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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

Seoul on alert over new COVID variant from UK

Incheon International Airport is almost empty, Wednesday. The government said it will suspend flights arriving from the United Kingdom until the end of this year over concerns about a new strain of the coronavirus. YonhapGov't bans travel from Britain until Dec. 31By Bahk Eun-jiTo prevent the possible influx of a new strain of the COVID-19 causing coronavirus discovered in the United Kingdom, the government announced Wednesday it was temporarily banning all flights from the U.K. until the end of the year. The move follows reports that the variant, first detected in southeast England in September, has quickly become dominant in London and other parts of the country, as it spreads significantly faster than other strains.“We came up with the measure, following meetings of relevant government bodies, to prevent the spread of the mutated virus found in Britain,” Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said in a regular briefing, Wednesday.“Korea's diplomatic missions there have stopped issuing quarantine exemption documents so all people from the U.K. will be placed under

Dec 23, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul on alert over new COVID variant from UK
  • South Korea to halt flights from and to Britain until Dec. 31 over new virus strain woes
  • South Korea deploys 5G tech in airport virus check
  • South Korea signs deals to purchase vaccines from Janssen, Pfizer
  • Temporary testing centers effective in detecting hidden infections
  • South Korean stocks break 2,800 ceiling on vaccine deals
Health

Health minister nominee

Health Minister nominee Kwon Deok-cheol takes an oath before his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. The former head of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute said he would try to secure as many COVID-19 vaccines as possible, as soon as possible. Yonhap

Dec 22, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Health minister nominee
Health

Making room for COVID-19 patients

Students move personal belongings from a dormitory at the University of Seoul to an alternative accommodation site, Tuesday, as the school decided to offer up the dorm as a treatment center for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms or asymptomatic patients, as the capital area is running short of hospital beds and other treatment facilities amid the growing number of patients. Yonhap

Dec 22, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Making room for COVID-19 patients
Health

Korea falters in year-end COVID-19 fight

Citizens form a long line at a makeshift COVID-19 testing center in front of Seoul Station, Tuesday. YonhapGov't hit for inconsistent quarantine policiesBy Bahk Eun-jiThe government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which was once acclaimed both domestically and internationally, is losing its luster and the trust of people here because of its inconsistency in applying social distancing rules and lagging vaccination plan.In regular press briefings by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Monday and Tuesday, questions were raised why the health authorities were still hesitating to adopt Level 3 measures, the highest in the administration's five-tier plan, although the average daily rate of new infections nearly reached 1,000 over the past week. According to the plan, Level 3 is adopted when locally transmitted COVID-19 cases surge to between 800 and 1,000 a day, or the daily tally doubles from the previous day. The health authorities have acknowledged that the current social distancing, the second-highest in the greater Seoul area, has failed to flatten th

Dec 22, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea falters in year-end COVID-19 fight
Society

Korea improves visa system for divorced immigrants with children

Human rights activists demand rights protection for marriage migrant women during a protest in front of Government Complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, in this July 15, 2019, file photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiMigrants who become single parents after divorce or the death of their Korean spouse will now be able to stay in Korea even after their children reach adulthood, according to the Ministry of Justice, Tuesday.The ministry said that foreign residents formerly married to Korean citizens who become single parents of adult children will now be eligible for the resident F-2 visa if they meet certain requirements.Currently, a marriage immigrant is granted an F-6-2 when marrying a Korean. If the marriage ends due to reasons such as divorce or the death of the spouse, the foreign resident is able to retain their visa status if they're raising children. If the parent has not gained permanent residency or Korean nationality by the time their children reach adulthood, they are given an F-1 visa for visiting family.The problem with the visa change is that F-1 visa holders have limits in reg

Dec 22, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea improves visa system for divorced immigrants with children
Health

Seoul, Gyeonggi to ban gathering of more than 4 people

A street in Myeongdong, one of the busiest shopping districts in Seoul, is nearly empty, Monday, as people stay home to avoid infection by COVID-19. Gatherings of more than four people will be banned in the greater Seoul area as a stricter social distancing measure starting Wednesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiGatherings of five people or more will be banned in the greater Seoul area in an effort to curb the ongoing spread of COVID-19 which has been showing no signs of abating.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and neighboring local governments in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, Monday, the stricter social distancing measure will take effect from Wednesday and last until to Jan. 3, the period when many Christmas and year-end gatherings and events are expected to take place.The ban on gatherings of more than four people is a stronger measure than restrictions that could be applied under the highest Level 3 social distancing, in which gatherings of 10 or more people are prohibited.Since Dec. 8, Level 2.5 has been implemented in the greater Seoul area, which is the second-highest i

Dec 21, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul, Gyeonggi to ban gathering of more than 4 people
Health

Gov't urged to establish law on pre-purchasing of vaccines

Medical workers collect specimens from people for COVID-19 tests at a temporary testing center in front of Seoul Station, Friday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiInfectious disease experts urged Korea to pass a bill allowing for the pre-purchase of vaccines before they are licensed, saying the lack of laws has resulted in the country's relatively late purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and the resulting insufficient amount of vaccines.The government said, Friday, it plans to start offering vaccines to people early next year, by pushing to sign vaccine procurement contracts with Janssen and Pfizer later this month and inking another deal with Moderna next month, in addition to the deal already signed with AstraZeneca. It said it has secured early access to the vaccines developed by the four pharmaceutical companies and from a global vaccine project to secure enough vaccines for 44 million people.The scheme has brought some criticism that Korea's vaccine purchases have come late, as the United Kingdom and the United Nations have started vaccinations already and some 30 countries are expected to start d

Dec 18, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Gov't urged to establish law on pre-purchasing of vaccines
  • Virus already widely spread through asymptomatic carriers
  • New infection cases hit fresh high, virus response faces biggest peril
  • 'South Korea to begin COVID-19 vaccination in first quarter of 2021'
Health

Virus already widely spread through asymptomatic carriers

People line up to receive COVID-19 tests at a makeshift testing center at Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall, Friday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic here appears to have been spread, at least in part, through asymptomatic carriers in the Seoul metropolitan area, with at least 170 people confirmed this week to be infected with the coronavirus that causes the disease. These people were tested at temporary testing centers where those with no symptoms or no contact history with confirmed patients were able to undergo tests.Since Monday, the health authorities have been operating 150 makeshift testing booths in Seoul and the surrounding area to provide free diagnostic tests in an effort to preemptively diagnose asymptomatic coronavirus carriers in order to slow down the spread of COVID-19.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Friday, the 170 people visited metropolitan area testing booths from Monday to Thursday where they tested positive for the coronavirus.During the period, 70,709 people underwent tests at the facilities.

Dec 18, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Virus already widely spread through asymptomatic carriers
  • Gov't urged to establish law on pre-purchasing of vaccines
Law & Crime

85% of Ansan citizens call for post-prison segregation for notorious child rapist

Notorious child rapist Cho Doo-soon leaves a probation center in Ansan, around 20 kilometers southwest of Seoul, Dec. 12, after being released from prison earlier in the day. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiMore than 85 percent of Ansan residents agreed with the necessity of a new law to keep child sex offenders in a state-run facility for some time after their release from prison, to maintain their segregation from society, a poll showed Thursday.Ansan City conducted a survey on 1,245 residents in the city through social media for five days from Dec. 11, right ahead of the release of the notorious child rapist Cho Doo-soon. Of them, 1,063, or 85.4 percent of respondents, said the legislation of a new law is a “necessary measure” to prevent habitual offenders from committing crimes. On the other hand, only 93 people or 7.5 percent answered negatively, saying, “There are elements of double punishment and human rights violations.” In addition, 89 people or 7.1 percent said “It is necessary to separate violent sex offenders from society,” and “The governmen

Dec 18, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
85% of Ansan citizens call for post-prison segregation for notorious child rapist
Health

Gov't implements online prior notification system for undocumented immigrants

By Bahk Eun-jiUndocumented immigrants who want to leave the country voluntarily can now use an online system to give prior notification to immigration authorities, following government measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Justice, Thursday. Undocumented immigrants staying illegally in the country wait to report their voluntary departure to an immigration office at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, March 6. YonhapPrior to October 2019, undocumented immigrants could leave the country voluntarily after reporting to immigration on the day of departure, as long as they were not under a travel ban. The regulation was then expanded to allow notification three to 15 days prior to departure. Under the latest changes, undocumented immigrants can make an online advance report by registering their personal information, scheduled departure date, airport and flight number on HiKorea.go.kr, and print out a copy of the report. However, documents such as coronavirus tests showing negative results required by their home countries or airlines before departur

Dec 17, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Gov't implements online prior notification system for undocumented immigrants
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