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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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Trends

1 in 4 singles opt to remain that way

One in four unmarried men and women chose to remain single, according to a survey by Job Korea and Albamon, Wednesday. GettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiOne in four unmarried men and women in Korea plan to remain single, a poll showed, Wednesday. According to the survey by local job portals Job Korea and Albamon of 1,185 adults in their 20s and 30s on their views on marriage, 83.2 percent said they felt positive about not marrying at all.More than 93 percent of female respondents said so, compared with 69.2 percent of male respondents.Of 1,025 singles among those surveyed, the portals asked whether they would remain unmarried, and 24.8 percent said yes, while 31.5 percent said they would get married some day and 43.7 percent said they did not know.The reasons for not marrying varied by gender. When multiple answers were allowed, 71.9 percent of male respondents said soaring housing prices and child-rearing costs are factors that contribute to their reluctance to marry, while 57.3 percent said they might feel pressure from in-laws.For women, on the other hand, 62.4 percent cited pressure f

Dec 9, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
1 in 4 singles opt to remain that way
Society

Coal briquette donation

Volunteers carry coal briquettes for donation to impoverished residents in a village in Daegu, Wednesday. The briquettes are still used for heating in some older Korean homes. /Yonhap

Dec 9, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Coal briquette donation
Health

Korea faces ICU bed shortage for virus patients

Workers set up containers as temporary hospital wards to accommodate COVID-19 patients on the grounds of Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang District, Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea is facing a shortage of intensive care unit beds (ICU) as the country has seen a sharp rise in the number of daily new COVID-19 infections. Central and local governments are struggling to come up with countermeasures, with Seoul City creating makeshift wards using containers on the grounds of city-run hospitals.According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Wednesday, there remained only 43 ICU beds for patients in critical condition across the country as of Tuesday when 686 new coronavirus cases were confirmed. Such beds are for seriously ill patients who need respiratory and other life-support equipment to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and high-flow oxygen therapy.The new infections number, the second-highest since January when the first case was reported, was up from 594 the previous day. The number of domestically transmitted cases reached 662

Dec 9, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea faces ICU bed shortage for virus patients
  • New infections near 700 despite enhanced social distancing rules
People & Events

Prime minister's message: For dreams of multicultural children

By Chung Sye-kyunPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun / Korea Times fileI would like to welcome you all, the awardees, family members and distinguished guests.Congratulations on hosting the Korea Multicultural Youth Awards, which plants seeds of hope and courage in the hearts of the young students from multicultural families.I offer my gratitude to the executives and employees of The Korea Times and CEO Oh Young-jin for creating a meaningful event as the number of people from multicultural families in Korea is reaching 1 million.In particular, I congratulate the winners of the honorable awards and their parents.All of you have chased your dreams even in difficult situations. You've reached out to your friends in an even more difficult situation and helped them. You've given hope and courage to many multicultural children. That's why the awards you receive are valuable and meaningful. The government will make every effort to help you realize your dreams. We will make the country a stage where you can fulfill your dreams.Each and every multicultural child represents a proud future for Korea.

Dec 9, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Prime minister's message: For dreams of multicultural children
  • Judge's comment: 'Diversity will be important value in future Korea'
Law & Crime

Authorities grappling with release of child rapist

Officials set up a surveillance camera in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 13. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiAhead of the scheduled release of notorious child rapist Cho Doo-soon, the judicial authorities are facing compounded problems ― protecting the public from further violent crimes, relieving the anxiety of residents in the region where Cho plans to live and protecting the pedophile rapist from vigilante justice as some angry members of the public have pledged to “punish him personally” upon his release.Cho, 68, is scheduled to be released from prison in Cheongsong, North Gyeongsnag Province, Saturday, after serving out a 12-year sentence for kidnapping and violently raping an eight-year-old girl who was on her way to school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The victim was left with severe injuries resulting in permanent internal damage.It is easy to find online posts or YouTube videos of people announcing their plan to wait in front of the prison gate or visit his home in Ansan to personally level street justice on Cho. Their reasons are based on the widely agreed criticism that the

Dec 8, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Authorities grappling with release of child rapist
Health

'Daily new infections could reach 1,000'

People stand in a long line to take a virus test at a screening center outside the National Medical Center in Seoul, Monday. YonhapControversy rises over belated virus restrictBy Bahk Eun-jiThe health authorities warned Monday that the country could see nearly 1,000 daily new cases of COVID-19 next week if the current pace of spread cannot be slowed down. The warning came after the daily infections reached 615 for Sunday, showing the current social distancing rules have not worked and thus bringing calls to raise the level further.“According to predictions by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and various expert groups, we expect 550 to 750 new patients every day this week,” said Ra Sung-woong, deputy director of the KDCA, in a regular press briefing at the agency building in Osong, North Chungcheong Province. “We believe that there is a possibility of more than 900 patients every day next week if the current situation continues.”Ra said the country is in the biggest crisis since the first virus patient was reported in the country in Januar

Dec 7, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
'Daily new infections could reach 1,000'
  • New virus cases fall back to below 600
  • Korea secures COVID-19 vaccines for 44 million people
Health

Largest wave of infection looming

Exam takers wait in line to have their temperatures checked before entering a building at Soongsil University in Seoul, Friday, to take an essay test that is part of the university's admissions process. The essay test came one day after they sat the state-administrated scholastic aptitude test. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiConcerns are growing that the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 infections here could be more serious than the first wave in February and March, with the nation seeing the highest number of daily new infections in nine months, Friday.Adding to the woes are possible gatherings of students who want to enjoy themselves after taking the college entrance exam Thursday. Bracing for a larger surge of infections, the health authorities and local governments have issued stronger quarantine guidelines, and the central government will soon decide whether to raise its social distancing measures level.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), despite stricter antivirus measures since last weekend there were 629 coronavirus infections for Thursday, including 600 l

Dec 4, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Largest wave of infection looming
  • New virus cases at 9-month high of over 600
  • Seoul orders closure of stores, theaters, internet cafes after 9 pm
Health

Controversy rises over plans to penalize virus-infected workers

Office workers stroll along the lane beside Deoksu Palace in Seoul after lunch, Oct. 14. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanBy Bahk Eun-jiCertain companies here are facing a backlash after they threatened to punish workers who get COVID-19 by telling them that contracting the coronavirus would affect their personnel evaluations. Activists have pointed out that such a punitive action is a violation of human rights, with companies stigmatizing infected employees and attempting to excessively control their personal lives.The central and local governments are also being accused of abuse of authority over their plans to reprimand civil servants if they get infected with COVID-19 after not abiding by guidelines to refrain from unnecessary meetings, events or meals.According to industry sources, a manager at DB Financial Investment sent a threatening message to all employees, Nov. 16, a day after one employee was confirmed to have COVID-19. “It is not possible to discipline or punish her just because she was infected, but we will clearly impose disadvantages in personnel management

Dec 4, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Controversy rises over plans to penalize virus-infected workers
  • Ruling party chief vows efforts for early approval of coronavirus vaccines
  • COVID-19 cases bounce back to over 600
  • South Korea to raise social distancing to second-highest Level 2.5 in capital area
  • 'Korea facing greatest crisis in fight against COVID-19'
Politics

Choo's push to remove Yoon causing stir in justice ministry

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae arrives at the ministry's building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThe Ministry of Justice and the prosecution are in turmoil and consumed with internal strife amid signs of internal systemic collapse following the resignation of key officials over the feud between Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.Choo is facing growing criticism that in her hurried push to remove Yoon ― with whom she has collided over prosecutorial reform ― she has ignored due ministry procedure and the prosecution in seeking to suspend him from duty and discipline him, resulting in havoc in both organizations and internal protests from members.On Nov 24, Choo ordered the suspension of Yoon from his duties, and formed a disciplinary committee to look into alleged “illegal” amassing of information on judges involved in controversial cases and interference in investigations to protect people close to him, including his family members. But the Seoul Administrative Court accepted Tuesday an injunction request from Yoon to halt

Dec 4, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Choo's push to remove Yoon causing stir in justice ministry
Society

Ewha Womans University student wins wearable robot contest

Lee Joo-hyun /Courtesy of Ewha Womans UniversityBy Bahk Eun-jiLee Joo-hyun, 20, a student of political science and international relations at Ewha Womans University, recently ranked third in the International Cybathlon competition held at KAIST, Daejeon.The Cybathlon is an international competition where people with disabilities and engineers form a team, and the people with the disabilities wear bionic assistive devices and compete against each other, completing activities that require accuracy and speed.“I wanted to find a new turning point in my life and challenge myself by participating in the Cybathlon competition,” Lee said. She became paraplegic after a car accident last year when she was a high school senior.Lee said she could have been discouraged by the shock of the accident that occurred when she was preparing for the college entrance exam, but she thought things could be different.While hospitalized and receiving treatment at Yonsei University Hospital, professors Shin Ji-cheol and Na Dong-wook, who treated her, introduced her to the Cybathlon competition and

Dec 3, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Ewha Womans University student wins wearable robot contest
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