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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

Gwangju fears becoming next Daegu

A child waits to receive a coronavirus test at a makeshift clinic in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHealth authorities said Sunday that they are making all-out efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in order to prevent Gwangju from becoming the new virus hotbed as sporadic infections continue to grow in the city.There are increasing fears among the public that a massive surge in community transmissions could occur resulting in the city experiencing a similar situation as was seen in Daegu, the epicenter of the country's first major COVID-19 outbreak. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) detected 61 new infections Saturday ― 43 local and 18 imported ― bringing the nation's total to 13,091. The death toll remained unchanged at 283. The country reported 63 new cases each on Thursday and Friday last week, marking the first time since April where daily new cases surpassed 60 for three consecutive days. Among the local infections, 15 cases were newly identified in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. The city has seen an

Jul 5, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Gwangju fears becoming next Daegu
  • S. Korea reports 61 new coronavirus infections
  • Is Korean economy faring better in pandemic?
Health

Precautions needed to avoid food poisoning

The exterior of a kindergarten in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where its pupils have complained of food poisoning symptoms, in this June 25 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), sometimes referred to as “hamburger disease,” is a life-threatening condition that damages the kidneys. HUS was first recognized in the United States in 1982, when a large number of people presented with symptoms of severe and bloody diarrhea which was traced to contaminated hamburger patties. It was later found to be contaminated with enterohemorrhagic escherichia coli (EHEC).EHEC causes damage to the colon's mucous membrane, resulting in symptoms of bloody diarrhea and serious abdominal pain as it destroys the body's clotting cells. This causes thrombocytopenia, affecting red blood cells and causing hemolytic anemia. The destruction of these cells causes a buildup in the small blood vessels and tubules of the kidneys. The resulting damage to the kidneys leads to renal failure. HUS usually affects children between the ages of 1 to 10 years, but can also occur in adults. Accordi

Jul 5, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Precautions needed to avoid food poisoning
  • More cases reported in kindergarten food poisoning scandal
Society

Gachon Univ. President gets Lions Humanitarian Award

By Bahk Eun-jiLee Gil-ya, president of Gachon University has been chosen as the recipient of The Lions Club Humanitarian Award, according to a school official. The Lions Club presented the award to Lee, who devoted herself to medical practice, education, social justice and humanitarian service throughout her life. The award ceremony held at the Namsan J. Gran House in Seoul. Previous recipients of the reward include Mother Teresa and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.Lee Gil-ya /Korea Times fileAfter graduating from Seoul National University Medical School in 1957, she began her own obstetrics and gynecology practice in Incheon to take care of vulnerable social groups who couldn't afford to pay medical expenses. She has been performing volunteer work and providing medical services, including free medical checkups for uterine cancer; and even invited patients from abroad to get free surgery, when she noticed countless people needed medical care but were not receiving proper treatment due to the high cost. In 1958, Lee founded Gachon University Gil Hospital in Incehon, which has becom

Jul 3, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Gachon Univ. President gets Lions Humanitarian Award
Politics

Justice minister orders chief prosecutor to scrap advisory panel on high-profile collusion case

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae answers questions raised by lawmakers at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. /YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiJustice Minister Choo Mi-ae wielded her authority Thursday over a high-profile investigation into the alleged collusion between a senior prosecutor and cable TV news outlet, ordering Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl to halt  the creation of an expert advisory panel.This was the first time in 15 years that a justice minister has ordered an investigation by a prosecutor general since Chun Jung-bae did so in 2005.Choo sent an official document to the prosecution, saying rushing to reach a conclusion through a controversial review by a professional advisory group could interfere with the investigation. The minister also ordered the investigation team of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to independently probe the case without being commanded or supervised by senior prosecutors, including the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and then report the results of the investigation to the prosecutor ge

Jul 2, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Justice minister orders chief prosecutor to scrap advisory panel on high-profile collusion case
Health

Social stigma poses threat to coronavirus survivors

People wait for coronavirus tests at a makeshift clinic in Seoul, in this June 30 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiThree out of 10 coronavirus patients said they faced mental health challenges after they were confirmed to have COVID-19, a study showed Thursday. The patients surveyed expressed a greater fear of the social stigma attached to them than concern about the illness itself.The Gyeonggi Public Health Institute and a research team from the Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health unveiled the results of a survey about awareness of COVID-19 conducted on 110 patients, as well as 1,388 people in contact with them and 2,589 members of the general public in Gyeonggi Province from June 3 to 17. Among the confirmed patients, 43.6 percent said they were shocked when they tested positive for the virus, and 51 percent felt insecure after they were quarantined.The survey asked about the experiences of COVID-19 patients such as their physical symptoms, feelings when they heard news about COVID-19, the level of trauma faced after recovery and the resulting social stigma they su

Jul 2, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Social stigma poses threat to coronavirus survivors
  • S. Korea reports 54 new coronavirus infections
Society

Seoul education office chief vows to tackle elitism

Cho Hee-Yeon, superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), speaks during a press conference at the SMOE building in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap SMOE Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon marks sixth year in officeBy Bahk Eun-jiCho Hee-Yeon, superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), said, Tuesday, he will strengthen education opportunities for the socially vulnerable by tackling deep-rooted elitism. To this end, he also said he will promote safety by actively utilizing remote classes, which have become a necessity during the coronavirus pandemic.“The pandemic again gave us the chance to prove that Korea is a leading IT country where students don't have to stop learning, even when the virus situation got worse, due to the availability of online classes. To achieve more safety in learning for children, the Seoul education office pledges to build a stronger infrastructure for online education,” Cho said during a press briefing at the SMOE bui

Jun 30, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul education office chief vows to tackle elitism
Health

Workers urged to take vacation in September

A citizen gets a virus test at a makeshift clinic set up at Gwanak public health center in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHealth authorities advised companies Monday to encourage their employees to take summer vacation in September to prevent holiday destinations from being overcrowded and thus prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They also asked businesses to split lunch hours into two or three sessions. Such decisions came as fear is growing over sustained rises of local infections and imported cases, which may trigger another COVID-19 outbreak in the summer.“In Korea, the summer vacation period is concentrated on a certain period of summer. More than 70 percent of employees of private companies took holidays between late July and early August last year, so the government has decided to advise them to avoid the peak season,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said during a regular virus response briefing at the government complex in Sejong. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Employers Federation last year, 536 out of 751 companies, or 71.4 percent, responded

Jun 29, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Workers urged to take vacation in September
  • Fears of 2nd virus wave looming larger
  • S. Korea reports 42 new cases of coronavirus infection
Health

Water-related associations gear up for Korea's Green New Deal

K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon speaks during a Water Management Green New Deal Policy Symposium at Glad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Bahk Eun-jiFour of Korea's major water-related associations held the “Water Management Green New Deal Policy Symposium,” Monday, to discuss the government's policy direction and implementation for the new goal. The four associations ― the Korean Society of Water and Wastewater, the Korea Water Society, the Korean Society on Water Environment and the Korea Water Resources Association ― suggested specific action plans to achieve the goal of the project, after President Moon Jae-in vowed to include “green” industries in the Korean New Deal project, during the event at Glad Hotel on Yeouido, Seoul.The project is aimed at lowering carbon emissions so that the country can combat global climate change threatening the survival of humankind. The government recently gained momentum for the new policy due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. It said the Green New Deal policy will turn the looming econom

Jun 29, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Water-related associations gear up for Korea's Green New Deal
Health

NHIS lifts burden of medical costs across generations

Elderly women set flowers at the Seoul geriatric care facility run by the National Health Insurance Service in Gangnam, Seoul.  Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea's public health system has certainly played a critical role in helping people nationwide weather the storm during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has been at the forefront of social welfare here for more than 40 years now.By providing full coverage for medical treatment costs of those who have contracted COVID-19, the NHIS has become a robust social safety net for all those living here and eligible for the paln. Kim Yong-ik, president of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the NHIS office on Yeouido, Seoul. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk “Under the slogan 'to make a better country without burdening the public with medical bills,' the NHIS has been administering a sustainable health insurance system through coverage expansion to relieve the financial burden on households, and reduce the inequality bet

Jun 28, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
NHIS lifts burden of medical costs across generations
Health

Elderly care facilities to open for family visits from July 1

People line up for COVID-19 tests at a makeshift clinic at Wangsung Church in Seoul, Friday, after one of the churchgoers tested positive for the virus. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiHealth authorities said Friday they will allow family members to visit patients in nursing homes and care facilities from July 1, following growing complaints from patients and their families. All elderly care facilities have been shut down since March to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the vulnerable population. But the quarantine authorities have imposed some conditions. Visits will only be allowed in a space near the facility's entrance or outdoors. Reservations will be required and visitors will be asked to disinfect their hands and wear masks and plastic gloves. They will also be checked for virus symptoms and have their temperature taken.Transparent barriers, such as glass doors or curtains, should be installed to prevent physical contact. There also will be restrictions on eating food. “We will allow visits in a limited way at nursing homes and facilities from July,” said Yoon Tae-ho, a sen

Jun 26, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Elderly care facilities to open for family visits from July 1
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