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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

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
Foreign Affairs

Seoul blames Iran for Korean ship attack, vows 'diplomatic offensive'

A senior Korean government official said Thursday that Iran is almost certainly behind the attack on the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, while stressing that an investigation is still underway and vowing a "diplomatic offensive" against those responsible once confirmed. “Although the investigation is not yet conclusive, based on common sense, it is unlikely any actor other than Iran was responsible for the attack,” the official said, noting there were no pirates operating in the area at the time. The official said the government intends to launch diplomatic retaliation against those responsible once the investigation is complete. “If (the Korean government) provides (sound) evidence to Iran, I expect Iran would show us certain reactions. In order to do that, we need a thorough investigation,” the official said. The Korean government is sharing intelligence with the United States to jointly examine the incident. The attack on the HMM Namu was the 33rd such incident in the waterway, the official noted, adding that previous cases and responses a

May 14, 2026By Park Ji-won
Seoul blames Iran for Korean ship attack, vows 'diplomatic offensive'
Foreign Affairs

FM suggests Iran-linked suspects in Korean ship attack

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun narrowed down the list of likely suspects behind the attack on a Korean-operated vessel near the Strait of Hormuz to Iran-linked entities, while stopping short of directly naming Tehran and leaving open the possibility that militia groups may have been involved. “It is difficult to make a hasty determination. When it comes to who may have launched this kind of object, there are several possibilities even within Iran. Militias could also be involved,” Cho told reporters Wednesday at Government Complex Seoul, when asked whether the object that struck HMM Namu, a Korean-operated and Panama-flagged cargo vessel, was likely a drone. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac opened up the possibility that missiles could have struck the vessel, rejecting speculation that drones were used. "So far, there is no grounds for saying that it was attacked by drones ... Missiles also can be one of many options. We are open to many possibilities," Wi said during a press conference at the Korea Press Center, Wednesday. Wi also said that Seoul is reviewing whether it will join th

May 13, 2026By Park Ji-won
FM suggests Iran-linked suspects in Korean ship attack
Politics

Top presidential aide floats 'AI national dividends'

The top presidential aide for economic policy has proposed the country should come up with a national dividend policy that returns the excess tax revenue generated by Korea's booming artificial intelligence (AI)-related industries to the public. “The fruits of the AI infrastructure era are not the outcome of individual companies alone, but are built on the industrial foundation that the entire nation has accumulated over the past half-century,” Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, wrote on Facebook Monday. His remarks come as public debate grows over how and whether companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix should share their massive operating profits generated by soaring global demand for AI-related products, including high-performance memory chips. While Samsung's labor unions are threatening to strike over their demands for performance-based bonuses, similar to what SK hynix promised to its workers, there have been calls for systems similar to Kim's idea on an online anonymous forum that outsized gains of such big companies should be shared with the pub

May 12, 2026By Park Ji-won
Top presidential aide floats 'AI national dividends'
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