my timesThe Korea Times
mj6c2

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.

Go to Email

Read more

Politics

Ruling party's self-inflicted crisis

Lee Jun-seok, the suspended chairman of the ruling People Power Party / NewsisSuspended leader vows court battle as President Yoon continues to lose popularityBy Jung Min-hoAfter two consecutive election wins for president and local offices, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has found itself in a self-inflicted "emergency" that will only get worse as faction leaders vow to continue to fight despite President Yoon Suk-yeol's abysmal approval ratings.Suspended PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok is at the very center of the party's internal conflict.Under the 37-year-old leader, the party won the executive office in March and a majority of local offices nationwide three months later. It was a stunning comeback from the party's near-death experience following the scandal that brought down former President Park Geun-hye just five years ago.Lee's future in the party looked more promising until the PPP's ethics committee on July 8 suspended him from his position and party affairs for six months over allegations of having accepted sexual services in return for political favors and destroying the ev

Aug 8, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Ruling party's self-inflicted crisis
Foreign Affairs

Korean, US parliamentary leaders vow to expand alliance amid mounting tensions near Taiwan

National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, right, and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attend a joint press announcement after their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. NewsisKim, Pelosi agree to foster cooperation in defense, technologyBy Jung Min-hoThe parliamentary leaders of South Korea and the United States vowed to expand the bilateral alliance further in defense and technology, Thursday, the day Beijing launched unprecedented live-fire military drills near Taiwan in a warning to Washington. National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met for talks in Seoul, where they agreed to improve the bilateral relationship to the “comprehensive” level through cooperation in security and the economy, including high-tech fields like semiconductors, to handle challenges facing both countries more effectively.The meeting comes just a day after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, where she pledged Washington's “ironclad” commitment to defending democracy on the self-governing island at her meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. Be

Aug 4, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Korean, US parliamentary leaders vow to expand alliance amid mounting tensions near Taiwan
  • Yoon, Pelosi talk over phone, without meeting in person
Politics

Lee Jae-myung claims innocence amid corruption probe

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, a leading candidate for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's chairman post, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapHopes of winning ― and keeping ― party leadership hinge on possible indictment for ex-presidential candidateBy Jung Min-hoRep. Lee Jae-myung, a leading candidate for the opposition Democratic Party of Korea's top post, claimed his innocence Wednesday amid an ongoing investigation into corruption allegations surrounding him and his family, accusing prosecutors and police of “colluding” with certain politicians. The risk of being prosecuted stands as the biggest obstacle to his ambition of controlling the party for the next two years. Lee, 57, leads the two other shortlisted candidates ― Rep. Park Yong-jin and Rep. Kang Hoon-sik ― by a comfortable margin. But if he is indicted ― before or after its Aug. 28 national convention ― his role could be suspended under the party rules.“There is no evidence despite years of accusations,” Lee said in his first press conference a

Aug 3, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Lee Jae-myung claims innocence amid corruption probe
Defense

Defense chiefs of Korea, Australia to meet for talks on arms industry cooperation

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, right, and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles shake hands during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, in this June 12 file photo. NewsisBy Jung Min-hoDefense Minister Lee Jong-sup departed for Canberra, Tuesday, for talks with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles on arms industry cooperation and regional security. According to the Ministry of Defense, the two are scheduled to meet in the capital Thursday, in the first official talks between the nations' defense chiefs since the Australian Labor Party took power in May.Minister Lee's five-day visit there comes at a time when the Redback, an infantry fighting vehicle developed and manufactured by Korean arms maker Hanwha Defense, is competing for the Australian Army's high-profile procurement project known as Land 400 Phase 3.Invited by Marles, Lee plans to visit Geelong, Victoria, where the company is constructing its first overseas factory for the production of K9 self-propelled howitzers. In December 2021, the country signed a contract to purchase 30 units of the howitzers among other weap

Aug 2, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Defense chiefs of Korea, Australia to meet for talks on arms industry cooperation
North Korea

Two possible reasons behind recent mask-free gatherings in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is surrounded by war veterans in front of a monument celebrating the country's "victory" in the Korean War (1950-53) in Pyongyang, North Korea, on July 27, the 69th anniversary of the end of the war, in this photo released July 28 by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. YonhapEnough people may be immune, or many 'fever' cases could be unrelated, experts say By Jung Min-hoNorth Korea's official numbers of suspected COVID-19 cases and photos of the ruling elite in recent weeks suggest that it is clearly making progress against the coronavirus despite almost no vaccination efforts, according to experts Monday. North Korea's number of new suspected COVID-19 cases remained at zero for the third consecutive day, according to the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang's official mouthpiece. On Monday, it reported that no additional fever cases had been confirmed over the previous 24 hours until 6 p.m. the previous day. The total number of such cases from late April stood at 4.77 million, of which 99.99 percent had recovered, it claimed. The number

Aug 1, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Two possible reasons behind recent mask-free gatherings in North Korea
North Korea

North Korea may delay nuclear test until end of China's party congress: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is surrounded by war veterans during an event celebrating the 69th anniversary of end of the Korean War (1950-53) in front of the Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, in this photo released Friday by the official North Korean Central News Agency. YonhapKim honors Beijing's support on 69th anniversary of end of Korean WarBy Jung Min-hoNorth Korea may postpone its next nuclear weapons test for several months until the end of the National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country's most important event in years, according to experts Friday.The North has completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test, intelligence reports show. But it has not taken action for months. Experts say China is most likely the reason behind the delay as Pyongyang's test will certainly take away the world's attention from the crucial political event and might lead to the worst-case scenario for Chinese leaders, especially President Xi Jinping, who seeks to secure a precedent-defying third term in power there.In

Jul 29, 2022By Jung Min-ho
North Korea may delay nuclear test until end of China's party congress: experts
  • North Korean leader says blood-sealed ties with China will develop for generations
Defense

Ukraine war reshapes European arms procurement market in Korea's favor

Four FA-50 light combat aircraft flying over urban area / NewsisPoland inks deals to buy fighter jets, tanks, howitzers amid conflict in neighboring UkraineBy Jung Min-ho, Joint Press CorpsSince Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some Eastern European countries, still armed largely with Soviet-era weapons, have sent their equipment to help Kyiv ― in a move that could reshape the future of the region's weapons systems.In a major procurement deal illustrating such a shift, Poland, which has provided Ukraine with its Soviet-designed T-72 tanks, agreed Wednesday (local time) to buy 48 FA-50s, a light combat jet co-developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin, 980 K2 battle tanks, manufactured by Hyundai Rotem, and 648 K9 howitzers, made by Hanwha Defense.After signing the framework contracts in Warsaw, Mariusz Blaszczak, the defense minister of Poland, said its armed forces need better weapons to protect the country from potential aggressors and the deals are “just the first stage of the two countries' cooperation.”Poland's Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak p

Jul 28, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Ukraine war reshapes European arms procurement market in Korea's favor
Defense

'We will defend freedom, democracy': Korean War UN Veterans Day celebrated in Seoul

Soldiers lift the flags of 22 nations that fought for South Korea during the Korean War during the celebration of the Korean War U.N. Veterans Day at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoSouth Koreans honored the sacrifices of the heroes who fought under the flag of the United Nations Command during the Korean War (1950-53) as they celebrated the Korean War U.N. Veterans Day in Seoul, Wednesday. “Korea was a country barely known 72 years ago. Many did not know where it was. Yet, 1.95 million soldiers from 22 countries came here under the United Nations Command's flag and fought for this country,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a speech during the ceremony at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. “To this day, North Korea has not stopped its provocation, threatening the security on the Korean Peninsula … We will protect the security through the strong U.S.-South Korea alliance and defense capabilities.”Protecting freedom and democracy, which the veterans fought to defend, is now the way to honor their sacrifices, he added.Duri

Jul 27, 2022By Jung Min-ho
'We will defend freedom, democracy': Korean War UN Veterans Day celebrated in Seoul
  • Yoon vows to defend freedom through firm alliance with US
Defense

Will Biden attend Korean War monument event?

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). Biden expressed hope that he could return to work in person this week after recovering from COVID-19, as the question arises as to whether he will attend Wednesday's event marking the completion of a new Korean War memorial monument in Washington. EPA-YonhapWar of Remembrance to honor fallen US, Korean soldiersBy Jung Min-hoU.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope Monday (local time) that he could return to work in person this week after recovering from COVID-19, as the question arises as to whether he will attend Wednesday's event marking the completion of a Korean War memorial monument in Washington, D.C. At the ceremony unveiling the Wall of Remembrance, which will be a permanent addition to the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik will read out a message from President Yoon Suk-yeol as the two nations celebrate the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 war.In his first public appearance at a virtual meeting since Friday, the da

Jul 26, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Will Biden attend Korean War monument event?
  • Biden calls on all Americans to pay respect to Korean War veterans
Politics

Deportation of North Korean fishermen unprecedented violation of Constitution: minister

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se speaks during a parliamentary inquiry into the Yoon Suk-yeol administration at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoSouth Korea's 2019 decision to repatriate two North Korean fishermen against their will was unprecedented and a violation of the Constitution, Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said Monday.Asked whether there have been any similar cases before and after the incident, Kwon said it was the only occasion when North Koreans were forced to leave South Korea despite their objection.South Korea's Constitution says North Koreans should be treated as South Korean citizens. As a result, North Korean escapees are not even required to express their intention to defect to the South if they want to stay here, he added.“If North Koreans say they do not want to return to North Korea, the ministry must accept them,” Kwon said during a parliamentary inquiry into the Yoon Suk-yeol administration at the National Assembly in Seoul. “The decision to send them back was clearly wrong, which damaged the Constitution an

Jul 25, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Deportation of North Korean fishermen unprecedented violation of Constitution: minister
previous page
107108109110111
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.