatments and pursue research and education.In addition to three existing hospitals ― Anam and Guro in Seoul and Ansan in Gyeonggi Province ― it ope