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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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Society

Anyang, Suwon getting flak for raising Korean Unification flags on Liberation Day

Officials of Suwon City pose in front of the Suwon City Council building, Saturday, after hoisting the Korean Unification Flag to celebrate National Liberation Day. Courtesy of Suwon CityBy Bahk Eun-jiTwo cities in Gyeonggi Province, Suwon and Anyang, are under heavy fire for hoisting the Korean Unification Flag in their celebration of National Liberation Day that was celebrated Sunday. On national holidays, Korea's national flag, the Taegeukgi, is raised on every building and along every roadside.According to the local government offices of Suwon and Anyang, they opted for the unification flag instead of the national flag, to “express their wish for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.” But some citizens slammed the decision, claiming that it damaged the dignity of the national flag.The two cities held a flag-raising ceremony Saturday and hung the Korean Unification Flag on local government buildings.The ceremony was attended by the mayors of both cities, as well as the representatives of civic organizations such as the South Korean Committee for the Implementat

Aug 16, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Anyang, Suwon getting flak for raising Korean Unification flags on Liberation Day
Society

Concerns growing over schools reopening amid Delta variant spread

High school seniors in Seoul head to school after summer vacation, Aug. 10. YonhapEducation ministry optimistic about face-to-face classesBy Bahk Eun-jiConcerns are being raised over the education ministry's move to allow schools to run in-person classes even under the Level 4 social distancing measures, while the number of daily new COVID-19 cases here is still hovering around 2,000. After the ministry announced its plan early last week for the upcoming fall semester, a number of petitions have been posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website calling for a review of the plan.“I agree with the government's move to bring more children back to classrooms, but I don't think it's the right time to implement the policy, as the fast-spreading Delta variant has been producing increasingly more cases,” said a petitioner, who identified herself as a mother of two children attending kindergarten and elementary school.“In a situation where children can't get vaccinated, parents and students should have a choice whether they will go to school.” Under the new rules in school, betw

Aug 16, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Concerns growing over schools reopening amid Delta variant spread
  • New infections dip to 1,500s amid concerns over post-holiday surge
Society

Myeong-dong losing luster as tourist shopping destination

A street in Myeong-dong, a popular tourist and shopping district in Seoul, is quiet, Friday, as the government has enforced the toughest social distancing level amid a new wave of COVID-19 cases across the country. YonhapVacancy rate of shops increasing despite falling rents By Bahk Eun-jiAs the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for more than a year, leading to the virtual suspension of international air travel, merchants in Myeong-dong in downtown Seoul, a major shopping district and popular foreign tourist attraction, appear to have had no choice but to leave the district. Foreign tourists have stopped visiting since the outbreak, and even Koreans have become accustomed to refraining from going out or eating out amid fears of coronavirus infection.Along one of the main alleys through the district, stretching between Myeongdong Station and Myeongdong Art Theater, there were a number of empty shops with “For Lease” signs in their windows, Friday.According to a commercial real estate rental trend survey, released recently by the Korea Real Estate Board, the vacancy rate of s

Aug 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Myeong-dong losing luster as tourist shopping destination
Health

Patients in critical condition increasing amid Delta variant spread

Workers move boxes of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a cargo terminal at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe number of COVID-19 patients in serious or critical condition is increasing alongside the spread of the more infectious Delta variant strain. This situation is raising concerns that the nation's death rate from the virus, which has dropped due to the vaccination drive, could rise again, considering the Delta and other variants are known to reduce the immune responses of vaccinated people.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Thursday, the nation reported 1,776 daily new infection cases for Wednesday, bringing the total to 205,702.As of Wednesday, 369 people were categorized as seriously or critically ill, meaning that they need respirators and are isolated in negative pressure wards. The figure was up 40 from a day before.“Similar to in other countries, we understand that if the infection rate due to the Delta variant increases, the number of patients in critical condition will also rise,” Park Young-joon,

Aug 5, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Patients in critical condition increasing amid Delta variant spread
  • New cases over 1,700 for 2nd day, toughest virus curbs likely to be extended again
Society

90% of college students demand tuition refunds

Students hold a protest in Seoul, in this April 3 photo, calling for a refund from universities, as they have had to pay full tuition for "low-quality" online classes, and have been unable to use school facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiNearly 90 percent of college students want their tuition refunded, even if only partially, as their second-semester courses are likely to be provided mostly online again, similar to the past three semesters since early 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They claim it is unreasonable for schools to charge the full amount of tuition, because students are not using on-campus facilities, and the quality of online classes is inferior to regular, in-person ones.After consultations with universities, the Ministry of Education announced on June 24 that schools would expand in-person lectures gradually during the fall semester, starting with classes requiring experiments or practicums, and those with few students. The ministry had originally said that offline lectures would be expanded starting from the end of September, by which ti

Aug 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
90% of college students demand tuition refunds
Society

Elementary schoolgirl writes letter hoping to find remains of American soldier

A photo of Yoo Ah-jin, 11, right, a student of Waegwan Elementary School in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, and the letter she wrote to Chilgok County Governor Baek Sun-ki in the hope of finding the remains of James Elliott, an American soldier who went missing in the region during the Korean War. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiAn elementary school student wrote a letter asking local authorities to search for the remains of an American soldier who went missing while on a mission during the 1950-53 Korean War.Yoo Ah-jin, 11, of Waegwan Elementary School in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, sent a letter to Baek Sun-ki, the head of the county, after she learned about the story of James Elliott, a U.S. Army lieutenant who went missing during a night operation around a bridge in the region in August 1950.After reading the story from a memorial tablet set up near the bridge, she wrote the letter, saying, “I am writing this letter because I am feeling so sorry for the son and daughter who are still waiting for their father.“I heard that excavation work for Korean War veterans

Aug 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Elementary schoolgirl writes letter hoping to find remains of American soldier
Society

Local governments working on 'BTS place marketing'

BTS members lie on sun beds at Maengbang Beach in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, during a photo shoot for the album jacket of “Butter.” Screenshot from TwitterBy Bahk Eun-jiIt is not new that K-pop boy band BTS has a huge influence on not only the global music industry but also many other cultural areas.Especially in Korea, the sites that members have visited for music videos, photo shoots or even personal trips have become must-visit destinations for fans, drawing not only domestic tourists but also tourists from abroad.Although foreign tourists' visits are limited for now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local governments here keep promoting attractions tied to BTS.Maengbang Beach for 'Butter'Sun beds and parasols have been set up at Maengbang Beach in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, by the city government, following requests from BTS fans. Courtesy of Samcheok CitySamcheok City in Gangwon Province recently installed a “BTS Photo Zone” on Maengbang Beach where the band members posed for the album art for their Billboard hit digital single, “Butter,” which

Aug 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Local governments working on 'BTS place marketing'
Health

Korea on alert for future vaccine supply amid more variants, price hikes

Arriving passengers are guided by quarantine officials at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. YonhapKorea reports first 2 cases of Delta Plus variantBy Bahk Eun-jiConcerns are rising over possible future shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, as more and more countries are considering adopting booster shots amid growing cases of variants, which reduce the immune responses of even already vaccinated people. Some vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer and Moderna, also raised the prices of their products for Europe, a move that is likely to affect Korea in next year's procurement.According to media reports, many countries are seeking booster shots for elderly or vulnerable groups. Israel, which has one of the highest vaccination rates of any country, started offering booster shots on July 12 for vulnerable groups, and on July 30 for elderly people who had received their second jabs at least five months ago.The U.K. and Germany are planning to offer the shots from September, while the U.S. is also considering it.The need for booster shots has been raised, as the

Aug 3, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea on alert for future vaccine supply amid more variants, price hikes
Health

Pet sitting grows in popularity

Pet sitters send photos of their clients' pets to the owners to let them know their pets are fine. gettyimagesbankDemand for pet sitting services rises in vacation seasonBy Bahk Eun-jiYim Ji-hye, 30, an office worker, had to leave her cat at home for a week recently when she went on a business trip to Jeju Island. She was worried about her pet staying home alone ― especially during a heat wave ― but couldn't leave the air conditioner on for the whole week, or leave the window open as she worried about her cat's safety. None of her relatives or friends were available to take care of the pet due to having their own commitments or animal allergies.Yim learned about a pet care service, but was reluctant to use it as it would mean the sitter, a stranger, would come into her home while she was away.“But the sitter used an action cam on her body to record every step of the service from her entering my home to her playing with my cat. I was so relieved because I could check in real time,” Yim said.As the number of pet owners here has reached nearly 15 million, they have growing c

Aug 3, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Pet sitting grows in popularity
Society

Pandemic fails to curb tourists flocking to Jeju

Vacationers enjoy surfing at a beach on Jeju Island, Monday. YonhapOver 1 million people expected to visit island in July amid soaring virus casesBy Bahk Eun-jiJeju Island is seeing a growing number of tourists, despite the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people weary of the year-long-plus quarantine measures are heading to the resort island as a summer vacation destination. The large number of visitors from mainland Korea is inevitably pushing up the number of coronavirus cases on the island, increasing the concerns for the health authorities and residents there. According to the Jeju Tourism Association (JTA), 990,000 people visited Jeju from July 1 to 28. By the end of the month, the figure is expected to rise to around 1.1 million.It is not unusual for more than 1 million people to visit Jeju every month, as it is one of the country's most famous tourist destinations, but the health authorities worry that infections on the island are growing due to the increased number of visitors. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), reported 423 COVID-19 cases on Jej

Jul 29, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Pandemic fails to curb tourists flocking to Jeju
  • Daily virus cases dip as authorities mull stronger virus curbs
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