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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

Young opposition politician emerges as strong party chief candidate

By Bahk Eun-jiLee Jun-seok, a young politician of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), is emerging as one of the strongest candidates to take on the leadership of the conservative party, which plans to select its new head next month, a poll showed Wednesday.According to the survey of 1,010 adults nationwide conducted by Hangil Research from Saturday to Tuesday, 15.9 percent of the respondents said former four-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won would be the best fit for the PPP chief position among party members who have announced their bids for the position. Lee ranked second with 13.1 percent of support, beating more experienced politicians including former floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young with 7.5 percent, and Rep. Kim Woong with 6.1 percent.Lee Jun-seok / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geunThe results were similar among supporters of the PPP, with Na coming in first and Lee in second, although the support rate gap was wider at 27.3 percent for Na and 15.2 percent for Lee.Lee said he would seek the party leadership to help the PPP come up with policies that appeal to young voters in th

May 12, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Young opposition politician emerges as strong party chief candidate
  • Ruling party's presidential hopefuls gear up for primary race
Politics

Conservative students' group posts leaflets satirizing Moon government

Kim Tae-il, head of the New National Council of Student Representatives, a conservative college students' group, stages anti-government protest near Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. Courtesy of New National Council of Student RepresentativesBy Bahk Eun-jiA conservative college students' group has put up posters satirizing President Moon Jae-in at around 100 universities and the National Assembly building. The poster, created by the New National Council of Student Representatives (NCSR), is written in the form of a letter of apology, but in fact satirizes the high-handed manner the Moon administration has shown on many controversial issues.Titled “Letter of Apology,” the poster references President Moon's recent decision not to take legal action against a 34-year-old man who allegedly “insulted” him by distributing leaflets that called him “a dog of North Korea.” Announcing the withdrawal of the complaint against the man, presidential spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said at the time that if similar case took place in future, Cheong Wa Dae would decide whether to t

May 11, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Conservative students' group posts leaflets satirizing Moon government
Society

Seoul gardening event brings international families together

Children participate in the “Global Family Garden” event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in Mallidong Square, Seoul, Sunday. The event was part of the Seoul International Garden Show, scheduled from May 14 to 20. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiWith the COVID-19 pandemic having changed people's lifestyles, preventing them from doing their usual activities, they have begun to seek other things they can do while being forced to stay indoors. Instead of looking at smartphones and checking social media, some have opted for something more physical ― gardening. The Seoul Metropolitan Government held a “Global Family Garden” event with 20 multiracial families from Saturday to Sunday at Mallidong Square at one end of the Seoullo 7017 skywalk near Seoul Station, during which they created gardens in flowerpots they also decorated.The event was a part of the Seoul International Garden Show, which will be held from May 14 to 20 under the theme, “Link Garden, Think Life.”The 20 families with members from Mongolia, Vietnam, India, Brazil, Argentina, France, the

May 11, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul gardening event brings international families together
Law & Crime

34 foreign nationals arrested in drug bust

Foreign nationals arrested while using drugs at a bar await questioning at Mokpo Coast Guard building in Mokpo, Friday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiOver 30 foreign nationals have been arrested in the southwestern port of Mokpo for using methamphetamine during a drug-fueled party at a bar, according to local police, Friday. The Mokpo Coast Guard said it raided the pub exclusively for foreigners at 2 a.m., Wednesday, and apprehend 34 foreign nationals ― 24 men and 10 women. It has sought arrest warrants for eight including a 29-year-old Vietnamese national for dealing in narcotics.The police deployed a special unit to seize a key suspect allegedly known to be the mastermind of a drug ring in South Jeolla Province. A considerable amount of methamphetamines were found during the raid. The suspects were found to have used both methamphetamine and cannabis which were being sold at the bar. A CCTV was installed at the entrance of the pub to monitor visitors.The police said they plan to track down more suppliers and dealers allegedly related to the case.

May 7, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
34 foreign nationals arrested in drug bust
Health

Will US backing of waiver on vaccine patents boost supply in Korea?

A medical worker prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine shot at a public inoculation center in Yongsan, Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiMany Koreans are paying keen attention to whether the United States' endorsement of waiving COVID-19 vaccine patents to increase global production will bolster supply here and help the country achieve herd immunity by November.However, the health authorities and local pharmaceutical industry remain cautious about the prospect, saying that the possible waiver will not lead to the immediate production of a vaccine locally, citing uncertain factors, including when and for how long the patent protections will be eased.On Wednesday (local time), the Joe Biden administration expressed its support for a move to temporarily lift intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines amid a global shortage. The activation of the patent waiver, which is intended to promote the production of generic drugs in other countries, means that drug manufacturers will have to give up the right to exercise ownership of their patents.If the waiver takes effect, Kor

May 7, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Will US backing of waiver on vaccine patents boost supply in Korea?
  • When will Korea introduce its own COVID-19 vaccine?
  • New cases stay in 500s for 2nd day amid woes over variants
Politics

President with ambassadors at wind power plant briefing

President Moon Jae-in greets Norwegian, Danish, German and Spanish ambassadors to Korea at the New Industrial Complex for 3D Printing in Ulsan, Thursday, where he was briefed on a plan by the city and Hyundai Heavy Industries to establish an off-shore wind power plant. Yonhap

May 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
President with ambassadors at wind power plant briefing
Politics

Confirmation hearing for PM nominee

Kim Boo-kyum, President Moon Jae-in's nominee for prime minister, takes an oath at the start of his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Kim, a former four-term lawmaker, expressed regret over allegations that vehicles belonging to him and his wife have been towed more than 30 times since 1996 due to unpaid fines, and his confession in a book published in 2015 that he bullied other children during his schooldays. Yonhap

May 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Confirmation hearing for PM nominee
Health

People shun vaccination over safety, compensation concerns

A medical worker prepares to COVID-19 vaccine dose at a public health facility in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiA growing number of people are shunning COVID-19 vaccinations here following several reports of serious adverse effects reported.Health experts say the government needs to more actively guarantee compensation or other supports to those experiencing such effects even though no direct correlation between their symptoms and the inoculation has been found, adding this will help encourage people to get vaccinated.Since the nation started inoculation on Feb. 26, 14 people have posted petitions on the Cheong Wa Dae website calling for government help to deal with serious adverse reactions their family members suffered after receiving the vaccinations.Their reported symptoms are mostly neurological, such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, paralysis of limbs and cerebral hemorrhaging. Such adverse side-effects were reported to have occurred to people after they received the AstraZeneca vaccine.According to a petition posted by the husband of a 45-year-ol

May 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
People shun vaccination over safety, compensation concerns
Society

Human Rights Commission: Children's item manufacturers need to change 'pink for girls, blue for boys' stereotype

Members of the civic group, Political Mamas, cover themselves in paint during their "Pink No More" campaign in front of the Government Complex Seoul in this March 14, 2019, photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe nation's human rights watchdog has called for changes to the practices in which girls' items are colored pink while boys' toys are blue, saying these practices can make children develop gender stereotypes.The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) expressed this opinion in response to a complaint filed by the civic group, Political Mamas, against eight children's products manufacturers. But it dismissed the complaint, which it viewed did not meet legal requirements. In January of last year, the civic group said that companies use blue for boys' items and pink for girls' items, ranging from clothes, toothbrushes and pacifiers to toys and stationery, often putting labels saying “For girls” on pink items and “For boys” on blue ones.The civic group said that such classifications deprive children and parents of their rights to choose. It also pointed out

May 5, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Human Rights Commission: Children's item manufacturers need to change 'pink for girls, blue for boys' stereotype
Society

Half of Seoul residents feel depressed amid prolonged pandemic

gettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiJang Hye-joon, a 37-year-old homemaker living in northeastern Seoul's Nowon District, said her husband suggested recently she seek counseling for depression and anxiety.Jang said she began feeling depressed a couple of months after she quit her job in April last year in order to take care of her daughter who had to stay at home instead of attending a daycare center due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “I had to quit my job because I couldn't get help with childcare from my parents or in-laws. Recently I applied for a job again, but it didn't go well,” Jang said. “Whenever I got calls back from companies I applied to, they told me that my interviews were not successful. I felt frustrated and I think the frustration developed into depression.”A 36-year-old working mother surnamed Ko, who is about to go back to work after 10 months of maternity leave, said she has had no outlet for self-care during the leave period.“There was no way to relieve my stress because I couldn't go out anywhere over concerns of virus infection. I had no choic

May 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Half of Seoul residents feel depressed amid prolonged pandemic
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