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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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North Korea

CNN: North Korean leader 'in grave danger' after surgery

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un “is in grave danger” after undergoing surgery, according to CNN Tuesday (KST).CNN reported that Kim's condition is being monitored by U.S. intelligence officials after the recent cardiovascular operation.The report came after a Seoul-based internet news outlet said that Kim has been receiving medical treatment at a villa in the resort county of Hyangsan, outside of Pyongyang, after the surgery.Speculation abound after Kim skipped the annual celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15. Some observers said he did so due to coronavirus concerns.Kim last appeared in North Korean state media on April 11.

Apr 21, 2020By Jung Min-ho
CNN: North Korean leader 'in grave danger' after surgery
  • No unusual signs about North Korean leader's health: South Korean gov't
Politics

National Assembly speaker to return 30% of salary in solidarity with those hit by COVID-19

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang. / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoTop-ranking officials at the National Assembly, including Speaker Moon Hee-sang, will return 30 percent of their salaries to show solidarity with those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.The National Assembly Secretariat said Friday that Moon will donate 30 percent of his salary for April and May ― about 9.6 million won ($7,900) excluding special activity expenses ― “to share the burden of those who are suffering from the coronavirus.”Seven ministers and vice minister-level officials have promised to do the same for four months from April.The secretariat said it was still deciding how to use the money.Their decisions come a month after President Moon Jae-in and his Cabinet members decided to return 30 percent of their salaries over the next four months to help fund efforts to battle the disease.

Apr 19, 2020By Jung Min-ho
National Assembly speaker to return 30% of salary in solidarity with those hit by COVID-19
Defense

US Forces Korea lifts Daegu travel ban after two months

A solder from the Republic of Korea Army 50th Infantry Division disinfects a church in Daegu, Thursday. U.S. Forces Korea has lifted its travel ban on Daegu after the city successfully brought the COVID-19 outbreak under control. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoU.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has lifted its travel ban on Daegu, once a COVID-19 hotbed in Korea, after the city successfully brought the situation under control.“Due to the hard work of the City of Daegu, USAG Daegu and the 19th ESC, the USFK Commander has declared the Daegu area is no longer a Hot Spot off-limits area, effective 15 April 2020 at 4:00 PM. Current HPCON measures and local restrictions still apply,” USFK said on Facebook Thursday (KST).On Feb. 20, USFK banned its personnel from traveling to and from Daegu over virus concerns.After reporting its first case on Feb. 18, the city struggled with a surging number of patients, with daily new cases reaching a peak at 741 on Feb. 29. But with strict quarantine measures, the number started to decease and, on April 10, Daegu declared no additional infections for the first tim

Apr 16, 2020By Jung Min-ho
US Forces Korea lifts Daegu travel ban after two months
Health

Korea proves elections can be safely held despite pandemic

A health official disinfects a polling station at Chungwoon Elementary School in Seoul, Tuesday, a day before the parliamentary elections. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Jung Min-hoWhile many countries are still under some form of movement restriction to slow the spread of COVID-19, Korea has proved that elections can be safely held despite the global pandemic.For three days ― April 10, 11 and 15 ― 29,128,040 people, or 66.2 percent of eligible voters, cast their ballots across the country. Meanwhile, daily new virus cases remained under 50.To protect public health and democracy at the same time, the government devised measures including instructing voters to wear masks and stand at least one meter apart while waiting. They were also asked to have their temperatures checked and put on plastic gloves before voting. So far, there has been no report of infection from polling stations.This is even more surprising given that people who had been ordered to isolate themselves over virus concerns were not excluded from voting if they showed no symptoms, and about 13,000 of them indeed e

Apr 16, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Korea proves elections can be safely held despite pandemic
Photo News

PHOTOS Parties react to exit polls

Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea applaud at National Assembly, Wednesday, after exit polls predicted the party's landslide win in the general election. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulMain opposition United Future Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, center, closes his eyes at National Assembly, Wednesday, after exit polls predicted the party's big loss in the general election. YonhapMinor opposition Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jeong, second from right, touches her face at National Assembly, Wednesday, after election exit polls predicted disappointing results for the party. YonhapMembers of the minor opposition People's Party watch exit poll results at National Assembly, Wednesday. YonhapSohn Hak-kyu, chief of the minor opposition Party for People's Livelihoods, reacts at National Assembly, Wednesday, after exit polls predicted disappointing results for the party. Yonhap

Apr 15, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Parties react to exit polls [PHOTOS]
  • PHOTOS Election day: Changing scenes at polling stations amid coronavirus
Politics

Election campaign leader defends North Korean defector who became millionaire in South Korea

Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean defector who is running for a parliamentary seat in South Korea, speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 3. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoThe main opposition party's election campaign leader has defended Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat and defector, after the ruling party attacked him for his privileged life ahead of Wednesday's general elections.“Thae has accumulated his wealth through lawful means; he gave many lectures and wrote a book that became a bestseller,” Park Hyung-joon, co-chair of the conservative United Future Party's election campaign committee, said during CBS radio's “Kim Hyun-jung's News Show” on Tuesday.“This shows the stark contrast between South and North Korea. In the South, you can work hard to have property.”Thae, 57, who was North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, defected to the South with his wife and two sons in 2016. He is now standing for election in Gangnam, one of the nation's richest constituencies, against Kim Sung-gon, a four-term lawmaker f

Apr 14, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Election campaign leader defends North Korean defector who became millionaire in South Korea
Health

China censors research on coronavirus origins

A security guard wearing a facemask amid the concerns over COVID-19 closes a gate outside the Forbidden City in Beijing on April 12, 2020. AFPBy Jung Min-hoChina's government censors research on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far killed nearly 120,000 people around the world.According to a cached version of the notice from China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, where COVID-19 was first reported in December, all studies now must be approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology before publication.“Academic papers on the traceability of the new coronavirus must be reviewed by the academic committee of the school before publication, focusing on the authenticity of the paper and whether it is suitable for publication,” the notice says.“After the review is passed, the school reports to the Ministry of Science and Technology, and can only be published after the review by the Ministry of Science and Technology.”Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian speaks at the daily media briefing in Beijing on April 8, 2020. AFPThe move follo

Apr 14, 2020By Jung Min-ho
China censors research on coronavirus origins
Global Community

Gov't extends visas for 18,000 foreign workers amid COVID-19 pandemic

A person wearing protective clothing exchanges currency at Incheon International Airport on March 26. Employers say they are struggling to replace foreign workers. Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jung Min-hoThe government has extended visas for more than 18,000 foreign workers as employers here are struggling to replace them due to the coronavirus pandemic.The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Tuesday that the 50-day extension will apply to 18,508 foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) ― most in labor-intensive industries ― whose visas are set to expire in three months.With many countries strengthening border restrictions over COVID-19 fears, employers say they are struggling to replace foreign workers whose visas are expiring soon. Among 16 countries that signed up for the EPS, nine have suspended the program as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.“It is a necessary measure for employers and foreign workers alike as the pandemic makes it difficult for everyone to travel between countries,” Minister Lee Jae-gap said in a statement. &

Apr 14, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Gov't extends visas for 18,000 foreign workers amid COVID-19 pandemic
Law & Crime

Doctor jailed for killing baby who 'burst out crying' during abortion

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoAn obstetrician has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for killing a baby who “burst out crying” during abortion procedures.The Seoul Central District Court on Friday convicted the doctor, 65, surnamed Yun, of killing a 34-week-old baby and suspended Yun's medical license for three years.“Medical staff who participated in the operation have consistently said they heard the baby crying,” a three-judge panel of the court said in a statement. “It is clear that the doctor killed the baby, who was born alive.”Yun, who ran a maternity clinic in Seoul, received 28 million won ($23,000) for the operation from the mother of a pregnant girl, 16. Yun was later indicted on murder charges for putting the live baby in a bucket of water.Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled that the law banning abortion was unconstitutional and demanded the National Assembly revise it by the end of 2020.The court ruled that abortion before 22 weeks of pregnancy should be decriminalized, saying women's rights to self-determinati

Apr 10, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Doctor jailed for killing baby who 'burst out crying' during abortion
Photo News

PHOTOS School resumes classes without students

A teacher wearing a mask gives a lecture via online in an empty classroom at Seoul Girls High School in Seoul, Thursday, the first day of the new semester during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an unprecedented plan, middle schools and high schools in Korea have opened online as students stay home to avoid the coronavirus. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulA teacher gives a lecture via online in an empty classroom at Seoul Girls High School, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulA blackboard remains unused in an empty classroom at Seoul Girls High School, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulA teacher walks along an empty hallway at Seoul Girls High School, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulTwo teachers wearing masks walk in an empty hallway at Seoul Girls High School, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Apr 9, 2020By Jung Min-ho
School resumes classes without students [PHOTOS]
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