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Park Ji-won

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.

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Foreign Affairs

UNDP will review reopening N. Korea office 'if things change,' agency chief says

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) operated in North Korea for nearly three decades before a series of disruptions — fund diversion allegations, then the COVID-19 pandemic — forced it out. Now, the agency’s administrator says there is no immediate plan to return, but reopening remains possible if conditions on the ground change. “If things change, we’ll have to look into it,” UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo told The Korea Times in Seoul last Friday. “We (currently) don’t have presence in North Korea. We used to have it, but we were asked to leave. As long as things don’t change, there’s no point for us to be there.” The remarks came after South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed the U.N. body’s plan to resume operations in the North in the first half of this year. The administrator didn’t elaborate on the specifics, but it is known that the agency has been looking for ways to reenter the seclusive country for years. The UNDP first opened an office in Pyongyang in 1980, becoming one of the earliest U.N. agencies to establish a prese

May 28, 2026By Park Ji-won
UNDP will review reopening N. Korea office 'if things change,' agency chief says
Foreign Affairs

Iranian anti-ship missiles hit Korean vessel in Hormuz: gov't

The Korean government said Wednesday that Iranian anti-ship missiles struck a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, based on an inspection by a Korean government team. “Much evidence suggests that Iran (is behind the attack),” Park Yoon-joo, first vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a briefing, Wednesday. It was the first official confirmation by the Korean government regarding the exact cause of the incident. Suspicions had also been raised that the damage might have been the result of drone attacks. Park said the inspection team reached its conclusion after investigating the HMM Namu, the Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by Korean shipping company HMM, which has been anchored at a port in Dubai following the attack. Debris from the flying object used to attack the ship was also present for their inspection. “The investigation showed the attack was highly likely to have been made by Noor-series anti-ship missiles developed by Iran," Park said. "Two missiles were fired; the first missile failed to explode and the second one exploded.

May 27, 2026By Park Ji-won
Iranian anti-ship missiles hit Korean vessel in Hormuz: gov't
Politics

Eligible foreign voters triple since 2014, hitting record high for June 3 elections

The number of eligible foreign voters for the June 3 local elections has tripled since 2014, according to government election agency data, with Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, topping all cities and districts nationwide. National Election Commission data compiled by The Korea Times shows 151,532 foreign residents are registered to vote in the upcoming local elections, up from 48,428 in 2014. In Korea, foreign nationals aged 18 or older are granted the right to vote in local elections — for mayors, governors, district heads, local councilors and education superintendents — three years after obtaining an F-5 permanent residency visa. Ansan, the most ethnically diverse city in the country, topped the list with 10,174 eligible foreign voters. Two other Gyeonggi Province cities — Bucheon with 8,581 and Suwon with 7,895 — followed. All three host major industrial complexes and offer convenient commutes to Seoul plus affordable housing, making them attractive to foreign workers and immigrants. Within Seoul, Guro District holds the highest number of eligible foreign voters at 6,736, driven la

May 26, 2026By Park Ji-won
Eligible foreign voters triple since 2014, hitting record high for June 3 elections
Foreign Affairs

Heroes or rule-breakers? Koreans divided over Gaza flotilla activists' return home

Two Korean nationals detained by Israeli forces after joining a Gaza-bound aid flotilla returned home Friday vowing to sail to the territory again, despite a government-imposed passport ban, setting the stage for a deepening legal and diplomatic confrontation that has polarized public opinion. Supporters argue that humanitarian aid work is a fundamental right and the passport cancellation was unjust, while critics claim the activists' actions place an undue burden on the state. Kim Ah-hyun, widely known by her activist name Haecho, and Kim Dong-hyeon arrived at Incheon International Airport at 6:24 a.m., after being freed from Israeli custody on Wednesday. The two, who were aboard different ships participating in the flotilla, were detained by Israeli forces in international waters on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Their return reignited debate over the limits of individual conscience and state responsibility. Supporters argue that humanitarian aid work is a fundamental right and that the passport cancellation was unjust. Meanwhile, critics questioned the activists' judgement, saying

May 22, 2026By Park Ji-won
Heroes or rule-breakers? Koreans divided over Gaza flotilla activists' return home
Foreign Affairs

Seoul expects Chinese president to play 'constructive role' in peace on Korean Peninsula

Seoul officials have expressed expectations that Chinese President Xi Jinping could play a mediator role in resolving Pyongyang's nuclear issues amid speculations that he would visit North Korea for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as early as next week. A government official said that it obtained intelligence indicating that Xi will visit North Korea soon, according to a Yonhap News Agency report. The official was quoted as saying that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to the North Korean capital last month and that Chinese presidential security teams visited the country as well. Time magazine also reported Wednesday that “a state visit” will happen “perhaps as early as next week.” Attention is focused on whether the trip, if made, will mark a turning point in the North Korean nuclear standoff. Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement Thursday that it hopes that if Xi visits the North, the Chinese leader will play a “constructive role over on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula," implying that Xi’s visit to Pyongyang is near. "The government hopes that excha

May 21, 2026By Park Ji-won
Seoul expects Chinese president to play 'constructive role' in peace on Korean Peninsula
Sports

Joint cheers echo as NK team edges Suwon FC Women in historic match

SUWON, Gyeonggi Province — Rain lashed down on Suwon Sports Complex, south of Seoul, Wednesday evening, but it did little to dampen the intensity on the pitch or the emotions in the stands as Suwon FC Women faced North Korea’s Naegohyang Women's FC in the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League (AWCL) semifinal. The two professional sides battled through sheets of rain and swirling wind for a place in Saturday’s final, chasing what would be a first AWCL title for either club and a landmark trophy for women’s football in both Koreas. The Korea Football Association (KFA) brought both the semifinals and final of the continental tournament to Suwon, creating an opportunity for Suwon FC Women to stage their AWCL debut on home turf after winning the 2024 WK League title. The host pushed to deliver a historic first continental crown for the Korean women’s professional league, but ultimately fell 2-1 to Naegohyang. The North Korean side advanced to face Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza in Saturday’s final at 2 p.m. on the same pitch, with about $1 million in prize money

May 20, 2026By Lee Hae-rin and Park Ji-won
Joint cheers echo as NK team edges Suwon FC Women in historic match
North Korea

1st inter-Korean women's football match in South in years kicks off

South Korea's Suwon FC Women face North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC Wednesday night in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in what will be the first inter-Korean sports match on South Korean soil in seven-and-a-half years — a match that carries political weight far beyond the pitch. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, speaking at a National Assembly session Wednesday ahead of the evening kickoff, framed the match as an opportunity to set a "positive precedent" for inter-Korean ties. "I think the arrival of the North Korean sports team marks a meaningful milestone, as it is the first time a North Korean athletic team has set foot in the South in seven-and-a-half years," Chung said. "The ministry will carefully manage the situation in hopes that the event can help restore the long-fractured trust between the two Koreas." Chung explained that while Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young would attend the match in person, he chose not to. “The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) requested our assistance in ensuring that the AFC Women's Champions League could be held independently o

May 20, 2026By Park Ji-won
1st inter-Korean women's football match in South in years kicks off
Sports

NK's football club brushes off joint cheering squad questions, keeps focus on Suwon semifinal

The coach of a North Korean women's football club deflected questions regarding an allegedly 3,000-strong inter-Korean joint cheering squad, saying the matter is of no concern to his players. “I am not sure whether similar questions about the supporters will be asked, but we are entirely here for the match. We will focus on the upcoming matches. It is not something that a coach or players should take into consideration,” Ri Yu-il, head coach of Naegohyang Women’s FC, said Tuesday during a press conference. Ri and the squad arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a match against South Korea's Suwon FC Women scheduled for Wednesday evening, for the AFC Women's Champions League semifinals. On the match itself, Ri said the team is "well prepared." He added, "All four teams that made the semifinals are playing at an excellent level — anyone can win the title. At this stage, it's impossible to separate the strong from the weak." Captain and striker Kim Kyoung-yong said the squad was in good shape ahead of the match. “As the team captain and an attacker, I will do my best,” Kim said. “

May 19, 2026By Park Ji-won
NK's football club brushes off joint cheering squad questions, keeps focus on Suwon semifinal
South Korea

Korea must embrace its 7 mil. diaspora as 'strategic asset,' says agency chief

Once a primary source of emigrants and adoptees due to historical instability, Korea has transformed into one of the most favorable destinations for global migration over the past decades, fueled by robust economic growth and cultural influence. The overseas Korean population — those of Korean descent or citizenship living abroad — have been steadily growing, reaching about 7 million as of 2025. Of that total, about 4.6 million, or 66 percent, hold foreign citizenship, while the remaining 2.4 million retain Korean nationality. At the same time, the number of overseas Koreans returning to Korea — including those with stateless status — continues to climb, now accounting for more than 30 percent of the foreign national population in the country. This represents a shift from departure to homecoming. However, managing the complex legal and social issues surrounding the overseas Korean community remains a formidable challenge for the government, ranging from visa administration to sociocultural integration. Kim Kyung-hyup, commissioner of the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA) under the Mi

May 18, 2026By Park Ji-won
Korea must embrace its 7 mil. diaspora as 'strategic asset,' says agency chief
Politics

Single candidacy could boost conservatives’ chances in Busan, survey shows

A by-election for a parliamentary seat in Busan, to be held alongside the local elections on June 3, is drawing keen attention for fielding heavyweight candidates, including a former senior presidential aide from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a former minister from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and a former PPP leader who was expelled from the party. The focus is on whether the PPP candidate and former PPP leader will decide on a single candidacy for a united conservative front against the DPK contender, who is leading opinion polls. The race for Busan’s Buk-A constituency has taken shape, featuring Ha Jung-woo of the DPK, a former secretary for artificial intelligence (AI) and future planning hand-picked by President Lee Jae Myung; Park Min-shik of the PPP, a veterans affairs minister during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and former lawmaker for the district; and Han Dong-hoon, a high-profile independent running as a former justice minister under Yoon and former leader of the PPP. Ha, a Busan native, has led recent polls since securing his nomination, f

May 17, 2026By Park Ji-won
Single candidacy could boost conservatives’ chances in Busan, survey shows
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