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Jun Ji-hye

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.

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South Korea

Rival parties at odds over welfare funding

By Jun Ji-hyeRival parties have locked horns once more over covering the cost of free school meals and child-care programs as the National Assembly conducts its budget deliberations for next year.The ruling Saenuri Party is maintaining a position that local governments and regional educational offices should bear the cost. They add that offering free childcare, along with the preschool education program, is a legal obligation of provincial governments, while providing free school meals has no legal basis. Free meals are entirely at the provincial governors’ own discretion, they argue.Cheong Wa Dae had previously announced the same stance.Meanwhile, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) is claiming that free school meals and free child-care programs should not be separated, and the central government should share the cost of both plans with local offices.Free child-care programs were initiated in the lead-up to the 2012 presidential election by the then ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye, while free school meals were introduced  by the opposition.

Nov 11, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

'Moment To Be One, Turn Toward Busan'

Descendants of Korean War veterans of 21 U.N. allied nations gather in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, on Oct. 31 to encourage people to participate in the “Turn Toward Busan International Commemorative Ceremony.” They called on people around the world to offer a one-minute silent tribute to U.N. fallen soldiers during the 1950-53 war by turning toward Busan at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11. / Courtesy of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans AffairsPeople around the world to observe 1-minute silence at 11 am on Nov. 11By Jun Ji-hye The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will host a “Turn Toward Busan International Commemorative Ceremony” Tuesday to be held in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the port city in honor of and as a tribute to the U.N. soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.According to the ministry, 40,670 servicemen of the 21 U.N. allied nations were killed during the conflict, with 104,280 wounded and 4,116 missing.The cemetery in Busan is the only place in the world where the fallen U.N. servicemen will be commemorated.T

Nov 10, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
'Moment To Be One, Turn Toward Busan'
  • UN Peace Memorial Hall opens in Busan
South Korea

Opposition urges central gov't to share price for free welfare

By Jun Ji-hyeThe main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) on Sunday called on the government to share the cost of free school meals and child-care programs, siding with local governments and regional educational offices.The issue of free welfare has recently become a hot potato in the National Assembly after the House began budget deliberations for next year.The central government and the ruling Saenuri Party are maintaining that local governments and regional educational offices should bear the cost of free school meals and free child care.The NPAD downplayed this, claiming that the Park Geun-hye government is shifting its responsibility to provincial governments. The largest opposition party urged the government to support any shortfall among the local governments.  “The Park administration and the governing party should face up to the reality of our children and reflect on themselves before shifting their responsibility to local governments and educational offices,” said Rep. Woo Yoon-keun, NPAD floor leader.Woo said that the government’s l

Nov 9, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Procurement agency set to undergo major overhaul

By Jun Ji-hyeLee Yong-geolThe nation’s military procurement agency is seeking to undergo a major overhaul of its management and personnel in an effort to stamp out corruption on defense industry projects, according to the head of the agency.Lee Yong-geol, who heads the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said that his agency is planning to expand the number of civilian employees to be up to 70 percent of the total workforce from the current 50 percent.He also said that the DAPA will expand the range of information that it releases.“The DAPA is planning to reduce the number of soldiers on its books and instead employ more civil servants and professionals from outside,” said Lee in an interview.The remark came amid growing criticism over a recent bribery case involving a Navy vessel project. Earlier last month, a former Navy officer was indicted on charges of forging a document for selection of a sonar system for the 3,500-ton Tongyeong, the first domestic-made rescue and salvage ship, when he was in charge of selecting a supplier on behalf of the DAPA.

Nov 9, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Procurement agency set to undergo major overhaul
South Korea

Main opposition to elect new chairman in early February

New Politics Alliance for Democracy floor leader Woo Yoon-keun, right, with Bill Paterson, Australia’s ambassador to Korea, during Paterson’s visit to the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. The ambassador asked the parliament to ratify the Korea-Australia free trade agreement, signed in April. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) is planning to hold a national convention to elect a new chairman in early February, according to insiders Wednesday.“The party plans to hold the event around Feb. 7 or 8. Party members agreed that it would be suitable to hold it ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday that begins from Feb. 18,” said an official from the NPAD press office. “Members believe that the party will be pressed for time if it holds the event in January.”Rep. Lee Seok-hyun also told reporters that the event will most likely take place Feb. 8.The largest opposition party is seeking to set up a committee tasked with preparing for the national convention as early as next week. The committee will make final decisions on t

Nov 5, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Lawmakers clash over OPCON transfer delay, THAAD

By Jun Ji-hyeLawmakers from rival parties locked horns on Monday over Seoul and Washington’s recent agreement to delay South Korea’s takeover of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its troops from the United States.At a National Assembly interpellation session, lawmakers also clashed over the possible deployment of key interceptors for a U.S.-led missile defense (MD) system on the Korean Peninsula.Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended the session, which focused on national security and foreign affairs issues.Rep. Shon In-chun of the ruling Saenuri Party said the decision of Minister Han and his U.S. counterpart Chuck Hagel to delay the transition of wartime OPCON was an inevitable choice as North Korea had shown no sign of giving up its nuclear ambitions.“The military should secure a sufficient budget in order to establish more effective defense capabilities,” she said. “Without securing a budget, it is just irresponsible to say South Korea can regain wartime OPCON in the

Nov 3, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Defense ministry in controversy for hastily discharging commander

By Jun Ji-hyeShin Hyun-donThe defense ministry is facing a growing controversy after a former four-star general, who had been dishonorably discharged in September, was cleared later - by the ministry - of any wrongdoings. Former First ROK Army commander Shin Hyun-don was discharged on Sept. 2 following allegations that he behaved inappropriately after drinking at a party he hosted after giving a lecture on national security at his former high school on June 19.Shin said he was not guilty of inappropriate behavior though he admitted drinking at the party.In its reasons for dismissing him, the Ministry of National Defense said Shin was in violation of an order on heightened readiness. It also said that after drinking with his high school friends, Shin was seen in public in the bathroom of a highway rest stop in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, with the jacket of his military uniform unbuttoned and a member of his entourage tussled with a civilian there.However, the ministry decided through its inspection conducted in mid-September ahead of a National Assembly audit that Shin was not

Nov 3, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Defense ministry in controversy for hastily discharging commander
South Korea

N. Korean submarine 'capable of firing ballistic missiles'

By Jun Ji-hyeThis image, taken from website 38 North, shows a newly identified submarine at the Sinpo South Shipyard on North Korea’s east coast on July 24.North Korea has built a submarine modeled on a Soviet-era Golf class vessel capable of firing ballistic missiles, military sources said Sunday.“The North has made an imitation based on the old Soviet model with the knowledge earned through reverse-engineering,” said a military source, asking not to be named.The vessel is 67 meters long and 6.6 meters wide with a diving displacement of 2,500 to 3,000 tons. Golf class submarines were built in 1958, and were decommissioned in 1990.The Russian 3,500-ton Golf class sub had three missile tubes that carried R-21 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a single-stage, liquid-propellant missile with a 1,180-kilogram warhead with a range of up to 1,420 kilometers.The source said the military began analyzing construction of the submarine in July, adding that the sub had yet to be deployed with its missile-launching capabilities still in question.It is belie

Nov 2, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
N. Korean submarine 'capable of firing ballistic missiles'
South Korea

Moon calls for constitutional revision, inter-Korean summit

By Jun Ji-hyeRep. Moon Hee-sang, interim leader of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, speaks at the National Assembly, Thursday./ YonhapRep. Moon Hee-sang, interim leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), said Thursday that now is the optimum time to push through a constitutional amendment in order to introduce a system of power-sharing between the president and the prime minister.“The nation needs to reform its old presidential system that has resulted in an imperial presidency,” he said during a speech at the National Assembly. “I believe the time is now ripe for a new system to be introduced.”The power-sharing that Moon referred to is a measure under which the president would focus on matters related to foreign affairs and unification, while the prime minister would take care of domestic issues.The five-term lawmaker said now is the “golden time” to make the constitutional revision because many people share the need for a change.“I call for the setting up of a special committee within the A

Oct 30, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Moon calls for constitutional revision, inter-Korean summit
People & Events

Painter captures people, nature

A piece of art titled “Stories in lifetime” completed this year by painter Choi Jang-han in his studio in Songpa, Seoul. Choi said he wanted to depict harmony between human beings and nature. / Courtesy of Choi Jang-hanPainter Choi Jang-hanBy Jun Ji-hye Painter Choi Jang-han finds inspiration for his passion by portraying the relationship between people and nature.“I want to show art lovers the coexistence and harmony between human beings and nature,” he said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.Inspired by Pablo Picasso, Choi dreamed of becoming a painter from a young age, and began painting when he was at university.“I devoted my life to painting for about 35 years,” he said. “Now, I want to find sublime beauty in nature.”Choi, a veteran painter who has held private exhibitions 31 times and also showed his work at 480 group exhibitions, developed his work on the theme of people connected to mountains, earth, trees, forests, and landscapes.Kang Goo-won, editor in chief of Vergil America, a quarterly art magazine th

Oct 29, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Painter captures people, nature
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