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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

Only 3 in 10 Koreans wash hands with soap after using toilet: survey

gettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiOnly three out of 10 Koreans wash their hands with soap for at least 30 seconds after using the toilet, a report showed, Thursday. Nearly 90 percent of the people surveyed for the report believed they were exercising sufficient personal hygiene, but fell short of health authorities' guidelines.The report was made through a phone survey on 5,000 people during October last year by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), and data collected from direct observation by health officials of 2,000 people using public toilet basins.To ensure proper hygiene, hands must be washed thoroughly with soap in running water for a minimum 30 seconds, the KDCA said. In the phone survey, 87.3 percent of respondents said that they wash their hands properly, up from 72.4 percent the previous year.Among those who said they don't, 51.4 percent said they simply hadn't developed the habit of handwashing, while 29 percent said it is bothersome and 5 percent cited the absence of soap in the washrooms they use as the reasons for failing to observe basic hygiene.KDCA wor

Oct 15, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Only 3 in 10 Koreans wash hands with soap after using toilet: survey
Health

Korea officially prepares for 'living with COVID-19'

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum speaks during a meeting of a government-civilian joint committee handling virus prevention measures at the Government Complex Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapOver 60% of population fully vaccinatedBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea has officially started discussion on “living with COVID-19” measures as the full vaccination rate is expected to reach 70 percent of the population soon, and the nation will need quarantine guidelines different from the current ones that are focused on banning activities and operations.The government launched a government-civilian joint committee, Wednesday, for the transition to the “living with COVID-19” era, which will collect opinions and give advice for new guidelines, which it aims to announce at the end of this month and implement in November.Such a move has come as 60 percent of the population was fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, and the 70 percent goal, which the government believes as the starting point for herd immunity, is expected to be reached earlier than its initial forecast of Oct. 23.“After the times of o

Oct 13, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea officially prepares for 'living with COVID-19'
Health

Violations of social distancing rules growing

People wait to get tested at a COVID-19 testing center in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiCases of people violating COVID-19 social distancing rules have been on the rise, as public awareness of compliance with the rules has loosened amid the protracted pandemic as well as expectations for an announced transition to a “living with COVID-19” policy. It was found that on Sept. 18 during the Chuseok long weekend, 75 people visited a privately owned, mostly uninhabited island about 3.3 kilometers from Seungbong Island in Ongjin County, Incheon, by boat for a beach party.Video footage of the party went viral on social media, showing about 20 tents set up on the beach, with people drinking alcohol and not wearing face masks. The event was organized by a Korean national who collected money from the participants, who were mostly foreigners. At the time of the party, the greater Seoul area, which includes Incheon, was under Level 4 measures, the highest level of social distancing rules here. Among the 75 partygoers, four tested positive later, according to the Korea Disease Co

Oct 12, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Violations of social distancing rules growing
Defense

Korea to start study on accepting transgender soldiers

Citizens mourn in front of a photo wall of the late former staff sergeant Byun Hee-soo, who was forcibly discharged from the Army after receiving a gender-reassignment operation, in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Thursday, after a local court ruled the discharge should be cancelled. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe military plans to begin a comprehensive policy review and study about the issue of whether to allow transgender people to serve in the armed forces. The move comes after a local court ruled posthumously in favor of deceased Staff Sergeant Byun Hee-soo who was forcibly discharged after undergoing gender-reassignment surgery ― a decision which rights groups say will set milestone on the protection of sexual minorities' rights in the military.The Ministry of National Defense said, Friday, it will launch a study this year regarding whether ― and how ― to change the regulations to accept transgender service members. Earlier in March, after Byun killed herself, Defense Minister Seo Wook told a National Assembly National Defense Committee meeting that the ministry had

Oct 8, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea to start study on accepting transgender soldiers
Law & Crime

Rapper NO:EL faces prison term for 2nd drunk driving violation

By Bahk Eun-jiRapper Chang Yong-jun, 21, better known as NO:EL, is likely to be sentenced to prison after being caught drunk driving while being under a suspended jail sentence for the same offense about two years ago.Rapper NO:EL / Courtesy of Indigo MusicSeocho Police said, Wednesday, they are investigating the rapper on suspicions of driving without a license, drunk driving, refusing to undergo a sobriety test and obstructing official duty.Chang, the son of main opposition People Power Party lawmaker Chang Je-won, was allegedly involved in a minor collision while driving a Mercedes Benz sedan in Banpo-dong, Seocho District, at around 10:30 p.m., Sept. 18.He refused to identify himself to police officers who arrived at the scene or undergo a sobriety test. Chang also pushed and head-butted the officers for about 30 minutes. He was taken to a police station, but was sent home as he was too drunk to be questioned, police said.This was the second time for Chang to be caught driving drunk. He was indicted for ramming into a motorcycle while driving under the influence in September 2019

Oct 7, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Rapper NO:EL faces prison term for 2nd drunk driving violation
Society

'Financial competitiveness is Seoul's key growth factor'

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a discussion session with Jeffrey Jones, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea's Board of Governors, organized by The Korea Times and the city government at City Hall, Sept. 27. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukMayor seeks cooperation with central gov't to ease regulationsBy Bahk Eun-jiOne of the major goals of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is to restore the capital's urban competitiveness, and he said that this is an impossible goal without achieving financial competitiveness. “Financial competitiveness is a basic strength of a city or country, and an important economic growth factor that induces investment,” Oh said. “You can see it from the recent expansion of Korea's fintech companies. Using science and cutting-edge technology, they have expanded their influence into both other industries and our daily lives.”He mentioned Singapore and Hong Kong, two cities that have higher per capita income in Asia, adding that leading global companies and capital have concentrated there, enabling the creation of high-quality

Oct 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
'Financial competitiveness is Seoul's key growth factor'
  • Seoul to provide one-stop support to attract foreign investment
Society

Seoul to provide one-stop support to attract foreign investment

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, speaks during a discussion session with Jeffrey Jones, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea's Board of Governors, organized by The Korea Times and the city government at City Hall, Sept. 27. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukMayor Oh vows to turn capital into Asia's financial hubBy Bahk Eun-jiSeveral Korean administrations have long sought to turn Seoul into an Asian financial hub, but the capital has been losing its attractiveness as an investment destination due to a wide range of factors, including strict regulations, an unattractive tax regime and the inflexible labor market. Feeling a sense of urgency to shift strategies, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who took office in April, has vowed to create a foreigner-friendly environment by offering a full range of support services ranging from housing to education to attract more financial talent and foreign capital to the capital.Turning Seoul into a leading financial hub of Asia is a core part of his Seoul Vision 2030, Oh's master plan for the city government's policy direction over the next dec

Oct 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul to provide one-stop support to attract foreign investment
  • 'Financial competitiveness is Seoul's key growth factor'
Health

Korea moving to introduce state-run health insurance for pets

gettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiLee Seog-jae, a 65-year-old resident of Songpa District, Seoul, has been raising a Yorkshire terrier named Aree for 14 years. Because of her old age, Aree has been suffering from cataracts, so Lee has to take her to a vet often.“Every time I take Aree to the vet to renew her prescription for eye medicine, I have to pay 25,000 won,” Lee said. “But one day I learned that the medicine is the same kind that's used for people, and that it costs only 3,000 won to 4,000 won if a person gets a prescription from a doctor, because the medicine is covered by the national health insurance service.”Many pet owners, like Lee, have been complaining about the high costs of veterinary care and treatments. What bothers them more is that different veterinary clinics charge different fees to treat the same diseases, as there are no shared or official standards for veterinary fees.In this situation, calls for offering state-run health insurance for pets are gaining momentum, with the number of pet owners here reaching nearly 15 million.In one such move

Oct 5, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea moving to introduce state-run health insurance for pets
Society

Hijab question in job interview discriminatory: rights watchdog

By Bahk Eun-jiIt is a discriminatory act in recruitment to ask an applicant about whether she will wear a hijab while working, when the work has nothing to do with the head covering, the country's human rights watchdog said Monday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) accepted a petition from a woman, who applied for an intern position as a translator at a nongovernmental organization here, and recommended the head of the group come up with measures to prevent a recurrence of such discriminatory questioning in hiring.The offices of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea / Korea Times fileAccording to the commission and multiple media reports, the woman, whose nationality was not disclosed, said she was rejected from the position in June 2019 after the organization chief, who was the interviewer, told her that a person wearing a hijab would not be accepted by other workers from different countries.During the commission's investigation, however, the interviewer said he told her that other Muslim employees there worked without a hijab and asked her opinion about

Oct 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Hijab question in job interview discriminatory: rights watchdog
Society

College admissions test for art majors

Applicants for art and design majors take painting tests at Sahmyook University in northern Seoul, Sunday. Dozens of universities across the country held written or other tests over the weekend for irregular admissions. Yonhap

Oct 3, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
College admissions test for art majors
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