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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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Society

Seoul considers proposal for domed baseball field

Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District / Korea Times file By Lee Hyo-jin Seoul City announced Friday that it will positively review a proposal for a domed baseball stadium in Songpa District, southeastern Seoul.The previous day, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) made a proposal to the Seoul Metropolitan Government for the construction of a new stadium in the current location of Jamsil Baseball Stadium, along with various other facilities for players and spectators.According to the KBO, if constructed, it will allow games to be played in bad weather conditions such as rain and heavy wind. The organization also said Korea may be able to host various international games there such as the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the WBSC Premier12. The city government said it is actively reviewing the project and will confirm detailed plans within the first half of this year. The authorities said the facility would be a major sports and convention i

Apr 15, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul considers proposal for domed baseball field
Society

How South Korea's complex age custom has endured

gettyimagesbankPresidential transition committee plans to scrap Korean ageBy Lee Hyo-jin “How old are you?” Answering this simple question often becomes a challenge for foreign nationals living in Korea who are not yet familiar with the country's unique system of counting one's age. In fact, when Koreans are asked their age by foreign nationals, they tend to give several answers, followed by an explanation about the different ways of counting age.Korea has three ways of counting an individual's age: the Korean traditional “counting age” system, the internationally recognized system and a third system used for convenience when one's exact birthdate is unknown.Unlike the international norm that starts with the age of zero at birth and then adds a year on birthdays, under the Korean system, a newborn baby's age is counted starting from one rather than zero, and everyone gets a year older all together on New Year's Day. So on Jan. 1, hospital maternity wards are filled with two-year-old babies born yesterday. This traditional system is used widely in daily life, w

Apr 14, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
How South Korea's complex age custom has endured
  • Confusing 'Korean age' system dies hard
Politics

Kim Dae-ki named presidential chief of staff

Kim Dae-ki, who has been appointed by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol as his administration's chief of staff, speaks to reporters in the transition committee office building in Tongui-dong, Jongro District, Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol tapped Kim Dae-ki, a veteran bureaucrat with decades-long experience in key government agencies, including the presidential office, as the chief of staff of his administration, which will kick off on May 10. During a press conference, Wednesday, Yoon announced the appointment of the 66-year-old as his first chief of staff, along with nominations for eight cabinet ministers.Explaining the background of Kim's appointment, the president-elect called him an “ideal figure” for the post, given his expertise in both the economy and politics. “Kim began his career at the economy ministry. He has a rare history in the presidential office, where he started to serve as an official, and was promoted to the senior presidential secretary for economic affairs and then the chief of policy affairs,” Yoon sai

Apr 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Kim Dae-ki named presidential chief of staff
  • Yoon taps Park Jin as foreign minister, Kwon Young-se as unification minister
Health

Korea begins transition to 'post-Omicron' era

A banner set up at a COVID-19 testing center near Seoul Station, Sunday, reads that free rapid antigen tests will no longer be offered there starting on Monday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin As COVID-19 infections are gradually showing signs of slowing down, the government is gearing up to shift to a “post-Omicron” era, in which the coronavirus might be treated as an endemic disease and COVID-19 might be managed more routinely within the general medical system. The country added 164,481 new infections on Saturday, raising the aggregated total to 15,333,670. The number of patients in a critical condition marked 1,114, with 329 COVID-19-related deaths.The health authorities view that infections have entered a downward trend, with nearly 30 percent of the country's population of 51 million having been infected.While the government plans to announce a detailed roadmap for the post-Omicron era later this week, it has already started scaling down pandemic response measures.Beginning Monday, screening centers installed at public health centers will no longer offer free rapid antigen test

Apr 10, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea begins transition to 'post-Omicron' era
  • Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fall below 100,000 for first time in 7 weeks
Health

Controversy continues over establishment of Korea's 1st for-profit hospital

A coalition of civic groups holds a rally in front of Cheong Wa Dae in this Jan. 21, 2019 photo to protest the establishment of Greenland International Medical Center, a for-profit hospital, on Jeju Island. NewsisCourt rules against ban on hospital receiving Korean national patientsBy Lee Hyo-jin A recent court ruling against a ban on Korea's first for-profit hospital from receiving domestic patients has prompted a strong backlash from doctors and civic groups, who expressed concerns that the ruling may mark the beginning of the privatization of the country's healthcare services. The decision has added fuel to the ongoing controversy surrounding the opening of Greenland International Medical Center, located on the southern island of Jeju, which was constructed in 2018 by Greenland Group, a Shanghai-based real estate developer. Under Korea's medical laws, private hospitals should be operated only by non-profit foundations and are heavily regulated by the national health insurance system. But the country's first for-profit hospital in Jeju was constructed in accordance with another law

Apr 8, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Controversy continues over establishment of Korea's 1st for-profit hospital
Health

Korea scraps almost all COVID-19 restrictions

The departure hall of Incheon International Airport is crowded with passengers, Friday, when the government lifted self-isolation requirements for fully vaccinated entrants. YonhapLimits on private gatherings eased to 10By Lee Hyo-jin The government has decided to ease COVID-19 social distancing measures further, Friday, in what is anticipated to be the last adjustment on the distancing rules before scrapping all quarantine regulations in the coming weeks. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday that it will relax social distancing measures from Monday to April 17, allowing multiuse facilities such as eateries and cafes to receive sit-in customers until midnight, pushing the limit on operating hours back by one hour to midnight from the current 11 p.m. The limit on the number of people for private gatherings will be eased to 10, up from the current eight. The ministry said all COVID-19-related curbs, except mandatory wearing of face masks, will be removed if the virus situation stabilizes in the next couple of weeks.“If it is determined that infections have entered a dow

Apr 1, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea scraps almost all COVID-19 restrictions
  • Korea reports 264,171 new COVID-19 infections
Society

SPECIAL REPORT Koryoin feel at home in Gwangju

A building with Cyrillic signs is seen in at “Koryoin Village” in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, March 29. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukThis is the first in a series of articles to shed light on various ethnic groups living in Korea and have more of their voices heard. ― ED.'We are Koreans, just like you,' says godmother of Koryoin By Lee Hyo-jin GWANGJU ― Cyrillic signboards line the streets of a residential area in Gwangsan District in the city of Gwangju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul. Referred to by its residents as “Koryoin Village,” the peaceful yet unique neighborhood encompasses restaurants, groceries, cafes, bakeries and hair salons that are owned by Koryoin residents, or ethnic Koreans from Russia and Central Asian countries. The restaurants serve authentic Russian and Central Asian dishes such as shashlik (meat skewers), borscht (soup made from beetroot) and plov (steamed rice with meat and vegetables). Bakeries offer tandoor-baked somsa (pastry stuffed with meat or potatoes), while supermarkets stock bottles of Russian vodkas.Seen in this pho

Apr 1, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
[SPECIAL REPORT] Koryoin feel at home in Gwangju
Politics

Korea set to lift COVID-19 restrictions on operating hours, private gatherings

Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the presidential transition committee, speaks during a press conference on policy recommendations for the government's COVID-19 response measures, held at the committee's office in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press CorpsTransition team suggests gov't push back curfew on multiuse facilities to midnight By Lee Hyo-jin The presidential transition committee urged the government to review lifting COVID-19 restrictions such as limits on operating hours of multiuse facilities, Wednesday, once it is determined that the current Omicron wave has passed its peak. “If the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters confirms that infections have entered a downward trend, social distancing measures should be relaxed,” Shin Young-hyun, a spokeswoman of the committee, said during a briefing. “In particular, we have recommended the government to remove limits on operating hours (of multiuse facilities), which do not seem very effective (in curbing the virus spread),” she added. The committee suggested that the government extend the limit

Mar 30, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea set to lift COVID-19 restrictions on operating hours, private gatherings
  • New COVID-19 cases fall to about 320,000; critical cases at another high
Law & Crime

Prosecutors worldwide call for protection of journalists

Participants pose during an international training course for prosecutors held at Siracusa International Institute in Sicily, Italy, Feb. 14 to 18. The event was co-organized by the International Association of Prosecutors and UNESCO. Courtesy of International Association of ProsecutorsBy Lee Hyo-jin Violent crimes against journalists worldwide are on the rise but many of the cases are being closed without any judicial action, according to the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP), which has vowed to strengthen efforts to ensure the safety of journalists. Established in 1995, the IAP is the only global non-governmental organization of prosecutors committed to expanding and strengthening mutual cooperation in criminal investigations amid the rapid growth of transnational crimes. The association currently has over 350,000 members from 177 countries.“Violent crimes on journalists have surged over the past decade to a very concerning level. Korea is considered a relatively safe area, while journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in regions of conflict suc

Mar 29, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Prosecutors worldwide call for protection of journalists
Politics

Supporters overwhelm opponents at pardoned ex-president's homecoming

Supporters of former President Park Geun-hye welcome her arrival at her new residence in Dalseong County, in the southeastern city of Daegu, March 24. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-suk'We love you:' Former president's return thrills supporters in DaeguBy Lee Hyo-jin DAEGU ― It was a day of excitement for Dalseong County in the southeastern city of Daegu, March 24, when former conservative President Park Geun-hye settled at her new home, after spending nearly five years in prison. From early morning, thousands of loyal supporters of Park, who still believe that she is the nation's leader, gathered in front of her new residence, located in a village in southwest Daegu, to welcome her return.Dalseong is Park's political hometown, where she started her career as a politician. She ran for the National Assembly election there in 1998 and was elected four times.The welcoming ceremony was organized by ultra-conservative minor Our Republican Party and attended by Park's diehard supporters, collectively called, “Park-Sa-Mo,” which literally means, “the group who loves Park Ge

Mar 27, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Supporters overwhelm opponents at pardoned ex-president's homecoming
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