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Jun Ji-hye

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Hello, I am Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at The Korea Times. I primarily cover financial authorities and write articles on a wide range of topics related to finance and capital markets. If you have any information to share, feel free to email me at jjh@koreatimes.co.kr, and I will review it carefully. I am committed to always doing my best to communicate with readers through high-quality articles.

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Society

Debate flares up over validity of sending children to day care with recording devices

A teacher and a young boy play at a day care center in Seoul's Songpa District on Sunday. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seokBy Jun Ji-hyeDebate is heating up over whether it is appropriate or justified to send children to day care with hidden voice recording devices, after some mothers shared their experiences of doing so in online communities.The mothers said that the recording devices were used to substantiate the possibility of child abuse, where they had suspicions that it might be occurring at their respective day care centers. But objectors say that the mothers went too far, saying that teachers' morale will be destroyed if they discover such devices are being used to monitor them. Last month, one mother shared her story in Momsholic, an online forum popular among mothers and moms-to-be, drawing both support and criticism. The mother said she sent her 22-month-old child to a day care center with a small recording device in the child's bag because her child one day said “Eat fast” while playing with dolls and cried every morning, refusing to go to day care. Then, the

Jun 14, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Debate flares up over validity of sending children to day care with recording devices
Politics

People rush to purchase sea salt ahead of Fukushima wastewater discharge

Workers produce sea salt at a salt farm in Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, in October 2021. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoonBy Jun Ji-hyeSome Korean shoppers are moving to hoard sea salt amid growing concerns over potential health hazards stemming from Japan's planned discharge of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant as early as this month, according to industry officials Tuesday. On Monday, Japan began to carry out a two-week test run on the process for discharging water containing tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which was devastated by a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in March 2011.An increasing number of consumers here have been apparently rushing to buy salt in bulk to store at home before the wastewater discharge begins. A store of Suhyup, or the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, in Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, increased the price of 20 kilograms of the salt produced in 2021 from 25,000 won ($20) to 30,000 won, beginning last Thursday. Sinan County accounts f

Jun 13, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
People rush to purchase sea salt ahead of Fukushima wastewater discharge
Defense

Military song choir touches audience with songs from musical 'Hero'

Members of the Korea Military Song Choir perform a concert at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Military Song ChoirBy Jun Ji-hyeThe Korea Military Song Choir (KMSC) performed songs from the musical “Hero,” drawing rounds of applause from around 2,000 audience members during its annual concert held at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Sunday.“Hero” is a musical about the life of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910).The KMSC, founded in 2015, consists of about 90 men including retired soldiers, government officials and members from academic and businesses communities. It performs an annual concert each June, a month dedicated to honoring and remembering patriots and veterans in Korea with Memorial Day observed on June 6.The choir said more members could participate in this year's performance following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.Besides songs from the musical, the choir sang a variety of songs including military and folk songs. The audience included Korean War veterans, actively serving soldiers, reservists an

Jun 12, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Military song choir touches audience with songs from musical 'Hero'
Society

Reporter's Notebook There's more to childcare than money

gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeAs a journalist and mother of a 17-month-old baby, I share the same concerns about childcare that many working moms grapple with every day.Then, I asked myself if I would be willing to hire a foreign nanny who will look after my son for a cheaper fee than a Korean one while I work, as the government is pursuing a pilot program to allow Southeast Asian domestic helpers to work in Seoul as early as this year.My answer was “no” for now, because there are many more things to consider than just lower costs to hire such helpers.One of the biggest concerns mothers have when leaving a baby with nannies is how much they can trust them.Such concerns transcend nationality, as news about child abuse committed by Korean nannies have already been reported quite often, and some of those nannies were recruited through the government's childcare support program.So my question is, how thoroughly can the government run background checks on foreign nannies in its hastily prepared pilot program, at a time when the existing program recruiting Korean nannies has some

Jun 12, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
[Reporter's Notebook] There's more to childcare than money
Politics

Daegu mayor urges gov't to protest Fukushima wastewater discharge plan

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo / Korea Times fileBy Jun Ji-hyeDaegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who is a member of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), has urged the government to protest Japan's plan to discharge radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. “Korea will not agree with Japan's plan. Korea shouldn't do that,” Hong wrote on Facebook, Sunday. “The plan is a separate issue from the economic and security alliance between Korea, the United States and Japan. The issue is related to the health of people around the globe.”Beginning later this month, the Japanese government is expected to start releasing into the Pacific Ocean water containing tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which was devastated by a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in March 2011. Hong, who ran in the presidential election in 2017 under the flag of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the PPP, claimed Japan's export of marine products will become impossible if the country pushes ahead with its d

Jun 11, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Daegu mayor urges gov't to protest Fukushima wastewater discharge plan
Health

Move to exempt doctors from punishment for medical errors draws controversy

gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government's move to exempt doctors from criminal punishment in case of medical errors is stirring up arguments. Doctors say such a measure is necessary to make sure they can offer medical services to patients in a more stable environment. Objectors criticize this, saying doctors are only aiming to avoid responsibility. Last Thursday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Medical Association (KMA) reached an agreement to “draw up a measure to reduce legal responsibilities that doctors should bear in case of medical errors.”Under the agreement, the ministry is expected to push for legislating a special law designed to exempt doctors from criminal punishment when medical errors occur while they engage in “normal” medical practice.The agreement came as the ministry accepted the request from the doctors' association, in return for the association's acceptance of the ministry's proposal to increase the medical college quota in 2025.In January, the ministry included the legislation of the aforementioned special law in its p

Jun 11, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Move to exempt doctors from punishment for medical errors draws controversy
Politics

Who is Kim Hyun-sook?

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook holds an interview with The Korea Times at the Government Complex in Seoul, June 2. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jun Ji-hyeMinister Kim Hyun-sook is Korea's 10th minister of gender equality and family, and also a tax and pension expert.Born in 1966 in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Seoul National University, and received a doctorate in the same major from the University of Illinois.From 2007 to 2012, she taught economics at Soongsil University in Seoul, before serving as a lawmaker for the conservative then-ruling Saenuri Party from 2012 to 2015 under the proportional representation system. The Saenuri Party is the predecessor of the current ruling People Power Party.She served as a member of the Gender Equality and Family Committee of the National Assembly from June 2013 to May 2014 and as a spokesperson for the Saenuri Party from May 2014 to January 2015.She also served as the senior presidential secretary for employment and welfare during the Park G

Jun 11, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Who is Kim Hyun-sook?
  • INTERVIEW Minister tackles complex gender, family challenges
Politics

INTERVIEW Minister tackles complex gender, family challenges

Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Government Complex Seoul, June 2. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulMinister calls for international cooperation in coping with dark side of digital eraBy Jun Ji-hyeThe digital era has made people's lives much more convenient and easier, offering effective communication tools and virtually eliminating borders. But at the same time, the unintended dark sides of information technology, such as surveillance and declining privacy, are causing grave problems for many.Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook said one of the most serious and dark aspects of rapid digitalization around the world is the increase in online sex crimes, among others. “There are no borders in digital sex offenses, thus international cooperation is necessary,” Minister Kim said during an interview with The Korea Times at her office in Seoul, June 2. Online sex offenses refer to various kinds of sex crimes, including sexual violence and illegal production and distribution of pornography, wh

Jun 11, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
[INTERVIEW] Minister tackles complex gender, family challenges
  • Who is Kim Hyun-sook?
Health

Deep-rooted problems push nurses to handle doctors' duties

gettyimagesbankConflict continues over roles of physician assistantsBy Jun Ji-hyeOne physician assistant said she had to carry out a polypectomy, an operation to remove polyps from the inside of a patient's colon, while another said she was once told to pronounce a patient dead.These are actual cases contained in reports the Korean Nurses Association received from physician assistants across the country about unlawful orders they received from doctors.Such procedures and duties should be handled by doctors under the Medical Services Act. But in Korea's medical profession, physician assistants have been tacitly pushed to conduct such procedures, according to the association.In other countries such as the United States, physician assistants are considered to be licensed medical professionals who examine, diagnose and treat patients under the supervision of physicians. But things are different in Korea, as hospitals appoint skilled nurses with several years of experience as physician assistants. Additional courses or professional licenses are not required to appointment them. The contro

Jun 4, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Deep-rooted problems push nurses to handle doctors' duties
Politics

Yoon receives flak for saying social welfare spending needs greater scrutiny

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a social security strategy meeting at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Jun Ji-hyePresident Yoon Suk Yeol is facing criticism for saying that social welfare benefits need to be scrutinized more stringently based on market principles in order to ensure that Korea's resources are not wasted. But critics accused the president of attempting to use budget constraints as an excuse to cut back on social welfare benefits and accused the government of abandoning its public duties.Yoon made the remarks, Wednesday, while presiding over a social security strategy meeting at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae. “If the government hands out money uniformly, it is nothing more than just spending money,” Yoon said. “Social security services should be marketized and industrialized, and a competitive system should be introduced.”Rep. Park Kwang-on, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said Friday that Yoon virtually declared the abandonment of

Jun 2, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Yoon receives flak for saying social welfare spending needs greater scrutiny
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