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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 Heavy rain in capital area forecast to continue until Thursday morning

People shelter under umbrellas during heavy rain near Namdaemun in Seoul, Wednesday. Heavy rain is forecast to continue in the capital and other central parts of the Korean Peninsula until Thursday morning, the weather agency said. YonhapYonhapBy Jung Min-hoHeavy rain that pounded the capital region of the Korean Peninsula is forecast to continue until Thursday morning.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration Wednesday, torrential rain of over 30 mm an hour, accompanied by lightning strikes and thunder, lashed Seoul and other regions, including Gyeonggi, Chungcheong and Gangwon provinces.Yongin, in Gyeonggi Province, was one of the hardest hit cities, with more than 70 mm of rain an hour at one point.YonhapThe weather agency said up to 150 mm of rain is predicted to pour down in the central region until noon Thursday. The rain is expected to stop later that day in most areas.Authorities advised extra caution for traffic safety and potential damage to outdoor structures.

Jul 29, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Heavy rain in capital area forecast to continue until Thursday morning [PHOTOS]
Defense

Military guardhouse system to be abolished after 124 years

The South Korean military said its guardhouse system will be abolished next week. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe South Korean military's notorious detention system will fade into history after 124 years.The Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that its guardhouses, where rank-and-file soldiers can be detained up to 15 days without warrants, will be abolished by Aug 5.According to the revised Military Personnel Management Act, education programs and other types of penalties, such as salary reduction, will replace the punishment method, which human rights groups have long criticized.Under military law, all able-bodied men must serve in the military or other public institutions for a certain time in South Korea. But time spent in the confinement facilities does not count.After the revision, any incarceration of soldiers will be possible only through court trials. The ministry said the origin of the detention system dated from Jan. 24, 1896, under King Gojong.“We will continue to push for defense reform to better protect the human rights of service members while maintaining a strong military

Jul 28, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Military guardhouse system to be abolished after 124 years
Companies

VIDEO DNA knows your ancestral roots - YouWho offers to crack that code

EDGC co-founder and co-CEO Shin Shang-cheol speaks during an interview at The Korea Times' office in Seoul, July 14. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minBy Jung Min-hoShin Shang-cheol, co-founder and co-CEO of EDGC, a genetic analysis company in Incheon, is Korean. But ethnically, it is a bit more complicated: he is 47.71 percent Korean, 26.56 percent Chinese, 23.44 percent Japanese and some other roots originate from Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.Shin made this assessment based on his test results from YouWho, which can trace people back to their ancestral roots through genetic analysis. It provides details of what regions and ethnicities the users' DNA is most related to by comparing it against its reference data set.Since the firm started the service four months ago, more than 11,000 people have had their DNA analyzed. It is a remarkable performance, especially given the adverse business conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Shin said in a recent interview.“My goal is to attract more than 5 million customers in five years,” he said. “In the long run, ED

Jul 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho
DNA knows your ancestral roots - YouWho offers to crack that code [VIDEO]
Books

Bolton's memoir shows Trump is only hope for North Korea and 'Moonshine' policy

A copy of the book, "The Room Where It Happened," by former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, is seen at the White House in Washington DC on June 18. The 500-plus page memoir was released in South Korea last week. APBy Jung Min-hoTop U.S. officials in current and past administrations have maintained that “the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” is an essential precondition for any negotiations with North Korea. A new book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton suggests that President Donald Trump has been the only one open to other possibilities.In his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” Bolton criticized Trump's way of dealing with North Korea, which, in his view, was “naive” and “dangerous.” Trump, the book clearly shows, truly believed it would be possible to rid North Korea of its nuclear arms through diplomatic means and was ready to make concessions he deemed necessary ― if he was not stopped by his key aides.One of many such moments came during Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim

Jul 22, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Bolton's memoir shows Trump is only hope for North Korea and 'Moonshine' policy
Trends

Korea's population to halve in 80 years: study

In this July 3, 2019, photo, a girl holding her mother's hand carries her lunch at the Dunsan Elementary School in Daejeon. A recent study says Korea's population will halve by 2100. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoKorea's population will halve in 80 years and by then two Asian countries ― Indonesia and the Philippines ― are expected to outgrow its GDP, according to a study in the medical journal Lancet.The analysis, published Tuesday, shows that Korea's population, which was estimated at 52.67 million, including foreigners, in 2017, is projected to reach a peak of 54.29 million in 2031, before plunging to 26.78 million in 2100.Meanwhile, the country's GDP ranking will fall six spots to 20th place behind Nigeria (9), Indonesia (12) and the Philippines (18), the report says.The world population will reach a peak of 9.73 billion in 2064 before decreasing to 8.8 billion in 2100, about 2 billion short of the United Nations' projection.Populations in 23 countries, including Korea and Japan, are forecast to decline by more than half, with 34 countries, including China, expecting a drop of mo

Jul 16, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Korea's population to halve in 80 years: study
  • Childbirths drop 10.4% in April as population decline looms
  • INTERVIEW 'Korea's population outlook makes immigration talk inevitable'
Photo News

PHOTOS Colorful lotuses in full bloom

Lotuses are in full bloom at the Lotus Village in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, Wednesday. YonhapYonhapYonhapYonhapYonhap

Jul 15, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Colorful lotuses in full bloom [PHOTOS]
Law & Crime

Police reveal identity of another key suspect in 'Nth room' case

Police take Nam Kyung-eup to a van parked near Jongno Police Station in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoSo far, police have revealed the identities of six key suspects in the “Nth room” scandal. YonhapPolice have disclosed the identity of a man accused of being involved in running the notorious porn channels on the Telegram chat app.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Wednesday, Nam Kyung-eup, 29, was an accomplice of Cho Ju-bin, 24, who called himself “baksa (doctor).” Together, they operated chat rooms in which they sexually abused many women.“I'm sorry,” Nam told reporters as he was taken to a van parked near Jongno Police Station in Seoul. “I admit (the charges).”Nam was a paid-up member of Cho's channels before conspiring to find targets and coercing victims to have sex in front of cameras, police said.A seven-member police committee ― including a lawyer, a psychologist and a journalist ― decided to disclose Nam's identity Tuesday. He immediately filed for an injunction, which the court rejected Wednesday.So far

Jul 15, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Police reveal identity of another key suspect in 'Nth room' case
  • 'Digital Prison' reveals identities of child porn site operator and judges who released him
Health

Bug fear: 36,000 Incheon households told not to drink tap water

A larva-like insect found in Incheon's tap water. The city government has advised some 36,000 households not to drink the water until health officials confirm its safety. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoHealth authorities have advised some 36,000 households in Incheon not to drink tap water after residents reported that tiny bugs had been found in it.“So far, we have received 23 complaints in which residents say they found larva-like insects,” the Incheon city government said Tuesday. “For everyone's safety, we advise 36,000 households in Wnaggil, Dangha, Wondang and Majeon-dong not to drink water from the tap directly.”Citing Kim Wang-gyu, a researcher at the National Institute of Biological Resources, the city government said the bugs were found to be chironomus plumosus, also known as the buzzer midge, and there is “no evidence that they are harmful” to humans.But to ensure safety, inspectors have started investigating water tanks, pipes and the source of the water, it said.Until health officials confirm the water's safety, the city government said it plans

Jul 15, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Bug fear: 36,000 Incheon households told not to drink tap water
  • 'Reddish' tap water sparks health concerns in Incheon
Health

Busan to fine beachgoers for not wearing masks

Women covering their faces at Gwangalli Beach in Busan, July 8. Starting July 25, those who do not wear masks at the city's five most popular beaches will face fines of up to 3 million won. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoVisitors to some of Busan's most popular beaches will have to wear masks or face hefty fines.Starting July 25, the city's health officials will impose fines of up to 3 million won ($2,500) for those not wearing masks at five beaches ― Haeundae, Songjeong, Gwangalli, Dadaepo and Songdo ― as part of the efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.With the Haeundae District Office's own rule already in place, visitors to Haeundae could be fined from July 20.Also, eating and drinking on the beaches will be prohibited. Violators could face a fine of up to 3 million won.If anyone causes significant financial damage by violating the rules, the city government said it will demand reparation.Smaller beaches have been excluded from the measures. However, if the number of visitors increases significantly, they may also be included, the city government said.“We made the decision for the s

Jul 14, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Busan to fine beachgoers for not wearing masks
Photo News

PHOTOS Mourners say goodbye to late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon

A woman cries as she leaves the memorial altar for late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in Seoul, Sunday. Park, a strong contender for Korea's next president and a former human rights lawyer, took his own life Thursday, a day after he was accused of sexual harassment. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukKorea Times photo by Choi Won-sukKorea Times photo by Choi Won-sukA man bows as he pays tribute to late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at the memorial altar in Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukPeople pay tribute to late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at the memorial altar in Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Jul 12, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Mourners say goodbye to late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon [PHOTOS]
  • Deaths of two leaders left Korean society divided
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