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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

Experts call for cold chain preparation for vaccination

A medical worker conducts a coronavirus test at a makeshift testing center in front of Seoul Station, Tuesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiAhead of Korea's planned COVID-19 vaccination program that will start possibly next month, experts said a proper storage and distribution system is required so that vaccines can reach people ready to be used.The government has so far secured vaccine doses for 56 million people from four suppliers ― AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen, and Pfizer ― as well as through COVAX, but multiple steps are required to deliver the glass vials of vaccine to local hospitals and medical institutions as most of them have to be refrigerated at certain temperatures. Among them, Moderna's vaccine has to be shipped at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and it can then be stored at that temperature for six months. Pfizer's vaccine must be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius, and once unfrozen for administration, it must be administered within five days. Vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen can be stored at a temperature similar to ordinary flu v

Jan 5, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Experts call for cold chain preparation for vaccination
Society

'Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of'

Bang Kyung-ja, right, poses with Pusan National University President Cha Jeong-in, at the latter's office on the university campus in Busan, in this Dec. 21 photo. Courtesy of Pusan National University By Bahk Eun-jiBang Kyung-ja, 71, a graduate student of economics and international trade at Pusan National University (PNU), recently donated 10 million won ($9,206) in scholarships for students in need.“I have always wanted to be a proud grandmother showing my grandchildren how to share even small things with people around us. I hope the money will be used for students who are outstanding but struggling financially,” Bang was quoted as saying by the school. Although she was forced to quit her studies due to financial difficulties after graduating from middle school, her strong desire to continue her studies led her to graduate from high school when she was 60. She then entered Silla University in Busan and studied social welfare. She obtained licenses for childcare,

Jan 5, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
'Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of'
Health

3 risk factors for COVID-19 before vaccination begins

Quarantine officials in protective gear disinfect themselves at a nursing home in Incheon, Monday, following coronavirus infections there. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHealth experts have warned of the government's overly optimistic view on its fight against COVID-19, after the administration said that once vaccines are introduced, as early as February, the rate of critically ill patients will drop.They say there are three risk factors for now ― variants from other countries, mass infections involving prisons and nursing homes, and the cold weather. The nation reported 1,020 new COVID-19 infections for Sunday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Monday, which was a sharp rise from 657 for Saturday. Although the number of daily infections is usually smaller on weekends due to less testing, it was not the case for Sunday mainly because of soaring infections in a Seoul prison and nursing homes across the country.“If we do not reduce the number of virus patients now, we may experience a fourth pandemic after the Seollal holiday,” said Kim Woo-joo, an infectio

Jan 4, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
3 risk factors for COVID-19 before vaccination begins
  • New cases rebound to over 1,000 despite extended virus curbs
Health

Will COVID-19 pandemic die down with vaccine rollout?

A medical worker warms herself under an electric heater at a makeshift clinic for coronavirus testing in front of Seoul Station, Thursday, amid a cold snap hitting the country. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-jiWith mass vaccinations beginning around the world, people are wondering if the end of the prolonged pandemic is in sight.Likewise, many Koreans are pinning high hopes on the government's series of vaccine rollout plans but experts expect it will take quite a while for vaccinations to bring the coronavirus completely under control. Moderna, the U.S. biotech company, confirmed Thursday that it signed a deal with the Korean government to provide 40 million doses of its vaccine.“It is highly likely that the pandemic will continue into the second half,” said Choi Won-seok, a professor of the division of infectious diseases at Korea University. “I don't think the pandemic will end overnight as the virus is too contagious and is well adapted to human hosts. In addition, animals

Jan 1, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Will COVID-19 pandemic die down with vaccine rollout?
  • New infections under 1,000 for 2nd day amid extended tighter distancing rules
Health

Fight against coronavirus getting complicated

An inmate holds up a message through a window at Dongbu Detention Center in Seoul, Tuesday, to communicate to media personnel outside about the COVID-19 infection situation there. In the message, the inmate complains that eight infected patients are confined in one cell and sending out mail has been banned. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe health authorities are on high alert as the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic here has been spreading in increasingly complex patterns. There have been mass infections in geriatric hospitals and a correctional facility, while cases of a mutant strain originating from the United Kingdom that is 1.7 times more transmissible, have been confirmed in Korea, adding to the woes the government is facing in its antivirus fight.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Thursday, 967 new COVID-19 infections were reported for Wednesday, including 940 local cases, raising the total caseload to 60,740. The country's total virus caseload broke the 60,000 mark the same day, 11 months after the first case was reported Jan. 20. It has taken just

Dec 31, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Fight against coronavirus getting complicated
  • Rewards for reporting banned gatherings draws mixed reactions
  • South Korea signs deal with Moderna to buy COVID-19 vaccines for 20 million
Society

96% of Seoul citizens think pandemic widens learning gap

A teacher gives a class online in an empty classroom of an elementary school in Songpa District, Seoul, in this March 30 photo. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoonBy Bahk Eun-jiThe vast majority of Seoul citizens believe the gap in academic performance has been widened among students in Korea during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a poll showed Wednesday.The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) conducted a survey on 307 parents, students, educators and members of the general public on three topics, including measures to bridge the learning gap, online classes and sex education in the digital age.Among the respondents who participated in the survey on ways to resolve the learning gap, 96 percent agreed with the statement, “There has been an education achievement gap since the outbreak of COVID-19.”When multiple answers were allowed, 61.5 percent of respondents said the difference in academic interests of individuals and parents is a major factor contributing to inequities in education. In regard to the education methods whether schools should provide remote or in-p

Dec 30, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
96% of Seoul citizens think pandemic widens learning gap
Society

Seoul creates village focusing on community activities

A support center building for “Doseodang,” a community housing project set to be completed soon, is seen in Jungnang District in Seoul. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Bahk Eun-jiConstruction of a “community housing village” in Seoul is nearing completion.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said recently the construction of the community housing village named “Doseodang” will be finished soon in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang District, in eastern Seoul. Community housing is a form of residence in which residents not only share community spaces but also seek common interests and solve common problems based on the community's own rules.The city government has previously provided community housing multiple times in the form of a building where residents cooperate in childcare and caring for the elderly. But this is the first time for a designated neighborhood unit to be built, and it is being built on city-owned land.The village will have seven buildings for 38 households with seven themes, including the humanities, design and cooking. Commercial a

Dec 29, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul creates village focusing on community activities
Society

Gangdong's ice pack reuse program receives positive response from residents

By Bahk Eun-jiMany people have been using delivery services instead of shopping outside due to the prolonged pandemic, and the surge in demand for parcel deliveries has inevitably pushed up the use of cold packs. A collection box for cold packs set up at Gangdong District Office in Seoul / Courtesy of Gangdong District OfficeThese cold packs are filled with super-absorbent polymers, a type of micro-plastic, and have sparked concerns over environmental and health risks, as the substances inside can release harmful gases such as dioxins when incinerated and their decomposition in landfills can take up to 500 years. According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Statistics Korea, the number of cold packs used in Korea is estimated to be over 250 million annually, and most of them are dumped into the garbage. In order to solve the problem, Gangdong District Office established a cold pack collection system in February last year based on the idea that the packs can be reused as much as possible. Gangdong was the first local government to do so across nationwide. Collection boxes fo

Dec 29, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Gangdong's ice pack reuse program receives positive response from residents
Health

Households emerging as hot beds for new infections

Cars line up at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing center in Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHouseholds have been emerging as hot beds for new COVID-19 infections, with one in four people found to have been infected through family members over the past month. This is expected to make it even more difficult for the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the rise in household transmission indicates that more people are being infected through everyday lifeIn its analysis of 15,111 cases of infection from Nov. 20 to Dec. 16, the Central Anti-Disaster Headquarters found that 3,654 people, or 24.2 percent, were infected through a family member. In particular, 766 or 43.5 percent of 1,761 children and adolescents aged under 19 were infected through secondary transmission from family members in their households. The findings came as the number of new virus cases shows few signs of abating as the figure still hovered around 1,000 over the weekend.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Sunday, 970 new COVID-19 infections were reported for Saturday, incl

Dec 27, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Households emerging as hot beds for new infections
  • Korean man dies of COVID-19 after UK trip; officials examining whether he contracted new variant
  • Cram school owners protest gov't's stricter distancing measures
  • New infections under 1,000 for 2nd day amid extended virus curbs
  • South Korea confirms COVID-19 variant from arrivals from Britain
Society

Cram school owners protest gov't's stricter distancing measures

Private cram school owners and employees hold a protest rally in Sejong against a temporary no-assembly order imposed on private educational institutions in the capital area, in this Dec. 11 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiAn association representing private cram school owners said Sunday that it plans to take legal action against the government, claiming that their businesses have been forced to suspend operations over the last three weeks under stricter social distancing measures.This is the second time they have sought compensation from the government this month. On Dec. 14, a number of cram school owners in the capital region, including Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, filed a lawsuit against the government for forcing private institutes to close their doors amid Level 2.5 social distancing measures. The association said they are seeking other private academy owners to join the class-action lawsuit, regardless of region, size of the institute and subjects they are teaching.“Under the Level 2.5 social distancing, which the government imposed on Dec. 8, study centers and priv

Dec 27, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Cram school owners protest gov't's stricter distancing measures
  • Households emerging as hot beds for new infections
  • New infections under 1,000 for 2nd day amid extended virus curbs
  • South Korea confirms COVID-19 variant from arrivals from Britain
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