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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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Politics

Moon says audit office's attempt to question him is 'very rude'

Former President Moon Jae-in, front right, walks with Lee Jae-myung, front left, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at Moon's home in Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province, in this Aug. 29 file photo. Moon said the state audit institution's recent attempt to question him over a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 is “very rude." Newsis Ex-president rejects inquiry over fisheries official's deathBy Jung Min-hoFormer President Moon Jae-in said the state audit agency's recent attempt to question him over a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 is “very rude,” according to Rep. Youn Kun-young, his former aide.The lawmaker of the main opposition liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) told reporters at the National Assembly, Monday, that Moon said it was “very rude” and improper for the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) to call him and send him an official email regarding the case.After receiving th

Oct 3, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Moon says audit office's attempt to question him is 'very rude'
  • Yoon declines to comment on Moon's objection to audit of slain fisheries official case
North Korea

Victims seek justice for North Korea's false promise of 'paradise on Earth'

People wave North Korean flags before boarding ships bound for North Korea at Niigata port in Japan, in this file photo taken in December 1959. More than 93,000 people, mostly ethnic Koreans living in Japan, headed to the North under its resettlement program between 1959 and 1984. Courtesy of Kim Deog-youngJapanese court acknowledges propaganda by Kim regime as criminal offenseBy Jung Min-hoEiko Kawasaki was just 17 when she made the most critical decision of her life.She joined North Korea's resettlement program that promised a “paradise on Earth” in the country where she felt she truly belonged.As an ethnic Korean living in Japan, Kawasaki believed the message promoted by “Chongryon,” a pro-Pyongyang organization based in Tokyo, and boarded a ship bound for the self-proclaimed “socialist utopia” ― where she was told there was no discrimination against people like her and everything from education to food would be free.The day she arrived at Chongjin, a North Korean port city, she realized everything she was told was a lie. But it was too late. He

Oct 3, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Victims seek justice for North Korea's false promise of 'paradise on Earth'
Foreign Affairs

Prime minister calls for rapprochement at meeting with Japanese leader

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands before their meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Wednesday. AP-YonhapHan to meet Japanese business officials after returning to SeoulBy Jung Min-hoPrime Minister Han Duck-soo called for rapprochement between South Korea and Japan at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Wednesday, saying the two countries are important partners that share many common values.Han, who arrived there Tuesday to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, held a meeting at Akasaka Palace, where he and Kishida discussed pending issues such as forced labor during Japan's colonial rule of Korea and security cooperation in response to North Korea's evolving threat.“The new government of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), which was launched in May, continues to emphasize that it is in their common interest to swiftly improve and develop Korea-Japan relations,” Han said. “South Korea and Japan are close neighbors and important cooperative partners who s

Sep 28, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Prime minister calls for rapprochement at meeting with Japanese leader
Foreign Affairs

US VP Harris to visit Korean DMZ

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, speaks during his meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Tokyo, Tuesday, ahead of a state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. AFP-YonhapPM Han expresses concerns over Inflation Reduction ActBy Jung Min-hoU.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which divides the rival Koreas, on Thursday in Washington's latest bid to demonstrate its commitment to Seoul's security.This would mark the first visit to the border barrier by a top Biden administration official at a time when tensions are mounting as a result of a series of recent North Korean provocations, including a short-range ballistic missile test on Sunday.Harris, who held a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before attending a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, will make a one-day visit to Seoul, where she is scheduled to meet with President Yoon Suk-yeol and top diplomats to discuss urgent issues between the two countries.During a meeting with Harris at the Okura Tokyo Hotel, South Korean Prime

Sep 27, 2022By Jung Min-ho
US VP Harris to visit Korean DMZ
  • Harris' trip to DMZ will highlight US commitment to security of S. Korea: U.S. official
Defense

South Korea, US begin biggest joint naval drills in 5 years

USS Ronald Reagan, a U.S. Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, departs from the South Korean Fleet Command in Busan, Monday, for combined drills with the South Korean Navy. The two allies have begun their biggest naval exercise in five years in response to North Korea's intensifying nuclear threat. YonhapWarships, nuclear-powered submarine, fighter jets send warning to North Korea By Jung Min-hoSouth Korea and the United States started their biggest combined naval exercise involving a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier near the peninsula since 2017, a day after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile in its latest military provocation.According to the Ministry of Defense and Navy, Monday, the allies will mobilize more than 20 vessels including the USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class supercarrier of the U.S. Navy, as well as key South Korean warships, such as the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer Seoae Ryu Sung-ryong and the 4,400-ton Munmu the Great destroyer, for the four-day drills.Other participating maritime assets include the nuclear-powered USS Annapolis submarine,

Sep 26, 2022By Jung Min-ho
South Korea, US begin biggest joint naval drills in 5 years
Defense

USS Ronald Reagan arrives in Busan as warning to North Korea

USS Ronald Reagan is escorted as it arrives in Busan, Friday. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in the port city ahead of the two countries' joint military exercise, which aims to show their strength against growing North Korean threats. AP-YonhapSupercarrier, nuclear-powered submarine set on joint drills next weekBy Jung Min-hoA nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in the port city of Busan on Friday for its first combined drills with the South Korean Navy around the peninsula in five years, in an apparent show of alliance and strength against North Korea's evolving nuclear threat.USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class supercarrier that demonstrates the U.S.' naval might, and its strike group, including USS Chancellorsville, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, and USS Barry, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, docked at the South Korean Fleet Command.The arrival comes after President Yoon Suk-yeol and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden agreed on the need to bolster the bilateral defense posture against North Korea during their meeting in New York City

Sep 23, 2022By Jung Min-ho
USS Ronald Reagan arrives in Busan as warning to North Korea
Foreign Affairs

Yoon's inept diplomacy draws flak

President Yoon Suk-yeol, third from right, and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands during the Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City, Wednesday (local time). AP-YonhapPresident criticized for swearing, lack of results, PR failureBy Jung Min-hoWhen Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said last week that President Yoon Suk-yeol's summit with U.S. President Joe Biden would be brief ― 30 minutes or so ― many thought that it might be too short to talk about the urgent issues between the two countries. But the meeting in New York City turned out to be even shorter ― far shorter ― than he hoped it would be. At a fundraising event hosted by Biden, Yoon had a standing conversation with him for less than a minute ― 48 seconds, precisely. According to Yoon's office and the White House, Wednesday (local time), Yoon asked Biden to help resolve South Korean companies' concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act and they reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering the bilateral alliance against North Korea during the conversation. The act, passed last month, gives a t

Sep 22, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Yoon's inept diplomacy draws flak
  • Yoon lets down biz community by skipping industry events in NYC
  • Presidential office denies Yoon used foul language to refer to Biden, Congress
  • DPK slams Yoon for alleged use of foul language
  • Yoon's approval rating falls below 30%: poll
North Korea

Experts warn of deadly consequences of North Korea, Russia strengthening ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left, greets North Korea's delegation prior to his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, in Vladivostok, in this April 25, 2019, file photo. AP-YonhapWhen it comes to nuclear bombs, Putin has much to offer to KimBy Jung Min-hoAt a time when many countries have been distancing themselves from Russia due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, South Korea's nearest neighbor has been doing the exact opposite.Other than Syria, North Korea is the only country that has recognized the independence of two Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in a show of support for Moscow's war. A U.S. intelligence report shows North Korea is also planning to sell Russia millions of rockets and artillery shells.The improving relations between the two allies could kill any remaining hopes of achieving the denuclearization of North Korea, which announced its new nuclear weapons law earlier this month, according to experts.“North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has clearly showed that he wants to improve relations with Russia, which can do much to

Sep 21, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Experts warn of deadly consequences of North Korea, Russia strengthening ties
Politics

Yoon failing to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II criticized as 'diplomatic disaster'

President Yoon Suk-yeol signs a condolence book at Church House in London, Monday, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters-YonhapBy Jung Min-hoPresident Yoon Suk-yeol failed to pay his respects properly to British Queen Elizabeth II, who was lying in state at Westminster Hall in London, on the day of his arrival there. Yoon missing viewing the coffin on his first day in London has made him vulnerable to criticism by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which called it a “diplomatic disaster.” According to a senior official at the presidential office Tuesday, Yoon was planning to visit the queen lying in state and then sign the condolence book on Sunday (local time) shortly after he arrived, but his plans were delayed due to traffic.Rep. Kim Sung-whan of the main opposition DPK accused Yoon and his entourage of making unreasonable excuses.“Many people are wondering why he failed to offer condolences [before the funeral service the next day], while [the leaders of] the U.S., Canada, Japan, China, Brazil and Ukraine were able to do so,” Kim

Sep 20, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Yoon failing to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II criticized as 'diplomatic disaster'
North Korea

INTERVIEW No one is safe in North Korea, even its elite

Lee Seo-hyun / Courtesy of Lee Seo-hyunBy Jung Min-hoBorn into a privileged family in Pyongyang, Lee Seo-hyun was no ordinary North Korean. Her father was a senior government official decorated as a “Hero of Labor,” the high-level honor also given to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of North Korea's late founding leader, Kim Il-sung, and Kye Sun-hui, an Olympic judo champion. Her father was close to many powerful people and was deeply loyal to the regime. In what she believed was a “paradise on Earth,” her family was and would always be safe, she assumed.Her belief was shattered when her best friend was dragged away from their dorm room at a Chinese college because of her father's association with Jang Song-thaek, who was executed in 2013 by his nephew and North Korea's current leader, Kim Jong-un. It is still unclear what ultimately happened to the family. That day, Lee said, she accepted what she had long denied: No matter who you are or what you have, no one is truly safe in North Korea.“In retrospect, I had always been in fear, which I did not know b

Sep 19, 2022By Jung Min-ho
[INTERVIEW] No one is safe in North Korea, even its elite
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