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Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

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Health

Medical tourists return to Korea as pandemic ebbs

A dermatologist treats patients from Mongolia at a medical center in Daegu, in this April 23, 2019 photo. Courtesy of Daegu Metropolitan CityBy Lee Hyo-jin The medical tourism industry was one of the sectors hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic as countries around the world imposed travel restrictions. But now, with borders opening up again, foreign nationals seeking medical treatment are coming back to Korea. Medical tourism is an all-inclusive package inviting foreign patients to come here to receive treatment at medical institutions, during which they go sightseeing, shopping and experience Korean culture. The industry is considered a future growth engine because medical tourists spend about 10 times more money that ordinary tourists.During the past decade, Korea has risen as a popular destination for foreign nationals with its advanced medical technologies and services, coupled with the global popularity of Korean culture.However, since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in January 2020, restrictions on international travel and the entry of foreign nationals due to virus co

Oct 14, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Medical tourists return to Korea as pandemic ebbs
Society

City gov't leaders discuss ways to tackle global crises in Daejeon

President Yoon Suk-yeol, center in bottom row, poses with Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo, front row sixth from left, dignitaries and heads of local governments around the world during the opening ceremony of the 7th United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress held in the central city of Daejeon, Wednesday. Yonhap Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo declares bid for presidency of UCLGBy Lee Hyo-jin Over 1,200 city government officials from around the world gathered in Daejeon to discuss ways for cooperation in tackling global crises at the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress hosted by the Daejeon Metropolitan Government.The UCLG is a global network of cities and metropolitan governments, committed to representing the voices of local municipalities. With 240,000 local governments from 140 countries as members, it is the world's largest organization of regional governments and the only such organization recognized by the United Nations. Since 200

Oct 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
City gov't leaders discuss ways to tackle global crises in Daejeon
Global Community

SPECIAL REPORT Filipina's Korean dream dashed by trafficking, sexual coercion

Nica (pseudonym), performs at a bar in Ilagan, Isabela Province, located in the northeastern region of the Philippines' Luzon Island, Sept. 5, where she works as a part-time singer. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulThis is the second in a four-part series of stories on 'artist and entertainer' visa holders in Korea supported by the Korea Press Foundation. This interactive digital journalism project features articles, photography and short documentary films that expose the systematic loopholes in Korea's E-6 visa management practices that are easily used to exploit foreign artists who come to the country with hopes to be part of the nation's arts and entertainment scene.Thousands of foreign women seeking to become singers, dancers in Korea fall victim to abuses by talent agencies, bar owners By Lee Hyo-jin ISABELA PROVINCE, Philippines ― On the evening of Sept. 5, Nica's powerful voice filled the dimly lit live music bar located on a roadside in Ilagan, the capital city of Isabela Province, in the northeastern region of Luzon Island. Nica is a pseudonym given to the victim for safet

Oct 12, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
[SPECIAL REPORT] Filipina's Korean dream dashed by trafficking, sexual coercion
Politics

State audit agency grilled at Assembly over fisheries official's death

Choe Jae-hae, chair of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), takes a vow before answering questions from lawmakers at an audit session held at the National Assembly, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Lee Hyo-jin The National Assembly's audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) continued on Tuesday with rival parties clashing over issues surrounding the state agency's probe into the previous government's handling of the killing of a South Korean fisheries official by the North Korean military.The session came to a halt less than 10 minutes after it kicked off as lawmakers of the rival parties ― the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DPK) ― disagreed on who should give their statements first.It resumed after a 20-minute break, but did not proceed as opposition lawmakers called senior presidential secretary Lee Gwan-sub as a witness.The DPK's request came after a text message between Lee and BAI Secretary General Ryou Byeong-ho was captured on camera, Oct.5, in which Ryou shared how the audit agency plans to refute a media report that it did n

Oct 11, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
State audit agency grilled at Assembly over fisheries official's death
Law & Crime

Laws restricting family members from criminal liability face calls for revision

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin A set of laws exempting individuals from being held criminally responsible for property crimes such as theft, fraud and embezzlement committed against their family members is facing calls for revision, in accordance with changes in family structures in modern society.Under Article 328 of the Criminal Act, property crimes are not punishable if committed against close family members ― spouses, those in lineal family relationships (parents, grandparents and children), cohabiting siblings and their spouses. Others such as more distant relatives or siblings living separately are only be subject to prosecution upon the victim's consent. In other words, when financial disputes arise among family members, they can sue each other under civil law, but punishment under criminal law is highly limited in the current legal system.But the effectiveness of such laws has been brought to light after a celebrity was caught in a legal dispute with his brother over embezzlement allegations.Comedian Park Soo-hong / Korea Times fileComedian Park Soo-hong's older brother Jin-ho

Oct 11, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Laws restricting family members from criminal liability face calls for revision
Global Community

Adoption agency denies fabricating documents of Danish adoptees

Peter Moller, co-founder of Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG) speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Sept. 30. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Lee Hyo-jin Adoption agency Holt International has denied allegations that it had forged adoption documents, in response to claims made by a group of Danish adoptees who said their adoption proceedings involved irregularities by Korean agencies.In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Peter Moller, co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG), claimed that two Seoul-based adoption agencies ― Holt and the Korea Social Society (KSS) ― fabricated many of the adoption documents of Korean children who were sent to Demark in the 1970s and 1980s.Moller disclosed a letter sent from the KSS to a Danish adoptee in 2016, which stated, “In fact, it (the adoption file) was made up just for the adoption procedures.”The Danish adoptee speculated that Holt, the country's largest adoption agency, had also falsified or distorted documents. He claimed that some adoptees sent overseas by Hol

Oct 10, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Adoption agency denies fabricating documents of Danish adoptees
  • INTERVIEW Danish adoptees demand Korean gov't to probe dark past of exporting babies
  • State panel begins probe into alleged rights violations of overseas Korean adoptees
Society

Harvard to rectify Korean history distortion in course book

An online poster by the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK) / Courtesy of VANKBy Lee Hyo-jin A professor of Harvard Business School, who co-authored a textbook on Korean politics and history, said he plans to make editorial changes to rectify historical distortions in the book, which a local civic group pointed out.The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), a civic organization promoting Korean culture and history online, said Saturday that Forest Reinhardt, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and co-author of the textbook “Korea,” replied to the organization's request to modify multiple errors found in the book. “I want you to know that we are interested in getting feedback on the cases that we write for our students' use and that we take your views very seriously,” read the letter from Reinhardt to VANK. Saying that he has already talked with officials from the Korean diplomatic corps about the topics pointed out by VANK, the professor said, “We expect to make editorial changes to future versions of this case.&rdqu

Oct 9, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Harvard to rectify Korean history distortion in course book
Health

Experts warn of imminent 'twindemic'

A child receives a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seoul, Oct. 5. NewsisBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea should brace for an imminent “twindemic” of seasonal influenza and the coronavirus, according to medical experts, who worry that the possible double whammy of viral infections may strain the country's medical system.While the country had avoided harsh flu seasons in the past two years thanks to COVID-19-induced precautions, an active flu season has been anticipated this fall and winter after almost all social-distancing measures, including the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors, have been lifted.Some experts have warned of a worse-than-usual flu season given that people haven't been building up immunity against the virus in the past couple of years, and data shows that such a scenario is likely to materialize. In the fifth week of September, 7.1 out of 1,000 visitors to hospitals were reported to have influenza, a 45 percent surge from 4.9 in the previous week, according to weekly information form the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) data. The agency issued an i

Oct 9, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Experts warn of imminent 'twindemic'
Politics

Gender equality ministry to be scrapped as promised

Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min speaks during a briefing on the ministry's government restructuring plan held at Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. NewsisInterior ministry unveils plan to shake up Cabinet ministries, which includes establishment of ministry for overseas KoreansBy Lee Hyo-jin The government is materializing its plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, despite criticisms from women's rights groups and opposition parties who worry that the move will undermine gender equality efforts.The Ministry of the Interior and Safety unveiled a plan to shake up Cabinet ministries, Thursday, which includes a plan to abolish the gender equality ministry and transfer of its functions to the Ministry of Health and Welfare by creating a department there in charge of family and gender equality affairs.“Abolishment of the gender ministry was one of the main pledges of the Yoon Suk-yeol government. It is time for the country to shift its focus in achieving gender equality for both men and women, moving on from the paradigm which concentrated only on reso

Oct 6, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Gender equality ministry to be scrapped as promised
Global Community

INTERVIEW Danish adoptees demand Korean gov't to probe dark past of exporting babies

Peter Moller, co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group pauses during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Sept. 30. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Adoptees say their documents are riddled with misinformation, fabricationsBy Lee Hyo-jin Peter Moller, 48, who was adopted to Denmark from South Korea in 1974, reached out to Korean adoption agency Holt International for the first time in 2011 to search for his roots.Holt initially told the Danish adoptee that he was born in Seoul. But in subsequent letters, the adoption agency said he was actually born in Daejeon. Moller was then told that his biological mother gave birth to him in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province on March 16, 1974, which happened to be the same day she brought him to the adoption agency in Seoul.“How is this possible?” Moller thought. “What is the possibility that a woman who just gave birth to a child could travel across the country to give away the infant?”S

Oct 6, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
[INTERVIEW] Danish adoptees demand Korean gov't to probe dark past of exporting babies
  • Adoption agency denies fabricating documents of Danish adoptees
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