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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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North Korea

Chinese FM's Pyongyang visit signals coordination ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to North Korea from Thursday to Friday, at Pyongyang’s invitation, is seen by experts as an effort to coordinate positions ahead of a United States-China summit in May, potentially laying the groundwork for a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump. The trip comes at a sensitive moment in peninsular diplomacy. Speculation over a possible Trump-Kim summit has been growing in Washington and Pyongyang since early this year, and Beijing, which has historically served as a back channel between the two sides, is keen to shape any outcome before Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sit down in May. Wang’s visit signals China’s effort to reassert its central role in regional diplomacy, particularly as discussions involving North Korea are expected to feature in U.S.-China talks. Seoul expressed cautious expectations over the visit, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue. “The agenda for talks between North Korea and China has not been disclosed, but the South Korean government hopes they will eng

Apr 9, 2026By Park Ji-won
Chinese FM's Pyongyang visit signals coordination ahead of Trump-Xi summit
North Korea

What's behind North Korea's sudden push to deepen ties with China, Russia?

North Korea has launched a diplomatic sprint in recent weeks, deepening ties with both China and Russia in what experts describe as a calculated bid to strengthen its bargaining position ahead of any engagement with the United States. Long regarded as one of the world's most isolated states — a reputation reinforced by years of pandemic-era border closures — Pyongyang moved quickly to normalize relations with its two most important partners while quietly maintaining outreach to Southeast Asian nations. The moves come against the backdrop of a planned U.S.-China summit in May that is expected to touch on North Korea's nuclear program and growing speculation about the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit in the second half of the year. Restoring China channel On the China front, North Korea has moved to mend ties after years of pandemic-era isolation. Passenger train services between Pyongyang and Beijing resumed on March 12, followed by the return of direct flights on March 30, both after six years of suspension. The countries' two leaders have also maintained a steady exchange of

Apr 7, 2026By Park Ji-won
What's behind North Korea's sudden push to deepen ties with China, Russia?
Society

PHOTO Billboards go dark in energy-saving push

Electronic billboards are dark near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the operating hours of about 30 large electronic billboards in the Gwanghwamun and Myeong-dong areas would be reduced to 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., from the previous 6 a.m. to midnight, for five days starting Monday as part of energy-saving efforts amid prolonged price pressures driven by the Middle East crisis. Yonhap

Apr 6, 2026By Park Ji-won
[PHOTO] Billboards go dark in energy-saving push
North Korea

Lee expresses regret over private drone flights into N. Korea

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday expressed regret over South Korean individuals' unauthorized drone flights into North Korea, saying the actions triggered unnecessary military tensions with Pyongyang. It was the first time that the president expressed regret over the issue. Previously, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had made similar remarks in February. “Although this was not the intention of our government, we express our regret to the North that unnecessary military tensions were caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of a few individuals,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting. The remarks came after the indictment of a graduate student surnamed Oh, who was taken into custody and charged with violating the Aviation Safety Act by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on March 25. On March 31, a joint military-police task force announced that a National Intelligence Service employee and two active-duty military officers had been referred to prosecutors for allegedly helping Oh send drones across the border between September 2025 and January 2026. “South Korea

Apr 6, 2026By Park Ji-won
Lee expresses regret over private drone flights into N. Korea
Politics

PPP continues to fall 1 year after Yoon's ouster

One year after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster over his botched martial law crisis, the People Power Party (PPP), to which he belonged, is facing its worst slump in years. A new poll shows the main opposition party trailing the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) by 30 percentage points — the widest gap between the two parties since 2018. The anniversary did not pass quietly. Both pro- and anti-Yoon rallies were held in Seoul on Saturday, the one-year anniversary of the Constitutional Court's decision to uphold the National Assembly's impeachment motion against him, underscoring how he continues to divide the country. From detention, Yoon released an Easter message shared through his lawyer, urging supporters to persevere. "Even if the current times are difficult and hard, I pray that this Easter Sunday becomes one where we are reborn as children of God, enduring hardship and holding onto the hope of salvation," he wrote. The message points to a continuing challenge for the PPP: Yoon’s ongoing visibility remains a political liability, and the party is paying the price. Th

Apr 5, 2026By Park Ji-won
PPP continues to fall 1 year after Yoon's ouster
Foreign Affairs

Lawyers sue foreign ministry over bid to suspend Gaza-bound activist's passport

A liberal lawyers' group filed a lawsuit against the foreign ministry Wednesday, over its attempt to suspend the passport of an activist believed to be preparing to sail to the Gaza Strip on an aid flotilla, calling the measure unlawful and urging the government to reverse course. Lawyers for a Democratic Society, also known as Minbyeon, said at a press conference that it filed the lawsuit against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over its move to invalidate the passport of activist Kim Ah-hyun — more widely known as Haecho — arguing the measure could cause irreparable harm and must be rescinded. According to the legal representatives, a notice of passport invalidation was delivered to Kim's home address in Korea on March 27, with the suspension set to take effect on Saturday if the passport is not returned to the ministry by then. Kim is known to have left the country in early March. She said in an interview in January that three Koreans, including herself, had committed to sailing on a Korean vessel to deliver aid to Gaza and were recruiting more participants. The lawyers' group out

Apr 2, 2026By Park Ji-won
Lawyers sue foreign ministry over bid to suspend Gaza-bound activist's passport
Foreign Affairs

Gov’t warns formerly detained activist not to attempt Gaza entry again

A Korean activist detained by Israel last October after joining a Gaza aid flotilla is attempting to enter the Gaza Strip again, the foreign ministry announced Tuesday, urging her not to proceed and cautioning that the region is far more dangerous than it was at the time of her previous attempt. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has learned that the Korean national who previously attempted to enter the Gaza Strip on a Gaza aid flotilla is again trying to visit the area," a foreign ministry official said. "We urge the individual against entering a region subject to a travel ban, as the person’s safety and life could be at risk.” The official noted that conditions throughout the region have deteriorated sharply. Israeli attacks have killed 670 people in the Gaza Strip since last October, with at least 36 deaths since Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel began their war with Iran. Missile and drone strikes are now occurring across the entire Middle East, the official added. The activist is widely identified as Kim Ah-hyun, also known as Haecho, who is believed to be planning to join a new

Mar 31, 2026By Park Ji-won
Gov’t warns formerly detained activist not to attempt Gaza entry again
North Korea

Seoul backs UN resolution on NK despite ministry row

South Korea cosponsored a United Nations resolution on North Korean human rights that passed Monday (local time), overcoming internal disagreements between ministries that had delayed its participation. Officials insist the move will not undermine Seoul's push for peaceful coexistence with the North. “As a directly concerned party, the government concluded that cosponsoring the resolution would better maintain credibility and consistency, while contributing to improvements in North Korea’s human rights situation through international cooperation, even though various views had been discussed among ministries,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said Tuesday. In a press release issued after the resolution passed, the foreign ministry said the adopted text recognized recent North Korean efforts to meet its human rights obligations, including Pyongyang's participation in the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review, while underscoring the importance of engagement — including inter-Korean dialogue — in improving conditions in the North. "The government remains committed to

Mar 31, 2026By Park Ji-won
Seoul backs UN resolution on NK despite ministry row
North Korea

PPP slams unification minister's opposition to UN resolution on NK human rights violations

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) criticized Unification Minister Chung Dong-young as he opposed joining a United Nations resolution denouncing human rights violations in North Korea, in order not to provoke Pyongyang. Rep. Song Eon-seog, floor leader of the PPP, called for Chung's resignation Friday. “Should we prioritize North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s emotions over the human rights of North Koreans?” he wrote on his Facebook page. Rep. Na Kyung-won of the PPP also said on Facebook, “Chung Dong-young is ... effectively acting as a mouthpiece for North Korea.” She urged President Lee Jae Myung to dismiss Chung. Rep. Park Choong-kwon of the PPP said Chung failed to uphold the Constitution and urged him to apologize to the public. “The unification minister should seek unification, and Chung’s remarks show he is not qualified for the post," he said. The criticism came after Chung told reporters on Thursday that “South Korea sees no reason to co-sponsor this year’s resolution for the U.N. Human Rights Council,” adding that “North Korea considers it a major

Mar 27, 2026By Park Ji-won
PPP slams unification minister's opposition to UN resolution on NK human rights violations
Others

Korea risks losing Gulf defense deals by doing 'nothing' in Hormuz crisis, expert says

Korea risks undermining its defense export ambitions in the Middle East if it fails to support key Gulf partners during the current conflict, a Middle East expert warned, arguing that trust built in times of crisis, not just technology, determines future arms deals. Jang Ji-hyang, a principal fellow and director of the Center for Regional Studies at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said Seoul has focused too narrowly on its alliance with the United States and its role as a middle power, while overlooking its strategic ties with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. “Many claim Korea should consider the Korea-U.S. alliance and take a responsibility as a middle power country, but what we are missing here is Korea’s relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” Jang said in a phone interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday. Seoul holds a special strategic partnership with the UAE and a future-oriented strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia — yet is doing "nothing" while both countries endure the hardships of war, she said, likening Korea's stance to that of a "thief" toward

Mar 27, 2026By Park Ji-won
Korea risks losing Gulf defense deals by doing 'nothing' in Hormuz crisis, expert says
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