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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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Law & Crime

Men self-harm or fake mental illness to avoid military duty

Men walk toward an Army barracks after a welcoming ceremony at the Republic of Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, in this January 2018 file photo. An investigation is widening into people suspected of offering money to "consultants" who, in return, share tips on how to avoid their mandatory military service. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoA football player damaged his own wrist with heavy dumbbells. Another man even lost his hearing after subjecting his ears to loud horn sounds. Some others faked mental health conditions.They all did so for the same purpose: dodging their compulsory military service. For many, the almost two years of service is a thankless task given to all able-bodied men born in South Korea, which is technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with only an armistice.According to Military Manpower Administration data disclosed Tuesday by Rep. Song Gab-seok of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, 321 people have been caught making such attempts to evade conscription over the past five years.Experts b

Jan 24, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Men self-harm or fake mental illness to avoid military duty
North Korea

North Korea intensifies war against South Korean culture

Young people hold a rally in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this Jan. 10 file photo. In recent years, the regime has intensified its campaign against behaviors that run contrary to its interests, according to a new report released Thursday. YonhapSurviving crackdown has become more difficult under Kim Jong-un, report showsBy Jung Min-hoIt's almost impossible to meet all the requirements as a true Juche socialist in North Korea. Having a birthday party, divorcing a spouse, watching a South Korean movie and being unemployed can all be regarded as “non-socialist” or “anti-socialist” behaviors.According to a new report released Thursday, the regime under Kim Jong-un has intensified its campaign against such people, particularly those who enjoy South Korean pop music or TV content, which it increasingly views as a threat to its stability in recent years.The study on the Non-Socialist Groups, a shadowy surveillance operation inside North Korea, was conducted by the Seoul-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights. A web-like network of informants keeps ordinary

Jan 19, 2023By Jung Min-ho
North Korea intensifies war against South Korean culture
North Korea

New book highlights 'ambitious' sister behind North Korea's leader

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / Korea Times fileEntering into politics was Kim Yo-jong's own decision despite opposition, author claimsBy Jung Min-hoWho will succeed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if something suddenly happened to him? This has become one of the most frequently asked questions about the reclusive state since his health issues came to light three years ago. The book, authored by Yoshihiro Makino, former Seoul bureau chief of the Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, provides no clear-cut answer to that question. However, it does provide some useful insights in that, given the opportunity, Kim Yo-jong is more than willing to take the mantle.She has always been ambitious and enjoys being at the center of public attention, he said. In the final months before his death, Kim Jong-il, her father, told Kim Yo-jong, that were she a man, she would succeed him, and she insisted she would participate in politics, according to “Kim Jong-un to Kim Yo-jong,” published in Korea last month.The cover of "Kim Jong-un to Kim Yo-jong" by Yoshihiro

Jan 18, 2023By Jung Min-ho
New book highlights 'ambitious' sister behind North Korea's leader
Defense

US defense secretary likely to visit South Korea this month

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Jan. 11. South Korea and the United States are discussing a possible visit to Seoul by Austin this month. AP-YonhapTrilateral security cooperation gains traction with signs of Seoul-Tokyo rapprochementBy Jung Min-hoU.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to visit South Korea later this month as the allies seek to bolster deterrence against evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.Speaking to reporters Tuesday, an official at the Ministry of National Defense said the two countries are in talks to arrange his possible visit to Seoul, but declined to reveal details.The comment comes after the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, reported that the Pentagon chief will hold a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jong-sup in the capital following the Lunar New Year holiday (Jan. 21-24).His visit, if realized, will likely focus on strengthening U.S.-led security cooperation in the region, along with Japan, in order to counter threats from n

Jan 17, 2023By Jung Min-ho
US defense secretary likely to visit South Korea this month
North Korea

INTERVIEW Despite its flaws, North Korea makes progress in women's rights: expert

North Korean women smile in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released on Jan. 9 by Echo of Unification. YonhapFemale roles clearly expanding in regime under young leaderBy Jung Min-hoDespite its awful track record of human rights violations, North Korea is making progress in one area: women's rights.According to the White Paper on Human Rights in North Korea 2022, published last month, gross and systematic violations of human rights are still rampant under leader Kim Jong-un. For example, religious practices and watching South Korean TV shows are among many “offenses” subject to capital punishment in a state where torture is still common and fair trials are virtually nonexistent.Yet, there has been a silver lining to the extremely dark cloud, as North Korea is stepping up efforts to fight many forms of discrimination against women. According to Yee Ji-sun, a member of the research team behind the report, there are more female officials in high- and entry-level government positions, including judges and party secretaries, and they will ― if they aren't already ― help

Jan 16, 2023By Jung Min-ho
[INTERVIEW] Despite its flaws, North Korea makes progress in women's rights: expert
Law & Crime

EXCLUSIVE 32,000 undocumented foreigners left Korea under amnesty program in 2022

Jeju International Airport is crowded with foreign nationals preparing to leave Korea under a special amnesty program, in this March 8, 2020, file photo. More than 32,000 undocumented foreign nationals living here returned to their countries under the program in 2022, an official told The Korea Times. Yonhap Justice ministry plans to crack down on illegal immigrants as pandemic rules easeBy Jung Min-hoMore than 32,000 undocumented foreign nationals living in Korea left the country last year under a special amnesty program. Speaking to The Korea Times recently, an official at the Ministry of Justice said 32,026 undocumented foreign residents ― about eight percent of the estimated 410,000 undocumented foreigners living here ― returned to their countries throughout the year.The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the ministry's law enforcement operations to reduce the number of undocumented residents over the past three years. In an effort to keep the number at a manageabl

Jan 13, 2023By Jung Min-ho
[EXCLUSIVE] 32,000 undocumented foreigners left Korea under amnesty program in 2022
Foreign Affairs

Korean gov't seeks 3rd-party compensation for Japan's wartime crimes

A man demands compensation for wartime forced labor victims from Japan during an open forum at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. NewsisForeign ministry de facto gives up on Japan's compensation for forced labor victimsBy Jung Min-hoThe Korean government has de facto given up on demanding compensation from the Japanese government and companies for Korean victims of wartime slave labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. During an open forum on the issue at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is virtually impossible to achieve an ideal solution ― in which the Japanese companies offer compensation and sincere apologies for the victims ― and the ministry is now seeking a compromise.The expected compromise will see Korean companies donate funds for the victims ― hoping that Japanese companies will join in. Almost certainly, however, there will be no apologies from Japan.In 2018, the Supreme Court here ruled that the Japanese companies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel, have to compensate 15 victims for

Jan 12, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Korean gov't seeks 3rd-party compensation for Japan's wartime crimes
  • Japan PM hopeful for ties as Korea looks to resolve wartime dispute
Law & Crime

Investigation into North Korean spy ring expands

Lawmakers enter the office of the National Intelligence Service in Seoul, in this Oct. 26, 2022, file photo. According to civic groups and other sources on Tuesday, NIS officials and police have been investigating allegations that some liberal activists, including party officials, helped promote anti-government activities after taking orders from North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. NewsisParty officials, activists suspected of carrying out orders from PyongyangBy Jung Min-hoWhen South Korea's largest labor umbrella group called for an end to the alliance with the U.S. and conscription during weekend rallies before Aug. 15 National Liberation Day last year, some observers questioned what those demands have to do with improving workers' rights.The National Intelligence Service (NIS) and police now suspect that the messages chanted in the Seoul streets might have come directly from Pyongyang and that it was orchestrated by regime sympathizers engaged in espionage activities here at its behest.According to civic groups and other sources on Tuesday, NIS officials and police have been inv

Jan 10, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Investigation into North Korean spy ring expands
Defense

South Korean drones sent to North was 'exercise of self-defense': military

South Korea's military conducts an anti-drone exercise in Paju, a city near the inter-Korean border, Jan. 5. NewsisCommunication failure under scrutiny after bungled responseBy Jung Min-hoThe military refuted the opposition party's claim on Monday that South Korean drones sent to North Korea were a violation of the inter-Korean truce, claiming that the South exercised its right of self-defense.The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) defended President Yoon Suk Yeol's eye-for-an-eye response to five North Korean drones that crossed over the inter-Korean border, Dec. 26, in a clear violation of a 2018 military pact signed between the two sides.“The border incursion by the North Korean drones was a provocative act that apparently violated the Korean Armistice Agreement, the (1991) Inter-Korean Basic Agreement and the (2018) Sept. 19 military agreement,” Lee Sung-jun, a spokesman for the JCS, told reporters. “It was a proportional response and an exercise of the right to self-defense … Article 51 (of Chapter VII) of the United Nations Charter guarantees the right to enga

Jan 9, 2023By Jung Min-ho
South Korean drones sent to North was 'exercise of self-defense': military
  • Defector group says it will use drones for leaflet campaign against N. Korea
Law & Crime

Over 150 tourists 'missing' after visa-free entry through Yangyang airport

This June 1, 2018, file photo shows Yangyang International Airport. More than 150 foreign visitors who entered Korea via the airport under a visa waiver program over the past six months have “gone missing,” raising concerns that the program may be exploited by those seeking to work here illegally. NewsisBy Jung Min-hoMore than 150 foreign visitors who entered Korea via Yangyang International Airport under a visa waiver program over the past six months have “gone missing,” raising concerns that the waiver may be exploited by those seeking to work here illegally.Documents from the Ministry of Justice obtained by Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party showed Sunday that 107 Vietnamese, 31 Filipinos and 15 Mongolians have fallen out of contact after arriving here through the program, which has been running since last June for the three countries as well as Indonesia.The immigration office under the ministry said it has so far caught three people ― two Vietnamese and one Filipino ― for overstaying the authorized period of 15 days. The ministry said it i

Jan 8, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Over 150 tourists 'missing' after visa-free entry through Yangyang airport
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