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Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.

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Korea raises Saudi travel alert to Level 3 amid Houthi clashes

Korea raised its travel advisory for Saudi Arabia to Level 3, the second-highest level, urging citizens to leave the country as intensifying clashes between Saudi forces and Houthi rebels threaten civilian infrastructure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the upgraded alert, effective 10 p.m. Sunday, covering all regions of Saudi Arabia. The ministry urged Korean nationals in the country to depart if possible and advised those with travel plans to cancel or postpone their trips. The decision came after Foreign Minister Cho Hyun convened a meeting Sunday afternoon with 15 Korean diplomatic missions across the Middle East, including the embassies in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Israel and Lebanon. Cho noted that recent fighting between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels has escalated significantly, with direct strikes on civilian infrastructure such as airports causing multiple casualties. He called on diplomatic missions to stay alert and respond swiftly to the rapidly shifting security landscape, regional power dynamics and energy supply trends. Diplomatic missions in the region, inclu

Oct 11, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea raises Saudi travel alert to Level 3 amid Houthi clashes
Opinion

What Ukraine doesn't understand about 2 Koreas

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23 that Kyiv had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea, Seoul's reaction was swift and unusually sharp. President Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of breaching a nondisclosure agreement and the presidential office demanded an official apology. The foreign ministry summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires. When Kyiv initially denied a confidentiality pact existed, Seoul called the denial a "falsehood" that "seriously undermines trust between the two governments." This was not a routine diplomatic complaint. It was a signal that something more fundamental had been misread. The logic behind Kyiv's move is not hard to trace. Ukraine handed Seoul two strategically important POWs after months of quiet diplomacy — soldiers from among the estimated over 10,000 North Koreans deployed to fight for Russia. It has repeatedly asked South Korea for lethal weapons, most recently Cheongung-II air defense system in August, and been turned down each time. Analysts widely read the public

Sep 30, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
What Ukraine doesn't understand about 2 Koreas
Foreign Affairs

ASEAN-Korea Centre opens 3rd ASEAN Hall in Jeonju

The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) opened the Jeonju ASEAN Hall on Thursday at the Korea Traditional Culture Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, adding a third venue to its network after Seoul and Jeju. The hall is the first space dedicated to ASEAN-Korea cultural exchange in Korea’s southwest region. The AKC said Jeonju's location between Seoul and Jeju positions the new hall to carry Southeast Asian culture and arts beyond the capital area and described it as a "cultural diplomacy platform" where Korean and ASEAN cultures meet in one of the country's leading cities of traditional culture. "The AKC will continue to present engaging exhibitions and diverse programs so that the Jeonju ASEAN Hall can establish itself as an important venue for cultural exchange between Korea and ASEAN and make ASEAN culture more accessible to more citizens," AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin said at the opening ceremony. Speaking on behalf of the Philippines, this year's ASEAN chair, Philippine Ambassador to Korea Bernadette Therese Fernandez said the hall will serve as a cultural and educational space f

Sep 18, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
ASEAN-Korea Centre opens 3rd ASEAN Hall in Jeonju
Foreign Affairs

Korea, France mark 140 years of ties at women's esports camp in Seoul

France and Korea will bring their top women's Valorant teams together for a two-week training camp in Seoul under a new cooperation program marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Women in Esports Camp runs in two stages. National Valorant tournaments open to both amateur and professional teams take place in France on Sept. 5 and 6, and in Korea on Sept. 19 and 20. The winning side in each country earns a place at the camp, to be held at Gen.G Global Academy in Seoul in December. Participants will go through professional training and coaching sessions over two weeks, alongside cultural and professional exchange programs. The camp closes with a friendly match between the French and Korean teams, which will be streamed online. The program is organized by the Cultural and Cooperation Section of the French Embassy in Korea together with Gen.G Esports, Gen.G Global Academy, France Esports, Women in Games France and Riot Games, with backing from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Institut français and the 140th Anniversary Pat

Aug 22, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea, France mark 140 years of ties at women's esports camp in Seoul
South Korea

Lee declares Andong, Uiseong special disaster zones after July rains

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday designated the city of Andong and four townships in Uiseong County, both in North Gyeongsang Province, as special disaster zones following heavy rain that battered the region last month. Senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing that the declaration took effect at around 5 p.m., covering damage caused by rainfall that persisted from July 8 to 24. The designation channels additional state funds into recovery work in the affected areas. Residents who suffered damage also become eligible for deferred payment of national and local taxes and reductions in utility bills. The government plans to finalize a recovery plan soon so that residents can return to their normal lives as quickly as possible, Kang said.

Aug 7, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Lee declares Andong, Uiseong special disaster zones after July rains
People & Events

Korean polar scientist receives Norwegian order of merit for Arctic cooperation

Kang Sung-ho, principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and its former president, was appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V, becoming the first Korean honored under the order. Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind presented Kang with the diploma and insignia of the order at a ceremony at her residence in Seoul, Wednesday. The appointment recognizes Kang's role in advancing Norwegian polar research and building research ties between the two countries, according to the Norwegian Embassy. "Through his research and leadership, Dr. Kang has played a key role in deepening polar research cooperation between Norway and the Republic of Korea, advancing scientific knowledge of the Arctic, and inspiring a new generation of researchers," Ovind said. A polar oceanographer with more than three decades of Arctic and Antarctic fieldwork, Kang took part in 37 polar expeditions. He joined KOPRI in 1993 and went on to lead the institute as its seventh president, a tenure the embassy credited with strengthening international

Jul 30, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korean polar scientist receives Norwegian order of merit for Arctic cooperation
Opinion

Korea's long wait for equality law

June is Pride Month and in much of the developed world, the rainbow flag is hard to miss — draped across public buildings as well as corporate storefronts. In Korea, it is harder to find. Beyond the Seoul Queer Culture Festival and its parade, the rainbows symbolizing the LGBTQ+ community are largely absent. Even Korean companies that create Pride campaigns for their overseas markets tend to stay quiet at home, wary of the backlash that such public support can invite. That reticence reflects a deeper gap. Korea remains one of only two OECD members, alongside Japan, without a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Rep. Son Sol of the Progressive Party introduced a bill in January, followed by Rep. Chung Choon-saeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party in February. Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong also pledged her support. Yet the law remains unrealized, deferred once again on the familiar grounds that society has not reached a consensus. The comparison with Korea's neighbors makes the lag sharper. Japan, the other OECD holdout, has no national equality statute either, but municipal par

Jun 24, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea's long wait for equality law
People & Events

Lee Gi-woo named new Asia Journalist Association chairperson

The Asia Journalist Association (AJA) elected Lee Gi-woo, former vice education minister, as its seventh chairperson. Lee also previously served as president of JEI University in Incheon, chairman of the Korean Teachers' Credit Union and CEO of Gyeongin Broadcasting. The AJA elected Lee at a special board meeting on May 4 at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. The meeting was attended by former chairperson Koo Bon-hong, former lawmaker Bae Gi-seon, Heart-to-Heart Foundation Chairperson Oh Jee-chul, Anglican Bishop Paul Kim Geun-sang and Yeongwol Media Journalist Museum Director Koh Myung-jin, among others. The board also discussed plans to establish an Asia Press Center, measures to strengthen the association's Asia-wide network and efforts to restore its status as a designated donation recipient organization. The AJA was founded in 2004 by journalists across Asia.

May 13, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Lee Gi-woo named new Asia Journalist Association chairperson
Opinion

Korea is open for visitors, but is it ready for residents?

Korea welcomed 18.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, the highest number in the country's history, surpassing the previous record of 17.5 million set in 2019. The government had reason to celebrate. Years of investment in Korean soft power, from music and film to food, had delivered the kind of global interest it set out to build. But beyond the arrivals hall at Incheon International Airport, in the neighborhoods where foreign residents navigate health insurance forms and housing registration, in the clinics where staff and patients sometimes cannot understand each other, the infrastructure tells a different story. Korea has become extraordinarily good at welcoming visitors. Whether it is equally good at accommodating the people who stay is a harder question. The answer matters. The number of foreigners residing in the country crossed 2.8 million for the first time in October 2025, driven by increases in long-term stays for work, study and seasonal employment. More than half of all registered foreign residents live in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area — a concentration that

Apr 1, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea is open for visitors, but is it ready for residents?
People & Events

PHOTO Korea Times Global Supporters completion ceremony

Members of The Korea Times Global Supporters program for the second half of 2025 pose at a completion ceremony at the newspaper’s headquarters in Seoul, Friday. The group, made up of Korean and international students, supported the newspaper’s outreach efforts and took part in various Korea Times events. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Feb 27, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
[PHOTO] Korea Times Global Supporters completion ceremony
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