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Jung Min-ho

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.

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Education

Korea considers using AI to grade CSAT essay answers

Korea’s top education policy body is weighing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to safeguard fairness in evaluating essay-style answers, as the government moves to overhaul the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). The presidential National Education Commission, which oversees national education policy plans, has started drafting a reform blueprint that would introduce written and essay-type questions across subjects and shift the college entrance exam as well as high school records from relative grading to absolute evaluation. The commission is currently collecting public opinions before finalizing the plan next March. “In fact, when it comes to essay-type assessment, the biggest public concern is fairness and we are reviewing the use of AI as one possible alternative among options to address that,” a senior official involved in the project told The Korea Times. At the commission’s policy briefing held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Wednesday, Chairman Cha Jeong-in highlighted the problem with the current main test structure based on five-option multiple-choice qu

6h agoBy Jung Min-ho
Korea considers using AI to grade CSAT essay answers
  • Korea’s infamously difficult CSAT English section to get AI makeover
Society

Labor minister says chip megacluster deregulation plan still not finalized

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said that a much-discussed labor deregulation package for Korea's planned chip megacluster in the southwest is “still under review,” as business groups and unions closely track the government's next move. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kim said controversial policy ideas such as easing the 52-hour workweek cap and extending fixed-term contracts in the “mega special zone” have yet to be finalized as President Lee Jae Myung presses ahead with plans to fast-track the large-scale chip investment. “There is nothing finalized yet within the government regarding the chip megaproject as we are still in the process of maturing the discussions,” Kim said. “I expect there will be further coordination among relevant ministries. In particular, the two major umbrella unions have proposed a meeting with the president and broader social dialogue on this issue, and as the minister in charge, I will make sure to communicate fully with the labor side so that this can move forward.” The minister’s remarks come amid reports that the government is weighing

1d agoBy Jung Min-ho
Labor minister says chip megacluster deregulation plan still not finalized
Environment & Animals

Seoul's busiest streets sit empty as heat wave emergency grips city

At lunchtime in Seoul Tuesday, the streets around Gwanghwamun were eerily quiet. The rows of outdoor cafes that usually spill over with office workers and tourists were left with more empty chairs than customers. The city’s white igloo-shaped “Haepiso” cooling shelter offered a brief escape from the sun, but even inside the dome, the air felt closer to warm and stuffy than cool. “It feels warm even in here — it’s probably 26 to 27 degrees Celsius with the air conditioner running,” a city staffer who manages the temporary facility told The Korea Times. “This area is usually crowded with people around this time, but not today.” The Korea Meteorological Administration issued the highest-level heat wave warning for the capital’s northeastern and northwestern districts earlier in the day, expanding the designation that had already been in place for the southeastern and southwestern districts. With the latest upgrade, the entire city is now under the heat wave emergency warning as continued scorching heat pushed its daytime temperature to 38 degrees Celsius. Authorities issu

2d agoBy Jung Min-ho
Seoul's busiest streets sit empty as heat wave emergency grips city
Politics

Ruling party railroads legislation to rid prosecutors of all investigative powers

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) pushed through a controversial bill on Friday to strip prosecutors of all remaining investigative powers, forcing a vote shortly after cutting off a filibuster by the opposition People Power Party (PPP). This legislation marks a decisive shift in the country’s criminal justice system, as prosecutors lose formal authority to investigate crimes while police and a new government agency will take over all frontline investigative powers, with prosecutors confined mostly to indictment tasks. The vote came minutes after the DPK used its three-fifths majority to terminate a filibuster launched by the PPP the previous afternoon, which had run for 24 hours. PPP legislators had taken turns giving marathon speeches warning of police corruption and investigative blind spots, before it all ended abruptly. The proposal was passed by an overwhelming margin, with 175 votes in favor, two against and one abstention out of 178 lawmakers present. PPP lawmakers boycotted the vote. President Lee Jae Myung, currently on an official trip in South America, will have 15

Jul 31, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Ruling party railroads legislation to rid prosecutors of all investigative powers
  • Gwangju schoolgirl murder exposes risks of unchecked police power
  • Gwangju schoolgirl murder shatters faith in police
  • EXPLAINER Why Korea's liberals see prosecutors as political enemy
Companies

Coupang ordered to pay data breach victims $70 each

Korea’s consumer dispute mediation committee on Friday recognized Coupang’s liability for damages over its massive personal data breach last year and ordered the U.S.-listed firm to compensate affected users. The committee under the state-run Korea Consumer Agency decided that the e-commerce giant must pay 100,000 won ($70) per person, in cash or as Coupang Cash, to 50 consumers who jointly applied for collective dispute mediation. It is the first time a Korean dispute mediation body has formally acknowledged Coupang’s responsibility for damages arising from the large-scale breach of data involving 33.7 million customers. In its decision, the committee pointed out that not only basic personal data such as names, email addresses and home addresses had been leaked, but also highly sensitive information including apartment entrance passwords and order histories, which are closely tied to users’ private lives. The committee also took into account that personal data had been siphoned over a long period, from April to November, and that emails about the leak were sent by the hacker to

Jul 31, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Coupang ordered to pay data breach victims $70 each
Politics

EXPLAINER Why Korea's liberals see prosecutors as political enemy

The ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is pushing through a bill that would strip prosecutors of their investigative authority, seeking an end to years of bruising “prosecution reform” battles and what many in the party view as a politicized, uncontrollable power at the heart of the justice system. Under the new system, investigations and indictments would be split between new agencies, with one dedicated to investigations and the other to bringing charges and shepherding them through trial, effectively dismantling the Prosecutors’ Office's dual role, which was established in 1948. Distrust rooted in trauma Many outside observers find the governing party’s relentless campaign to weaken its own prosecutors puzzling, but for Korea’s liberals, the prosecution has come to embody a long history of politicized investigations. Much of that distrust is rooted in trauma: A probe targeting late former President Roh Moo-hyun, which played a role in his suicide in 2009, cemented an image of prosecutors as political hitmen. Subsequent investigations into key liberal figures, par

Jul 30, 2026By Jung Min-ho
[EXPLAINER] Why Korea's liberals see prosecutors as political enemy
Education

'Teach You a Lesson' in real life? Gyeonggi's plan to run new teacher protection unit

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education is moving to turn the hit Netflix drama “Teach You a Lesson” into something closer to real life — but without the violence. The office said Wednesday that it has launched a task force dedicated to building a new teacher protection system that aims to support teachers from the moment a malicious complaint arises until a case is resolved. More than 1,800 people applied for the part-time positions designed to protect the rights of teachers — far exceeding the recruitment target of 50. “We see this as a reflection of how much public concern over teacher rights has increased,” a senior official working on that initiative told The Korea Times. “Compared with the past, nationwide awareness that teacher authority must be protected has apparently risen, and the number of applicants embodies that will.” The unexpectedly strong response has led the office to consider doubling the first intake to around 100 officers, and possibly higher, according to officials. After interviews, those selected will work as “teacher rights protection offic

Jul 30, 2026By Jung Min-ho
'Teach You a Lesson' in real life? Gyeonggi's plan to run new teacher protection unit
  • Activist calls for school police as alternative to ‘Teach You a Lesson’ agents
Global Community

Korea honors Myanmar worker killed in industrial accident

Korea has honored a Myanmar worker killed in an industrial accident here, as the state moves to formalize support for the bereaved families of foreign laborers. The Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-COMWEL), a government agency responsible for administering industrial accident insurance, held a support program for families of migrant workers killed on the job at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, for the widow of Aung Min Oo. Aung Min Oo is a Myanmar national who died on July 1 after being caught in a conveyor belt at a KTX railway expansion site in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. His family traveled to Korea to accompany his remains home. K-COMWEL said staff guided Aung Min Oo's widow through industrial accident compensation procedures and the repatriation process. Before her departure, the agency set up a memorial space and a private waiting area at the airport where she could pay her respects. A short remembrance service was held, during which officials delivered a letter of condolence and a consolation payment funded by employee donations. Staff accompanied

Jul 28, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea honors Myanmar worker killed in industrial accident
  • New Korean initiative honors foreign workers killed on job
Environment & Animals

Lawmakers seek to ban animal abusers from owning pets

Lawmakers are moving to close a loophole that fails to stop animal abusers from keeping or adopting new pets even after serious cruelty cases. Under proposed amendments to the Animal Protection Act, submitted recently by Rep. Han Zee-a and nine other legislators of the main opposition People Power Party, animal abusers would be restricted from keeping their animals or adopting new ones for a certain period. “Under the current law, there are provisions to punish those who abuse animals. However, institutional measures to restrict abusers from keeping animals again are not sufficient, and concerns about repeated abuse have been raised,” the lawmakers said in the proposal. Under the bill, courts would be given authority to impose an animal keeping ban when sentencing abusers, preventing them from owning or adopting pets for a set period. Animal rights activists have long called for Korea to follow other countries such as Germany and Britain in barring abusers from owning or keeping animals, not just punishing cruelty. The bill also calls for strengthening protections for animals before a

Jul 28, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Lawmakers seek to ban animal abusers from owning pets
Society

Seoul's new Arisu head aims to export trust in tap water

Kwon Min, the new head of Arisu, a city agency overseeing Seoul's tap water system, wants the capital’s expertise in safe tap water to travel well beyond borders, helping cities overseas build reliable water systems while further deepening trust at home. Kwon, who assumed the position earlier this month, said the city is committed to sharing its technology and know-how with partner cities where simply turning on the faucet can still be a health risk. His remarks come as trust in Seoul’s tap water reaches a record high: A recent survey found that 75 percent of residents now drink straight from the tap — a level of trust officials say reflects many years of investment in water quality and pipe replacement. But safe tap water is still a distant goal in many parts of the world, which is why Kwon wants Arisu’s hard-won trust to become an exportable asset, bringing trust to places like Laos and Tanzania. “If any city needs our technology and our know-how, we should help wherever our capacity allows,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times, adding that drinking water is more

Jul 28, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Seoul's new Arisu head aims to export trust in tap water
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