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

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
People & Events

INTERVIEW Sponsoring dreams of North Korean defectors

Seo You-jin, a lawyer and director of the Nanum & Ieum Foundation, poses during a youth counseling program near Bucheon Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, in this June 3 file photo. Courtesy of Seo You-jinBy Jung Min-hoIt is easy to assume that North Korean defectors are more satisfied with their lives here than they were before their escape. In South Korea, they no longer have to worry about starving to death or being imprisoned for criticizing corrupt leaders. Yet the reality is more complicated. Here, North Korean defectors struggle with different issues. Some say they feel even more lost than when they were trying to escape a land with no freedom.Lawyer Seo You-jin, 34, the director of the Nanum & Leum Foundation established by the law firm Shin & Kim, said she was one of those who had that same blind notion before she started to truly listen to their voices.“I was surprised to learn that some North Korean defectors tried to kill themselves because of depression. They had motivation for a better future when they risked their lives to escape North Korea. That

Aug 24, 2022By Jung Min-ho
[INTERVIEW] Sponsoring dreams of North Korean defectors
Defense

South Korea, US launch largest combined military drills in 5 years

K1 tanks are on the move for an exercise at a training field in Paju, a city near the border with North Korea, Monday. South Korea and the U.S. began their biggest combined military training exercises in five years as they heighten their defense posture against the growing North Korean nuclear threat. NewsisYoon says realistic training exercises are necessary to preserve peace By Jung Min-hoSouth Korea and the United States began their largest combined military drills in five years, Monday, to sharpen their readiness at a time when North Korea is ramping up missile and nuclear threats. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled to continue until Sept. 1, mark the resumption of the two allies' full-scale field exercises involving fighter jets, warships, tanks and potentially tens of thousands of troops.The participants will rehearse scenarios, such as responding to North Korea's attacks on key industrial facilities including an airport, a semiconductor factory or a nuclear power plant. The Ministry of Defense's report to the National Assembly shows that their training script reflec

Aug 22, 2022By Jung Min-ho
South Korea, US launch largest combined military drills in 5 years
Politics

Kim Eun-hye returns as senior press secretary

Kim Eun-hye, new senior press secretary for President Yoon Suk-yeol, speaks after a reshuffle announcement at the press room of the presidential office in Seoul, Sunday. NewsisEx-Vice Trade Minister Lee appointed senior secretary for policy planning; Lim named deputy national security adviserBy Jung Min-hoPresident Yoon Suk-yeol replaced his senior secretary for public relations, Sunday, as dismal approval ratings jeopardize his reform agenda before it even starts.The presidential office announced that Kim Eun-hye, 51, a former lawmaker who had previously been spokeswoman for Yoon's transition team, will replace Choi Young-bum in the top PR post as part of the first major reshuffle of the office since Yoon's inauguration in May.Kim, a TV anchor-turned-politician who vacated her National Assembly seat to run unsuccessfully in the race for Gyeonggi governorship in June, has now been handed the task of developing media strategies and helping the administration improve communication with the public.“Given that Kim is well aware of the philosophy of President Yoon's state affairs an

Aug 21, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Kim Eun-hye returns as senior press secretary
Foreign Affairs

Minister rebuked for 'submissive' stance toward Japan

Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during a meeting at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee inside the Assembly building, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoForeign Minister Park Jin was lambasted Thursday for the government's soft stance on Japan, which President Yoon Suk-yeol recently described as “a partner” that Korea should join forces with to protect their shared values, despite unresolved past grudges. At a meeting at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Park was criticized especially for the ministry's effort to postpone the Supreme Court's decision on liquidating the assets of Japanese companies here to compensate forced labor victims ― a “red line” Tokyo has warned Seoul will regret crossing.Three lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ― Rep. Yun Ho-jung, Rep. Cho Jeong-sik and Rep. Kim Kyung-hyup ― denounced Park for “showing little willingness” to resolve the issue for the victims and for the ministry's “submissive posture” in diplomacy.The mini

Aug 18, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Minister rebuked for 'submissive' stance toward Japan
previous page
110111112113114
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.