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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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Foreign Affairs

Probe into potential human rights abuses in Georgia raid to begin soon: FM

Korea’s top diplomat said Friday that the government is actively pursuing an investigation into alleged human rights violations affecting Korean workers detained by U.S. immigration authorities at a factory in Georgia. The incident has intensified diplomatic tensions between the allies, raising concerns over labor protections and the broader implications for bilateral relations. "Potential human rights violations are a matter of concern for the government as they involve the rights of Korean citizens. That is why we are set to begin an investigation," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said during a press conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul. "We plan to look at their visa status, what they did in Georgia and the kind of human rights infringements that were potentially inflicted upon them. After the investigation is finished, we'll be able to have a whole picture about what has actually happened." But the minister stopped short of outlining the next steps or detailing any requests to Washington following the investigation, saying only, "there is no alternative objective of the probe

Sep 19, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Probe into potential human rights abuses in Georgia raid to begin soon: FM
North Korea

South Korea seeks 'peaceful 2 states' approach in relations with North

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday that South Korea will seek to transform North Korea's "hostile two-state" framework into a “peaceful two-state” arrangement, describing it as a transitional stage on the path toward eventual unification. Speaking at the Global Korea Forum hosted by the ministry in Seoul, Chung said South Korea will continue pursuing rapprochement with Pyongyang despite the North’s frosty response, calling dialogue the most effective means of reducing hostilities. "Even if North Korea continues to uphold the two-state theory, there is no justification for maintaining hostility," he said in an opening speech. "The main focus should first be on ending this hostility. The alternative is to transform the hostile two-state framework into a de facto peaceful two-state framework. This is the core of our policy toward North Korea." While Chung's remarks appear aimed at reviving talks with Pyongyang as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to restore engagement, some worry that this approach could spark controversy for aligning too closely with Kim Jong-u

Sep 18, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
South Korea seeks 'peaceful 2 states' approach in relations with North
Society

Expert says globalizing Korea's higher education is no longer optional but essential

Korea's higher education system stands at a critical crossroads. With global competition intensifying, local universities can no longer rely on domestic recognition to maintain their standing. Jung Min-chul, partner at Samil PwC, said that the country's growth potential depends on how the government, academia and industry work together to drive universities' global competitiveness. "Higher education lies at the heart of national competitiveness. Globalizing Korea’s higher education is no longer optional. It is essential for attracting global talent and sustaining the nation's overall economic strength," Jung said in his keynote speech during the Korea Times Global Conference on Wednesday. He explained that traditional models of higher education are rapidly changing as new players reshape the landscape. Online learning platforms are making the world’s top courses accessible to everyone, while major tech companies are entering education with their own training programs. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered translation and multinational research projects are breaking do

Sep 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun and Lee Hyo-jin
Expert says globalizing Korea's higher education is no longer optional but essential
Society

Education minister vows to lift Korea among top 10 study destinations

The government will create an environment where international students can pursue both study and stable living in Korea, as the country aims to rank among the world's top 10 destinations for international education, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said Wednesday. Speaking at the 2025 Korea Times Global Conference titled "Beyond Borders: Strengthening Global Competitiveness of Korean Universities," Choi said the government is working to create a "virtuous cycle" for foreign students — one that supports their academic ambitions while helping them build stable lives in Korea. "As the government has made attracting and supporting skilled workers in cutting-edge fields a key national priority, it will place particular focus on bringing in more outstanding international students in science and engineering,” the minister said in his congratulatory remarks. He said Korean universities have been gaining growing recognition, with Seoul recently topping the Best Student Cities Ranking for 2026 by QS, a global higher education analytics firm. "The edu

Sep 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun and Lee Hyo-jin
Education minister vows to lift Korea among top 10 study destinations
Foreign Affairs

President’s pick for new envoy to UN raises eyebrows

President Lee Jae Myung’s decision to tap a lawyer with scant diplomatic experience as Korea’s next ambassador to the United Nations raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles, where the post is considered one of the country’s most visible and influential assignments. Lee appointed on Monday Cha Ji-hoon, a senior attorney at Hwawoo law firm, to lead the diplomatic mission to the New York-based international organization. Cha will assume the post immediately, as unlike other ambassadorial appointments, the U.N. posting does not require the host country’s prior approval. Born in 1963 in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, Cha built his career with Minbyun, a progressive lawyers’ group, and has served on several government legal advisory panels. But his resume is thin on multilateral diplomacy, a gap that stands out given that the U.N. ambassadorship has often been a stepping stone for senior diplomatic figures. Both Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his predecessor Cho Tae-yul previously served as envoy to the U.N. Some critics are scrutinizing Cha’s close personal ties with the president. T

Sep 16, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
President’s pick for new envoy to UN raises eyebrows
Foreign Affairs

Korea looks into possible human rights violations in ICE raid

The Korean government said Monday that it will open an inquiry into possible human rights violations against its citizens during an unprecedented immigration raid in the United States earlier this month, after some of the workers who returned home described being held in harsh conditions. "We will continue to look closely into whether there were any human rights violations or inconveniences to our people. We are also coordinating closely with local companies to assess the situation," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a briefing. Kang added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reviewing the issue, with the possibility of conducting a full survey on the workers who were detained. The announcement followed the return of 316 Korean workers on Friday, a week after their abrupt arrest at the construction site of a battery plant jointly operated by Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution in Georgia on Sept. 4 (local time). Since their return, workers have shared firsthand accounts with local media and on social media, describing the raid as harrowing. Many said U.S. Immigration

Sep 15, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea looks into possible human rights violations in ICE raid
Environment & Animals

PHOTO Autumn is approaching

Cosmos flowers are in full bloom at a park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, as the country cools down from a record-breaking hot summer. Cooler weather is expected this weekend, and after rainfall in most regions between Tuesday and Thursday, morning lows are forecast to drop to around 20 degrees Celsius, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Yonhap

Sep 14, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
[PHOTO] Autumn is approaching
Foreign Affairs

Historical tensions cloud Korea-Japan relations following botched Sado mine memorial

Historical disputes between Korea and Japan flared again after an annual memorial ceremony in Japan honoring forced labor victims, including Koreans, caused discord for the second consecutive year. Korean officials boycotted the ceremony, held Saturday, after the two sides failed to agree on the content of the memorial speech acknowledging the forced nature of labor at the Sado gold mines. Similar to last year’s event, the memorial speech by a Japanese government representative did not directly mention that Koreans were forced to work at the mines, where thousands labored during Japan’s colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. "Among the mine workers were many people who had come from the Korean Peninsula," Yukiko Okano, director-general for cultural affairs at Japan’s foreign ministry, said during the speech. "Although it was a special circumstance of war, those individuals from the Korean Peninsula worked in the mines under harsh and dangerous conditions, all the while thinking of their beloved families far away." Holding the annual memorial ceremony was part of a bilateral agreement reac

Sep 14, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Historical tensions cloud Korea-Japan relations following botched Sado mine memorial
Foreign Affairs

Lee says US immigration raid on Korean workers could deter investments

President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that the recent U.S. immigration raid on hundreds of Korean workers at a construction site in Georgia could have a “significant impact” on Korean businesses' direct investments in the United States, adding that the episode left companies here on edge. His remarks, delivered at a press conference marking his first 100 days in office, came hours before some 300 Korean nationals held at an immigration detention facility in Georgia were released on Thursday (local time) following days of urgent negotiations between Seoul and Washington. "You need skilled technicians to install equipment at a factory. The U.S. doesn’t have such personnel, yet visas for those coming for this purpose are not allowed," Lee said during the televised press conference when asked about the detainees. "If this is not allowed, our companies will face all kinds of difficulties and disadvantages when setting up factories in the U.S., and they will inevitably question whether they should proceed. This may have a significant impact on their direct investments in the U.S." The pr

Sep 11, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Lee says US immigration raid on Korean workers could deter investments
Global Community

Swedish-Korean adoptee’s pioneering research on flawed adoptions gains belated recognition

Two decades ago, when Tobias Hubinette began publishing research papers on the dark history of Korea’s overseas adoption program, his work was dismissed as radical, even extremist. Now, the Swedish adoptee — born in Korea as Lee Sam-dol — is seeing both Seoul and Stockholm acknowledge what he has long maintained. Earlier this year, state-run commissions in both countries found widespread human rights violations in intercountry adoptions from the 1960s to 1990s, when the adoption of Korean babies to the West was at its peak. “I’m very happy about the development that is happening, both in the receiving countries and in the countries of origin,” Hubinette said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul Monday. Adopted to Sweden in 1972 when he was just 7 months old, Hubinette became active in the Korean adoptee community in the 1990s. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Korean studies from Stockholm University and is now a senior lecturer in intercultural studies at Karlstad University. Hubinette’s early research uncovered alleged irregularities in intercountry adoption records a

Sep 11, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Swedish-Korean adoptee’s pioneering research on flawed adoptions gains belated recognition
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.