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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

US State Department expresses 'significant concerns' over Korea's 'fake news' law

The U.S. Department of State expressed “significant concerns” over Korea's recently revised Information and Communications Network Act, commonly known as the “fake news” law, amid worries that the law could restrict free speech and negatively affect American platforms operating here. “The United States has significant concerns with the ROK government’s approval of an amendment to the Network Act that risks negatively impacting the business of U.S.-based online platforms and undermining free speech,” the department's press office said in response to an inquiry from The Korea Times, referring to Korea by an abbreviation of its official name, the Republic of Korea. “We expect the ROK to deliver on its commitment to ensuring that U.S. companies are not discriminated against and do not face unnecessary barriers in terms of laws and policies concerning digital services,” it added. The response came as the “fake news” law came into force on Tuesday to regulate illegal and fabricated information on designated large online platforms — four domestic platforms, Naver, Kakao

Jul 12, 2026By Park Ji-won
US State Department expresses 'significant concerns' over Korea's 'fake news' law
Defense

Korea must adapt to NATO-aligned defense ecosystem to win contracts: experts

With Korea's failure to secure Canada's multibillion-dollar submarine procurement contract being the latest in a string of high-profile defense export losses in Western markets, experts advise the country to make a fundamental shift in how it approaches buyers aligned with NATO. The Canada deal, which went to a German-Norwegian consortium largely on grounds of NATO interoperability, followed a series of similar setbacks. In June, Hanwha Aerospace lost a 900 billion won ($599 million) French multiple-launch rocket system upgrade contract to a U.K.-French consortium. In May, it lost a 6 trillion won contract for Romania's next-generation infantry fighting vehicles to Germany's Rheinmetall. In November 2025, Hanwha Ocean lost an 8 trillion won bid for Poland's next-generation submarine program to Sweden's Saab. After losing the Canadian submarine deal, President Lee Jae Myung said the competition demonstrated the potential of Korean defense products, while a senior Defense Acquisition Program Administration official pledged to focus on improving product quality and technological competiti

Jul 9, 2026By Park Ji-won
Korea must adapt to NATO-aligned defense ecosystem to win contracts: experts
Law & Crime

Google, Meta, TikTok named under 'fake news' law

Korea's media regulatory agency on Wednesday designated eight major online platforms — including Google, Meta, TikTok and domestic giants Naver and Kakao — subject to regulation under the revised Information and Communications Network Act, commonly known as the "fake news" law, which took effect Tuesday. Shin Young-kyu, director general of the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC)’s consumer policy bureau, announced during a briefing that the watchdog had finalized the list and notified the platforms of their designation. The full list covers four Korean platforms — Naver, Kakao, Nate and DC Inside — and four overseas services — Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. The law applies to services where users can post information that others can view and share — covering social media platforms, online communities and video-sharing services. Private one-on-one messaging and closed message services are excluded. Open chat services accessible to an unspecified number of users, however, may fall within the scope of the law. These platforms are subject to regula

Jul 8, 2026By Park Ji-won
Google, Meta, TikTok named under 'fake news' law
Politics

DPK leadership hopefuls put presidential alignment, youth at center

What was expected to be a three-way race for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leadership gained an unexpected entrant Wednesday, as Rep. Koh Min-jung declared her candidacy, joining Rep. Song Young-gil and former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who announced his bid Monday. Rep. Jung Chung-rae, who stepped down as party chair last month, is also expected to formally enter the race in the coming days. Candidates have highlighted two themes: winning back younger voters and bringing the party into closer alignment with the presidential office ahead of the Aug. 17 convention, which will elect a new leader and Supreme Council to serve a two-year term under the Lee Jae Myung administration. Song, a former DPK leader and six-term lawmaker, made youth representation the centerpiece of his pledge, saying "Without the support from those in their 20s and 30s, we cannot win the presidential election in 2030." "If elected party leader, I will appoint two designated Supreme Council members in their 20s and 30s and establish a 2030 Special Committee and platform to give younger voices direct par

Jul 8, 2026By Park Ji-won
DPK leadership hopefuls put presidential alignment, youth at center
Foreign Affairs

NATO ties trump Korea in Canada's submarine bid

Interoperability with NATO was a crucial factor in Canada's selection of shipbuilders for its submarine fleet, as a Korean consortium lost to its German-Norwegian rival in the multibillion-dollar submarine procurement project on Tuesday. Canada’s move is largely seen as influenced by the need to reinforce its NATO ties at a time when the United States’ commitment to the alliance faces growing uncertainty, although the Korean bidder showed enough technical competitiveness to vie with the German bidder. On Monday (local time), Canada selected Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as the preferred bidder, beating a Korean consortium led by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The Canadian Navy is seeking 12 conventional submarines to replace its aging Victoria-class fleet. Since Canada announced the project in 2024, Korean government and industry officials went all out to win the bid worth 60 trillion won ($39.1 billion). “The determining factor was interoperability with NATO, specifically the level of cooperation that allows for integrated training, sharing of mainten

Jul 7, 2026By Park Ji-won
NATO ties trump Korea in Canada's submarine bid
Politics

Ruling party leadership race heats up as ex-PM officially enters contest

The race to lead the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is underway, with former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok formally entering the contest Monday ahead of the party's Aug. 17 convention, when members will elect a new leader and Supreme Council members to serve a two-year term. Kim, a four-term lawmaker who served as the Lee Jae Myung administration's first prime minister, announced his bid in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, pledging to bring the DPK into closer alignment with the presidential office. He framed his candidacy as a corrective to what he described as a breakdown in party-government relations under the outgoing leadership. "As the prime minister who was the president's governing partner, I understand the direction of state affairs more deeply than anyone else," Kim said during a speech officially announcing his bid for the party leadership. He added that he would draw on his experience of steering the party through local, parliamentary and presidential elections to support the success of both the party and the government. "To achieve the success of the Lee

Jul 6, 2026By Park Ji-won
Ruling party leadership race heats up as ex-PM officially enters contest
North Korea

Trump cannot denuclearize NK, says Middle East expert

Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow of the Middle East Institute, said U.S. President Donald Trump will not be able to denuclearize North Korea as Pyongyang is already a “nuclear state.” Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity on June 25, Vatanka said Washington would risk a war if it wants to denuclearize Pyongyang. “Trump cannot denuclearize North Korea because North Korea is already a nuclear weapon state, unless you want to take a chance and risk major war,” said Vatanka, a Middle East expert and founding director of the Iran program at the Washington-based think tank. He joined the forum as a speaker during a session titled “The Post-War Future of Middle East Peacebuilding.” The Middle East and Iran expert emphasized that North Korea’s nuclear program is now irreversible, unlike Iran’s program, which remains controllable amid ongoing negotiations with the U.S. to halt its nuclear ambitions and end the war. “I don't know how many (nuclear weapons) they (North Korea) have. They have probably many d

Jul 3, 2026By Park Ji-won
Trump cannot denuclearize NK, says Middle East expert
North Korea

Ukraine FM reveals Russia wants swap between N. Korean POWs, Ukrainians

As Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha revealed Russia's proposal of exchanging thousands of Ukrainian civilians in Moscow's custody for the North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukraine, Seoul is being pushed to offer increased support to ensure that the POWs will be transferred to South Korea. On Monday, Sybiha met with officials from a South Korean think tank, revealing that Kyiv has been asked to trade captured North Korean POWs for Ukrainian citizens held in Russia. He visited Seoul from Monday to Tuesday and engaged in bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Tuesday. “When Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had a meeting with Yoon Young-kwan, chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies on Monday, Sybiha said Ukraine was told by Russia to do a prisoners of war (POWs) swap by exchanging two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine for thousands of Ukrainian citizens currently held by Russia,” a source familiar with the matter told The Korea Times, Thursday. “But the Ukrainian foreign minister reaffirmed that the Ukrainian governm

Jul 2, 2026By Park Ji-won
Ukraine FM reveals Russia wants swap between N. Korean POWs, Ukrainians
North Korea

S. Korean, Ukraine FMs agree to resolve North Korean POW issue under international law

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, agreed Tuesday that the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured during the Russia-Ukraine war should be handled in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. The two ministers discussed the POW issue as well as a wide range of mutual interests and bilateral cooperation during Sybiha's visit to Seoul, according to the ministry. It marked the first visit in 11 years by a Ukrainian foreign minister to Korea for bilateral talks. Cho and Sybiha agreed to continue seeking a resolution to the North Korean POWs issue that respects the detainees' free will, the foreign ministry said in a press release. "The two foreign ministers had a shared understanding that this matter should be resolved in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles," ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a briefing, adding that the government will continue its diplomatic efforts to advance and resolve the issue. He declined to elaborate further, citing the sensitivity o

Jun 30, 2026By Park Ji-won
S. Korean, Ukraine FMs agree to resolve North Korean POW issue under international law
Foreign Affairs

Korea, Japan defense chiefs agree to cooperate on AI, maritime search and rescue

Korea and Japan will cooperate in developing artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies for the defense sector, the two countries' defense chiefs said Sunday. They also reaffirmed the two sides' commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace in the region. Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the cooperation pledges in a joint press statement following their bilateral talks in Seoul. "The two ministers agreed to continue to seek exchanges and cooperation between their aerobatic teams (the Black Eagles and Blue Impulse) while advancing maritime search and rescue exercises for various accidents at sea and continuing discussions on cooperating in cutting-edge technology sectors, including AI," the statement released by the Ministry of National Defense read. Discussions involving the two aerobatic teams followed an exchange event between Korea's Black Eagles and Japan's Blue Impulse, when the former refueled during a layover in Okinawa, Japan, on its way to Saudi Arabia for a

Jun 28, 2026By Park Ji-won
Korea, Japan defense chiefs agree to cooperate on AI, maritime search and rescue
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