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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

Ministries clash over whether to call North Korea 'principal enemy'

The Ministry of Unification on Thursday challenged the defense ministry’s position that North Korea remains a "principal enemy," saying the Lee Jae Myung administration’s goal of peaceful coexistence cannot be reconciled with treating Pyongyang in such terms. The remarks exposed a rare policy divide within the government as the Ministry of National Defense prepares its 2026 Defense White Paper, the first to be issued under the Lee administration. “The peaceful coexistence of the two Koreas is a firm policy goal of the Lee Jae Myung government,” a unification ministry official told reporters during a background briefing. “One cannot pursue peaceful coexistence with North Korea while defining it as a principal enemy.” The comments came hours after the defense ministry rejected media reports suggesting it was considering dropping references to North Korea as an enemy in the upcoming white paper. “The report is not true,” Lee Kyung-ho, deputy spokesperson for the defense ministry, said during a regular briefing. “Our position that the North Korean regime and the North Korean

Jun 18, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Ministries clash over whether to call North Korea 'principal enemy'
Politics

Defense ministry to redraw Civilian Control Line near inter-Korean border

The Ministry of National Defense unveiled Wednesday a sweeping overhaul of military facility regulations, including plans to redraw the Civilian Control Line and release portions of military protection zones near border areas. The measures are expected to ease or remove restrictions across approximately 720 square kilometers, an area roughly 240 times the size of Yeouido, Seoul’s main financial district. The move reflects changes in the security environment, including a shrinking pool of military conscripts and advances in weapons systems, according to the ministry. Announcing the plan, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back described the initiative as a major overhaul of a long-standing regulatory framework. “Today, the defense ministry seeks to present a milestone that changes the paradigm of military facility regulations maintained for decades,” Ahn said. He added that regulatory reform had become “an inevitable choice” to respond to changing security conditions and allow the military to focus on its core missions. At the center of the plan is a proposed adjustment of the Civilian Con

Jun 17, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Defense ministry to redraw Civilian Control Line near inter-Korean border
North Korea

Jeju Forum seeks to invite North Korean UNESCO official to participate remotely

The organizers of the Jeju Forum, an annual event held in Jeju Island on themes of peace, are seeking to invite a North Korean UNESCO official to participate remotely in this year's edition, which is set to take place next week. If realized, the official will become the first North Korean to take part in the South Korean-hosted forum since its launch in 2001. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Unification, the forum organizers are working to invite Chang Gwang-chol, chief of the Education Policy Section at UNESCO’s Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems, as a speaker for a session titled “UNESCO and the Future of Education: Challenges and Prospects” on June 26. The unification ministry said forum organizers had filed a notification in advance to communicate with Chang. Under South Korean law, contact with North Korean nationals requires prior approval from the unification ministry, even if the communication is related to participation in an academic or international event. “The organizers submitted the contact report in advance, and we a

Jun 16, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Jeju Forum seeks to invite North Korean UNESCO official to participate remotely
Defense

Korea weighs role in postwar Hormuz security initiatives

With a tentative U.S.-Iran peace deal expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Korean government's attention is likely to shift to its potential role in postwar initiatives to restore freedom of navigation in the waterway, a key global trade route. While it has remained cautious about joining separate maritime security initiatives, one led by the U.S. and the other led by the U.K. and France, Korea may now accelerate discussions over its participation as tensions in the region are expected to be eased. President Lee Jae Myung, who will attend the G7 summit in France from Tuesday to Wednesday, is expected to discuss the issue with the leaders of participating countries. The Ministry of National Defense said Monday that it is reviewing ways to contribute to efforts aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait. “The government will determine specific options after comprehensively assessing local threats, deployment requirements and operational capabilities,” ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said during a briefing. She added that nothing has been decided regarding whether t

Jun 15, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea weighs role in postwar Hormuz security initiatives
Politics

Leaders of both ruling, opposition parties face mounting calls to resign

Leaders of two major political parties are facing growing pressure to step down following disappointing results in last week’s local elections, as internal criticism spills into the open ahead of party conventions scheduled for August. Within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), party chair Jung Chung-rae has come under fire from lawmakers who argue that the leadership should take responsibility for the party’s failure to win key battleground races despite retaining a nationwide advantage. During a closed-door general meeting Thursday, Rep. Jang Chul-min publicly called on Jung to resign. “If we truly want unity and to consolidate party strength after the convention, Jung should resign even today,” Jang said, describing the party’s defeat in the Seoul mayoral race as a “crushing loss both politically and emotionally.” Rep. Lim Mi-ae also reportedly argued that Jung should step down to ensure a fair party convention, while veteran lawmaker Park Jie-won called on the entire leadership to resign and refrain from seeking reelection to party posts. Jung declined to directl

Jun 12, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Leaders of both ruling, opposition parties face mounting calls to resign
Politics

AI-focused PM nominee faces confirmation test

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook is set to face a two-day confirmation hearing at the National Assembly next week, in what is shaping up to be an early test of President Lee Jae Myung’s governing agenda for his second year in office. Lee has presented Han, a former Naver CEO and current minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as the right person to lead Korea’s transition into the artificial intelligence (AI) era and drive a results-oriented government. The opposition, meanwhile, has signaled that it will scrutinize her wealth, real estate holdings and corporate career. The hearing, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, is expected to go beyond questions about Han’s personal qualifications and focus on Lee’s broader approach to appointments, which places greater emphasis on expertise and policy execution than political experience. Han was nominated last week to succeed Prime Minister Kim Min-seok after serving for a year as SMEs minister. If confirmed, she would become the first former major tech company CEO to serve as prime minister. Explaining t

Jun 11, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
AI-focused PM nominee faces confirmation test
Defense

Defense ministry to dismantle counterintelligence command

The Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) will be dismantled and its functions will be dispersed among newly established organizations, as part of the Ministry of National Defense's plan to reduce the unit's unchecked power. The ministry unveiled a sweeping reform plan on Wednesday, after the military intelligence agency drew criticism for being misused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of his Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration. The ministry said the overhaul is intended to prevent any future political involvement of military intelligence organizations by dismantling the concentration of power in the DCC. “The reform plan goes beyond a simple organizational restructuring or adjustment of functions,” Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a press conference. “This will serve as a historic watershed in rebuilding our military intelligence apparatus so that it can never again become involved in politics.” Under the plan, the command will be dissolved and its functions split among three separate organizations. A defense counterintelligence headquarters will be set up

Jun 10, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Defense ministry to dismantle counterintelligence command
Defense

Rival defense expos agree to merge after years of costly split

Korea’s two rival ground defense exhibitions, Defense Expo Korea (DX Korea) and Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition (KADEX), have agreed to merge after years of operating separately, ending a split that had drawn criticism from defense companies as well as overseas buyers and military delegations. The organizing committees of DX Korea and KADEX announced reaching a final agreement to hold a joint exhibition at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 16-19. The merger is expected to eliminate confusion among exhibitors and foreign delegations while allowing Korea's defense industry to present a unified platform to overseas buyers. The two sides had failed to reach an agreement during final negotiations on May 19, but continued discussions afterward and ultimately settled their differences during a meeting between the heads of the two organizing committees. The exhibition will initially be held under the name of KADEX with DX Korea 2026, although organizers said the final name could change following consultations with the Korea Defense Industry Association. The associ

Jun 9, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Rival defense expos agree to merge after years of costly split
Foreign Affairs

President reaffirms phased approach toward NK denuclearization

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for a phased approach to North Korea’s denuclearization, while saying South Korea should continue pursuing dialogue with Pyongyang despite severely strained inter-Korean relations. He also reiterated that historical issues remain an obstacle to deeper security cooperation with Japan during a news conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration. Speaking at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said complete denuclearization remains the ultimate goal but argued that negotiations should first focus on halting additional production of nuclear materials, preventing their transfer abroad and stopping further development of intercontinental ballistic missile technology. He said setting short-, medium- and long-term goals was a more realistic approach than insisting on immediate denuclearization. “If someone says this means giving up on denuclearization, that is simply leaving reality unattended and making the situation worse,” Lee said, adding that he has discussed the idea with U.S. President Donald Trump on several occasions. Lee described inter-Korean

Jun 8, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
President reaffirms phased approach toward NK denuclearization
North Korea

Xi's planned Pyongyang visit reflects China’s influence bid, NK's nuclear ambitions

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Pyongyang is drawing attention not only as his first trip to North Korea in seven years, but also because it reflects the different strategic goals Beijing and Pyongyang hope to pursue through closer ties. Xi was scheduled to arrive Monday for a two-day visit — his first to the North Korean capital since June 2019 — coming nine months after he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Beijing during events marking the 80th anniversary of China's victory in World War II. Analysts say Beijing is seeking to reassert its influence over North Korea at a time when Pyongyang has deepened military cooperation with Russia and accelerated the expansion of its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang, meanwhile, appears intent on using the summit to widen diplomatic space for its claim to permanent status as a nuclear-armed state. Seoul has publicly expressed hope that Beijing will play a constructive role in issues related to the Korean Peninsula. The Ministry of Unification has likewise said it hopes Xi’s visit will contribute to peace and coexistence in No

Jun 7, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Xi's planned Pyongyang visit reflects China’s influence bid, NK's nuclear ambitions
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