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Kang Hyun-kyung

Korea Times Editorial Reporter

I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.

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Politics

President Yoon takes aim at 'Mooncare,' hints at abolishing it

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting held in the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kang Hyun-kyungPresident Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday criticized the expanded healthcare coverage reforms undertaken during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, known as “Mooncare,” calling the reforms “populist policies that waste taxpayer money.”In a strongly worded speech at a Cabinet meeting held in the presidential office, Yoon called for the “urgent normalization” of the state-run health insurance program and stressed that overhauling “Mooncare” is “not an option, but a necessity.” Yoon called the set of strengthened health insurance policies known as “Mooncare” nothing but populist policies that “lead to the bankrupting of finances” of the government and “ultimately force the people to make great sacrifices.”“Over the past five years, over 20 trillion won has been poured into strengthening health insurance coverage,” Yoon said. “But

Dec 13, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
President Yoon takes aim at 'Mooncare,' hints at abolishing it
  • Pro-Moon lawmaker raps Yoon's health insurance reform initiative as 'insane'
Photo News

PHOTOS Taegeuk Warriors get heroes' welcome

Korea's football team members raise their fists in front of photojournalists following their arrival at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday, after wrapping up their journey to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Korea advanced to the round of 16, thanks to a dramatic upset win against Portugal, but their World Cup adventure ended after a defeat against Brazil. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulCaptain Son Heung-min waves at the crowd at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulNational football team members get heroes' welcome at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulHead coach Paulo Bento waves to cheering fans as he and national football team players emerge from the arrival gate at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulHead coach Paulo Bento gives a thumbs up. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulCaption Son Heung-min speaks on behalf of the national team members after their arrival at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulNation

Dec 7, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
[PHOTOS] Taegeuk Warriors get heroes' welcome
  • Korean players return home after knockout appearance in Qatar
Opinion

Poverty porn

By Kang Hyun-kyungThe first time I heard of the term, “poverty porn,” was in late April 2019. I was doing a phone interview with photographer Cho Jang-sok, who was at that time preparing for a trip to Africa for his photo project. Speaking of poverty porn, Cho said he was sick of the practices non-profit groups had used to raise money for Africa, and said that Africa was misrepresented in such images. He was referring to aid groups' typical fundraising campaigns on TV that feature images of malnourished children desperate for help with flies buzzing around their faces. Poverty porn has triggered a debate in Korea recently after President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, first lady Kim Keon-hee, returned to Seoul following their official trip to Cambodia and Indonesia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the G-20 summits, respectively. A couple of photos featuring the first lady holding a sick Cambodian boy in her arms, taken in the boy's home in Phnom Penh, have triggered a debate about poverty porn between the presidential office and the main opposition Democrat

Nov 23, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Poverty porn
Foreign Affairs

Presidential office takes credit for 'partial lifting' of China's hallyu ban

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands during a summit held at a hotel in Bali, Indonesia on Nov. 15, on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. YonhapBy Kang Hyun-kyungAward-winning filmmaker Hong Sang-soo's 2018 movie, “Hotel by the River,” which revolves around a poet who is visited by his two sons while staying in a hotel, has been released on the Chinese over-the-top (OTT) service, Tencent Video, starting from Nov. 20. The move has raised hopes among Korean content makers of a partial lifting of the Chinese government's hallyu ban, which was imposed in 2017 following South Korea's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery.“Hotel by the River” is the first Korean movie to be made available on any major OTT service in China since 2017, according to experts familiar with the Chinese market. The news excited the presidential office. The presidential office said on Tuesday that the release of the Korean film on the Chinese OTT service is a follow-up measure to President Yoon Suk-yeol's summit wi

Nov 22, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Presidential office takes credit for 'partial lifting' of China's hallyu ban
Law & Crime

Internet media outlets face backlash after disclosing names of Itaewon tragedy victims

Seoul Metropolitan Council member Lee Jong-bae holds a sign during a news conference in front of Seoul Metropolitan Police, Tuesday. He filed a complaint with the police, requesting them to investigate two media outlets that disclosed the names of Itaewon tragedy victims without consent from their families. YonhapUnidentified embassy in Seoul protests media over disclosure of victims' namesBy Kang Hyun-kyungTwo online media outlets have triggered a controversy on Tuesday after releasing the list of deceased victims of the crowd crush disaster in Itaewon on Oct. 29, without the consent of their families. Under Korean law, it is illegal to disclose people's personal information, including their names, without prior consent from them or their families ― in the cases in which the people concerned are minors or dead ― and the disclosers can be liable for compensating the victims financially. On Tuesday, the issue went global. One unidentified foreign embassy in Seoul reportedly lodged a complaint against the two media outlets for disclosing the names of victims who were citizens of its co

Nov 15, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Internet media outlets face backlash after disclosing names of Itaewon tragedy victims
Society

Head of state institute wants to make it fun place to work

Kim Sae-won, president of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in its newsroom in Seoul, last Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulPresident of Korea Culture and Tourism Institute speaks about her role to change the institute By Kang Hyun-kyungKim Sae-won took the helm at the state-run Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) in late October, around the time when the nation went into shock following the tragic crowd crush that killed 158 people who gathered in Itaewon to celebrate Halloween.As the newly appointed head of a research institute responsible for producing commissioned research papers on culture and tourism, she came to think about how the deadly incident would impact the nation's tourism industry. “It's natural that people would not want to travel in a country that is not safe,” she said during an interview at The Korea Times newsroom in Seoul on Thursday. “The crowd crush is a tragedy, as we lost many lives and many others were injured. It is also bad news for those who are involved in the to

Nov 14, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Head of state institute wants to make it fun place to work
Politics

Analysis Sewol ferry disaster haunts nation in wake of Itaewon tragedy

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, left in front row, attend a memorial service for the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush at the Jogye Temple in central Seoul, Friday. The event was hosted by the nation's largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order. Joint Press CorpsPresident learns lesson from 2014 maritime disaster, tries to minimize fallout on his leadership By Kang Hyun-kyungPresident Yoon Suk-yeol is walking a tightrope in the wake of the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon that killed 156 people and injured many others. There is an old Korean phrase taken from Chinese characters, “nae-woo-wae-hwan,” which refers to having a lethal combination of trouble both at home and abroad. Yoon is now in the midst of such turmoil, particularly in the aftermath of the Itaewon tragedy. In a situation like this, any minor mistake or seemingly trivial miscalculation could force political leaders to face irreversible negative consequences.On Thursday, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo shared a piece of advice for Yoon on Facebook, urging the president to stand firm to win against bot

Nov 6, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
[Analysis] Sewol ferry disaster haunts nation in wake of Itaewon tragedy
  • Yoon apologizes to nation over Itaewon crowd crush
Foreign Affairs

Envoys invited to share condolences for Itaewon tragedy victims

Flowers and bottles of traditional Korean alcohol are placed near a framed message dedicated to those who lost their lives during the Halloween tragedy last Saturday in a makeshift memorial site near Itaewon Station in Seoul on Oct. 31. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Kang Hyun-kyungThe wounds are still fresh. Korea is reeling from the deadly crowd crush that took the lives of 156 people and injured many others who gathered in the alleys of central Seoul's Itaewon last Saturday for Halloween celebrations. The tragedy is ongoing as families of the victims are gripped by the deep pain of loss and 38 others who were injured during the nightmare are still hospitalized and receiving medical treatment. Among those who lost their lives are 26 foreign nationals from 14 different countries, which has brought messages from around the entire world in mourning for the tragic losses. As the international community grieves, The Korea Times is receiving condolence messages from the chiefs of mission at embassies in Korea to share with our readers. Their messages will be published in our newsp

Nov 3, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Envoys invited to share condolences for Itaewon tragedy victims
  • US ambassador's message
  • Italian ambassador's message
Foreign Affairs

Korea Times forum to examine new challenges for Korea-US alliance

From left are Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho; Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of the National Security Office; Joel Wit, founder of 38 North; Soo Kim, policy analyst at RAND Corporation; Joseph DeTrani, former US chief negotiator to the Six Party Talks; Wi Sung-lac, former South Korean chief negotiator to the Six Party Talks and ambassador to Russia; and James Kim, president of the American Chamber of Commerce Korea.By Kang Hyun-kyungThe Korea Times will host a Korea-U.S. alliance forum on Oct. 26 at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul. Under the topic of “New Challenges for Korea-U.S. Alliance,” leading experts in the areas of economic security and Korea-U.S. alliance in the Indo-Pacific region will present their ideas about global supply chain disruptions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's test-firings of nuclear-capable missiles and other military provocations.Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of the National Security

Oct 23, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Korea Times forum to examine new challenges for Korea-US alliance
  • 2022 Korea Times Forum
Foreign Affairs

Pyongyang's 7th nuclear test to strain China-North Korea ties

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party in Beijing, China, Sunday. AP-Yonhap By Kang Hyun-kyungChinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized the continuity of China's assertive foreign policy in a televised speech during the Chinese Communist Party's week-long Congress, which opened on Sunday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.Xi said China has taken a clear-cut stance against a U.S.-led hegemony and power politics and is opposed to unilateralism and bullying. His remarks hint at the lingering confrontation between U.S.-led democracies and autocracies represented by China, Russia and North Korea, which has been evident particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Xi's third term as leader. Experts say that the seventh nuclear test North Korea has been preparing for will be a real test for Sino-North Korea ties.“Ch

Oct 18, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Pyongyang's 7th nuclear test to strain China-North Korea ties
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