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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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Defense

USS Ronald Reagan to arrive in Busan this week

The USS Ronald Reagan / YonhapSupercarrier set for drills in South Korean waters in response to Pyongyang's preemptive nuclear lawBy Jung Min-hoThe USS Ronald Reagan, the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered supercarrier, will arrive at the southeastern port city of Busan later this week for joint military drills with South Korea amid mounting nuclear threats from North Korea. According to military sources Sunday, the Nimitz-class supercarrier will take part in combined exercises with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy in the East Sea this month for the first time since 2017, when Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear weapons test.The move comes immediately after the two allies issued a joint statement Friday (local time), after holding a meeting in Washington to denounce the North for passing a law earlier this month to grant its military the right to use nuclear weapons preemptively. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also called the nation's nuclear status “irreversible,” leaving no room for negotiation on the issue.In that statement, the U.S. reaffirmed its “ironclad and unwa

Sep 18, 2022By Jung Min-ho
USS Ronald Reagan to arrive in Busan this week
North Korea

Monster storm feared to worsen North Korea's food crisis

Typhoon Hinnamnor, lower left, is seen moving gradually toward the Korean Peninsula, in this Sept. 4 composite image released by NASA. The storm is feared to worsen North Korea's already-serious food shortage problem. AP-YonhapPyongyang calls for utmost efforts to protect cropsBy Jung Min-hoA monster typhoon ― packing violent winds and heavy rains ― is set to hit North Korea amid its struggle with infectious diseases, adding to concerns about food shortages. According to Pyongyang's weather agency Monday, it is forecast to come under the influence of Typhoon Hinnamnor the following day. The tropical storm, the strongest one so far this year, is approaching the Korean Peninsula after slamming Okinawa, where more than 100,000 residents were advised to evacuate to shelters.North Korean authorities have been scrambling to inspect the infrastructure at high risk of flooding or collapsing while ordering fishing boats in the sea to return to ports for safety, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).The Rodong Sinmun, Pyongyang's official mouthpiece, called for utmost ef

Sep 5, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Monster storm feared to worsen North Korea's food crisis
  • Flights canceled, schools closed as typhoon nears Korea
Environment & Animals

Korea braces for super typhoon

A huge wave crashes into the rocks on the coastline near Jeju Island's Seogwipo City, Sunday. Weather advisories have been issued for the southern regions as the country is bracing for potentially the most destructive typhoon in decades. YonhapPresident Yoon calls for preemptive responseBy Jung Min-hoKorea issued weather advisories for the southern regions, Sunday, as it braces for potentially the most destructive typhoon in decades. As the powerful Typhoon Hinnamnor is slowly moving toward the country, preliminary weather advisories have already been issued in most cities and counties in southern areas, including Gwangju, Busan and Jeju.This tropical cyclone, the strongest one of the year so far, is expected to hit Korea on Tuesday, bringing violent winds and heavy rain. By then, it will have developed into a “super strong” typhoon, the strongest on a four-tier scale, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Super strong refers to typhoons with a maximum wind speed of at least 54 meters per second. Woo Jin-kyu, a senior analyst at the weather agency, w

Sep 4, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Korea braces for super typhoon
  • Korea expects landfall of 'super strong' typhoon
Entertainment

Military service exemptions for BTS become political football

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, right, poses with BTS' V during the appointment ceremony of the K-pop group as a public relations ambassador for Korea's bid to host the Busan World Expo 2030 at HYBE's headquarters in Seoul, in this July 19 file photo. NewsisCriteria for military service exemptions clear for athletes, but not for pop artists, leaving room for political considerations By Jung Min-hoShould the members of BTS be exempted from mandatory military service? There's no clear answer. What's clear is that, if nothing changes, Jin, 29, its oldest member, must enlist before his upcoming birthday on Dec. 4. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, in his latest ambivalent response to the issue, said during Wednesday's meeting at the National Assembly that he has told his officials to conduct a survey. After the survey is completed, he said a conclusion would be drawn considering its results and other factors, including the national interest.Yet the decision is not his to make, given its political sensitivity. Experts say it is ultimately in the hands of politicians, who have been raising the i

Sep 2, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Military service exemptions for BTS become political football
North Korea

Yoon government has last opportunity for North Korea's denuclearization: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a post-summit dinner at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, in this April 25, 2019, file photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. YonhapPyongyang, Moscow, Beijing become increasingly united against WashingtonBy Jung Min-hoAs North Korea becomes increasingly united with Russia and China against the United States, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will likely be, if it isn't already, nearly impossible in just a few years, according to experts Wednesday.Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the rising influence of China in recent years have ushered in a new Cold War climate, prompting the reinforcement of an anti-U.S. alliance and opening an opportunity for the North to protect its nuclear ambitions, they said.“The current (Yoon Suk-yeol) government has this last opportunity for denuclearization. Perhaps, we have already missed it,” Chun Chae-sung, a professor of political science and international relations

Aug 31, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Yoon government has last opportunity for North Korea's denuclearization: experts
North Korea

Experts warn of North Korea's evolving cyberattack capabilities

gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoOne of the most underestimated security threats coming out of North Korea is its cyberattack capabilities. Hackers, many assume, can't kill people. But they can. Cyberattackers could take control of a water treatment plant and change the chemical mixture to make it toxic, or they could penetrate the computer systems of a nuclear power plant to cause major malfunctions. In recent years, such cyberattacks have been attempted in many parts of the world, and some have succeeded, resulting in deaths or injuries indirectly.A group of experts warn that the North could make use of such attacks if war were to break out on the Korean Peninsula, in a RAND Corporation report titled, “Characterizing the Risks of North Korean Chemical and Biological Weapons, Electromagnetic Pulse, and Cyber Threats.”“The infrastructure in South Korea seems to be very vulnerable to the North's cyberattacks. We have seen some cases in the banking systems … But what about other infrastructure like water supply or electricity? That would cause chaos,” Choi Ka

Aug 30, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Experts warn of North Korea's evolving cyberattack capabilities
North Korea

UN rapporteur vows to work with victims to improve North Korea's human rights

Elizabeth Salmon, third from left, new U.N. special rapporteur for North Korea's human rights, poses with representatives of South Korea's human rights groups before a meeting at OHCHR's building in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Transitional Justice Working GroupSalmon urged to find truth behind deportation of North Korean fishermen, killing of South Korean official By Jung Min-hoElizabeth Salmon, the newly-appointed U.N. special rapporteur for North Korea's human rights, vowed to work with the victims of the regime's repression and violence and their families to improve the situation there during her first official visit to South Korea, Monday. Speaking with representatives of 11 civic groups for North Korean human rights at OHCHR's building in central Seoul, Salmon promised to look at the cases of Pyongyang's rights abuses from the victims' perspectives and take necessary action to help resolve their issues, according to a person who attended the 90-minute meeting.“She looked [like a] tough [person],” Shin Hee-seok, a legal analyst at Transitional Justice Working Group, t

Aug 29, 2022By Jung Min-ho
UN rapporteur vows to work with victims to improve North Korea's human rights
Politics

Court rules in favor of ex-ruling party leader

An official enters the office of Rep. Joo Ho-young, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party, at party headquarters in Seoul, Friday, after he was suspended from performing his duties by a court. YonhapRuling paves way for Lee Jun-seok to return to People Power Party as chairman next yearBy Jung Min-hoA court has suspended the ruling party's interim leader Rep. Joo Ho-yong from work, allowing the ousted young leader, Lee Jun-seok, to return to its leadership once a six-month penalty period is over. The Seoul Southern District Court on Friday nullified the People Power Party's (PPP) decision early this month to form an emergency committee over what it had called “a crisis.” This means Lee, 37, will likely reclaim the leadership post in January after being forced to give it up on July 8, when the ethics committee decided to suspend his party membership for six months over allegations of sexual bribery and cover-up attempts.“If the party holds its national convention to elect a new leader under Joo's watch, there is a concern that Lee may suffer irreversible dam

Aug 26, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Court rules in favor of ex-ruling party leader
North Korea

Democratic Party of Korea turns deaf ear to North Korean human rights law

A North Korean flag flutters at a village in North Korea, in this photo taken on July 19 near the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. Reuters-YonhapDespite opposition party's inaction, gov't makes progress in some areasBy Jung Min-hoSouth Korea's main opposition party has repeatedly ignored calls for the implementation of the North Korean Human Rights Act, a law that has remained in name only since it was passed more than six years ago.An official at the Ministry of Unification told The Korea Times Thursday that the National Assembly has not responded to the government's request to recommend 10 directors of the board at a foundation for North Korean human rights ― a prerequisite for its establishment.“Whenever we had an opportunity, such as Minister Kwon Young-se's visit to the National Assembly, we asked for cooperation. But it has not answered our written request sent July 25,” the official said.The blame falls on the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which is responsible for picking five people out

Aug 25, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Democratic Party of Korea turns deaf ear to North Korean human rights law
Politics

Why South Korea's largest labor groups oppose military drills with US

Members of labor and civic groups, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, hold a protest against South Korea's joint military drills with the United States, near the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, Aug. 14. NewsisAnti-US nationalists still exert major influence among liberals: expertsBy Jung Min-hoSouth Korea's two biggest labor umbrella groups have called for the immediate suspension of the country's ongoing joint military exercise with the United States, calling it a dangerous act that increases the risk of conflict with North Korea.In front of the War Memorial of Korea, Tuesday, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol for the resumption of the two allies' first full-scale field trainings in five years.“We denounce the Yoon administration for being trapped in a swamp of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, a byproduct of the Cold War of the 20th century, and making the wrong moves for the peace, diplomacy and economy of the Korean Peninsula,” they said in a joint statement.

Aug 24, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Why South Korea's largest labor groups oppose military drills with US
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