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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

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
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
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