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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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Society

PHOTOS Five rescued from bus caught in flood

A bus is caught in floodwaters in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. YonhapFirefighters rescue a woman from a flooded road in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoFive people have been rescued from a bus caught in a flash flood in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.Firefighters said Thursday that they rescued four passengers and the driver from the vehicle, which was caught in floodwaters.YonhapNo one was seriously injured in the incident.As heavy rain continues to wreak havoc in Korea's central regions, including the city and the Seoul metropolitan area, the death toll rose to 16 as of Thursday morning.Yonhap

Aug 6, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Five rescued from bus caught in flood [PHOTOS]
  • Rescue workers missing in floods after boats capsize
  • Casualties, damage snowballing amid downpours
Global Community

Mudslide: New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea mourns death of former official

Firefighters search debris during rescue efforts at the resort area in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea is mourning the deaths of Anna Song, 36, its former official, and two other members of her family ― all Kiwi citizens ― after a mudslide triggered by heavy rain engulfed their vacation cottage near Seoul.According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Song, a former director and treasurer of the chamber, was found dead Monday ― along with her mother, 77, and her two-year-old son ― after landslides destroyed their pension in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.“The suddenness and untimeliness of this tragedy is beyond words,” chamber chairman Tony Garrett said in a statement Wednesday. “Anna, you were always positive and at the forefront of many of the activities the chamber was involved in and you were so passionate about your work promoting the Korea NZ Tech relationship, for which your tenaciousness was admired by many.“Beyond what Anna did with the chamber, she was an incredibly committed

Aug 6, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Mudslide: New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea mourns death of former official
  • New Zealand citizens among flood victims: report
  • Casualties, damage snowballing amid downpours
Politics

Law revised to better protect athletes from abusive coaches

National Assembly lawmakers pass the amendment to better protect athletes from violence, Tuesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe National Assembly has passed an amendment to better protect athletes from abuse and violence, several weeks after the tragic death of promising triathlete Choi Suk-hyeon.Under the revised National Sports Promotion Act, sports organization members are required to report violations of athletes' human rights, including physical and sexual abuse, to the Sports Ethics Center. It is in charge of separating the alleged perpetrator and the victim to ensure a fair investigation.If convicted, the perpetrator could be suspended from sport for up to five years. Before the revision, the maximum suspension period was only a year.Choi, 22, a junior bronze medalist at the 2015 Triathlon Asian Championships and an athlete in the Gyeongju City Hall team, committed suicide on June 26 after seeking punishment for her head coach Kim Gyu-bong and team doctor Ahn Ju-hyeon, whom she had accused of years of physical and mental abuse.In her last text message to her mother, Choi asked her t

Aug 5, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Law revised to better protect athletes from abusive coaches
Global Community

'Heukhyeong,' 'jjangkkae' among pejorative terms listed by human rights body

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoCourtesy of National Human Rights Commission of Korea“Heukhyeong,” which means “black brother” in Korean, and “jjangkkae,” a demeaning term some Koreans use to refer to Chinese people, are among the pejorative expressions listed by the human rights body.The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) said Tuesday that it distributed an education guide to 12,000 schools and other public institutions across the country as part of its effort to tackle discrimination and create a more inclusive society.“Schools should work hard to create an inclusive environment where diversity is respected,” the NHRCK said. “They need to actively respond to the problem of pejorative terms and expressions so that every member can feel secure and a sense of belonging.”The rights group defined “hate expressions” as those that “insult, demean, belittle or threaten” certain individuals or groups of people based on their gender, disability, religion, age or region of birth, saying such expres

Aug 5, 2020By Jung Min-ho
'Heukhyeong,' 'jjangkkae' among pejorative terms listed by human rights body
Global Community

Kazakh man honored for saving 10 people from blaze

Yuldashev Aliakbar from Kazakhstan, left, poses with Yangyang County head Kim Jin-ha at his office in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Yangyang County OfficeBy Jung Min-hoA Kazakh man, 28, an undocumented migrant who risked his life to rescue 10 people from a burning building in March, has received an award for his heroic deeds.Kim Jin-ha, head of the Yangyang County Office in Gangwon Province, presented the award to Yuldashev Aliakbar, better known as “Ali” among Koreans, for outstanding bravery.The ceremony was held at Kim's office after the Ministry of Health and Welfare selected him last month as one of the two recipients of the bravery honor, along with Kang Cheol-soo, a taxi driver who rescued a man trying to commit suicide in Seoul in January.Ali came into the spotlight after saving people from a burning apartment at a Yangyang town on March 23. While trying to wake his neighbors and open windows to let the smoke out at around 11:20 p.m., he suffered burns to his back, neck and hands.Despite his bravery, Ali immediately faced deportation after his i

Aug 4, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Kazakh man honored for saving 10 people from blaze
  • Undocumented hero: Koreans urge gov't not to deport Kazakh man who saved people from burning building
Global Community

New Zealand citizens among flood victims: report

Firefighters search through debris during rescue efforts at the resort area in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. / YonhapYonhapBy Jung Min-hoNew Zealand nationals were among the victims confirmed dead after a mudslide engulfed a resort pension in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, amid heavy rain in Korea's central regions earlier this week, according to a local media report.Police and rescue workers said Tuesday that they recovered the bodies of three people, who were inside when it was buried under a landslide Monday morning.According to JoongAng Ilbo, a local daily, the victims were New Zealand citizens ― a pension owner, 65, her daughter, 36, and her grandson, 2. A spokeswoman for the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul told The Korea Times that she could not immediately confirm the report.On the same day, a landslide swept over a temporary building in a semiconductor parts plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, killing three workers in their 30s and seriously injuring one in his 50s.The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said the downpour had left 13 people dead and

Aug 4, 2020By Jung Min-ho
New Zealand citizens among flood victims: report
  • More heavy rain set to hit Korea's interior
  • US ambassador expresses sympathy for deluge-hit S. Koreans
  • Gov't to declare heavy rain-hit regions special disaster zones
  • Mudslide: New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea mourns death of former official
Politics

Bill proposed to ban top-ranking policymakers from owning more than one house

Rep. Sim Sang-jeung, leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, speaks during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA bill has been proposed to ban top-ranking government officials, including lawmakers and ministers, from owning more than one house amid soaring housing prices across Korea.Rep. Sim Sang-jeung, leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, proposed the bill Monday, saying change is necessary to rebuild public trust in the government's real estate policies.“(If passed), the bill would prevent conflict of interests in the policymaking process,” Sim said at a press conference. “High-ranking officials must abide by certain rules for stock trading. It would be unconvincing to argue that real estate trading is different.”The bill would require new appointees in certain government positions to sell houses within 60 days if they have more than one.Over the past three years, the Moon Jae-in administration has implemented various policies to cool the unusually hot property market ― to no avail. Critics have pointed

Aug 3, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Bill proposed to ban top-ranking policymakers from owning more than one house
  • Foreign homeowners face probe into suspected tax evasion
Law & Crime

Two refugee brokers arrested over fraudulent applications

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoTwo brokers have been arrested on charges of helping 146 foreigners file fraudulent refugee applications for money.According to Busan Immigration Office's investigation bureau Monday, a Vietnamese woman, 27, was recently arrested for allegedly helping 91 Vietnamese file the applications with false information so they could stay and work in Korea until the process is completed.The woman is suspected of receiving between 1.3 million won and 4 million won from each ― a total of 180 million-360 million won ― in return.In a separate case, a Russian man, 24, was arrested for allegedly providing the illegal services to 55 foreigners, many of whom are Russians. He is suspected of taking 1.2 million won from each ― a total of 60 million won.So far, 50 of them have been deported. The immigration office said it is searching for the rest.According to investigators, applicants falsely claimed that they faced persecution in their countries for reasons race, religion, sexual orientation and others. But they concluded that these were not real reasons.“It usually ta

Aug 3, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Two refugee brokers arrested over fraudulent applications
Economy

Interpreters feel pinch of COVID-19 pandemic

People in masks check displays at PR booths during an exhibition of pharmaceutical and cosmetics products at KINTEX exhibition hall in Goyang, July 27. With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no sign of abating, many interpreters are struggling. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoLee, an interpreter with 15 years' experience in the industry, was looking forward to a busy year while making plans for 2020.But the new coronavirus plunged the world into a “crisis like no other” early this year, forcing many countries to shut borders and cancel international events.“My income has been halved compared with the same period last year and I'm considered one of the lucky ones in the market,” Lee told The Korea Times Wednesday.The pandemic has not affected his earnings as much as many other interpreters because he largely works on long-term contracts rather than on demand. With major international events canceled, many freelance interpreters are feeling the pinch more acutely.Semicon Korea, an international trade fair for semiconductor technology, Seoul Living Design Fair, an international

Jul 30, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Interpreters feel pinch of COVID-19 pandemic
Global Community

Gov't seeks to extend foreign workers' stay permits amid pandemic

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a coronavirus response meeting at the government complex in Sejong, Wednesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoKorea is seeking to extend stay permits for foreign workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday that the government is planning to lengthen the stay for foreign workers and temporarily allow them to work on farms. It would be a win-win for many workers who cannot immediately leave here after their visas have expired because of travel restrictions around the world, and the farmers who may need them for the coming harvest season, Chung said.“After the pandemic, farmers have faced severe labor shortages,” he said at a virus response meeting. “Meanwhile, some foreign workers say they are 'stuck' here due to shutdowns and travel restrictions by their countries.”Gov't steps up quarantine measures on sailorsThe government is also stepping up quarantine measures on sailors coming from overseas.Under the new measures, sailors from Russia and six other designated nations ― Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzsta

Jul 29, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Gov't seeks to extend foreign workers' stay permits amid pandemic
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