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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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PHOTOS Preparing for baseball season opening amid pandemic

A health official sanitizes seats at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, Monday, a day before the start of the 2020 Korea Baseball Organization season. The original opening day of March 28 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. YonhapA health official sanitizes seats at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, Monday. YonhapA health worker wipes the floor at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, Monday. YonhapOfficials make a final check outside Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

May 4, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Preparing for baseball season opening amid pandemic [PHOTOS]
  • ESPN to air Korean baseball games
Law & Crime

Woman convicted for fighting off 'rapist' seeks retrial after 56 years

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoA woman convicted 56 years ago for biting off a man's tongue as she fought against his “attempt to rape” will request a retrial this week.According to Busan Women's Hot Line, a nonprofit women's rights group, Monday, Choi Mal-ja, 74, and her lawyers will file an application for retrial with Busan District Court Wednesday. She said she acted in self-defense and Korea's justice system at the time failed to recognize it.On May 4 in 1964, Choi, then 18, was arrested after injuring a man, 21, surnamed Roh, who was allegedly trying to rape her on a street. The next year, she was given a suspended prison sentence. She was devastated.During an investigation, she maintained her innocence and said she clearly acted in self-defense against the man, who was forcing his tongue in her mouth. But prosecutors rejected her claim, and charged him with blackmail among other offenses, but not rape.Speaking to the Hankyoreh, a local daily, Choi said she was detained for six months before the ruling and her father even paid Roh settlement money for a lighter senten

May 4, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Woman convicted for fighting off 'rapist' seeks retrial after 56 years
Global Community

Bucheon offers stimulus money to foreigners, including undocumented ones

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoThe Bucheon city government is offering stimulus money to foreigners, including undocumented ones, to help them cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.The ordinance passed by the city council on April 29 states marriage immigrants, permanent residents and all the other foreign residents recognized by the mayor as those in need of aid are eligible to receive 50,000 won ($41) each just like Korean residents.In early drafts, foreigners, except F-5 and F-6 visa holders, were excluded from the benefit. But councilor Jung Jae-hyun said undocumented foreigners should also be included. Among 33 other council members, 26 consented.“It is right to support all members of our community, including foreigners, as they financially struggle during the pandemic,” councilor Kim Dong-hee said in a statement.Beneficiaries of the city's policy can apply separately for stimulus money from the Gyeonggi provincial government.

May 4, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Bucheon offers stimulus money to foreigners, including undocumented ones
  • Gyeonggi to offer universal basic income to marriage immigrants, permanent residents
  • South Korea begins offering coronavirus relief funds
Law & Crime

Olympic star arrested for sexually assaulting teen

In this July 13, 2012, photo, Wang Ki-chun, right, competes in the men's under-73kg division. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoWang Ki-chun, one of the biggest Korean judo stars and an Olympic silver medalist, has been arrested on a charge of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, police said Sunday.According to the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, Wang, 31, was arrested Friday and faces an indictment for sexual assault. Police refused to reveal details of the case.Wang, who started judo in 1995, rose to stardom after taking a gold medal in the under-73kg division at the 2007 World Judo Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The next year ― despite a ribcage fracture ― he surprised the world by winning silver at the Beijing Olympics.After his retirement in 2016, Wang opened a judo gym named after him in Daegu; now there are six of them across the country.

May 3, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Olympic star arrested for sexually assaulting teen
Law & Crime

Parliament approves raising the age of consent to 16

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoKorea's legal age of consent is set to be raised to 16 from 13 after parliamentary approval.On Wednesday, the National Assembly passed revisions to the criminal law to better protect children under 16 from sexual exploitation.President Moon Jae-in is expected to sign it into law in two weeks.The age of consent is that at which a person is considered mature and competent enough to consent to sexual activity. An adult who engages in sexual acts with a person under the age could be charged with child sexual abuse or rape.Korea has long been criticized for keeping the legal benchmark too low. In Russia and Finland, it is 16; in California and Florida, it is 18.New law to criminalize watching illegally filmed sex videosThe set of bills passed that day includes punishing those who watch illegally filmed videos of sexual acts.Under the new sex crime act, people who possess, purchase, store or watch such videos can face up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 30 million won ($24,610).After the Nth room case came into the spotlight, calls have grown to to

May 3, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Parliament approves raising the age of consent to 16
  • Ruling party agrees to raise age of consent to 16 in fight against child sexual abuse
Health

PM urges Jeju officials to stay alert during long holiday weekend

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a meeting at the government complex in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has urged Jeju officials to stay alert for a possible new wave of coronavirus infections during the upcoming holiday weekend.“I have been told that plane and train tickets to major tourist attractions were almost sold out. I urge all officials on Jeju and Gangwon provinces to stay alert,” Chung said at Monday's meeting in the Seoul government complex. “The outcome would be seen as a litmus test of whether our society can handle this health crisis while maintaining normal activities of daily living.”Despite Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong's call for people to refrain from visiting the island, more than 170,000 visitors are expected to spend time there during the holiday from late April to early May, including Buddha's Birthday (Apr. 30), May Day (May 1), Children's Day (May 5) and a weekend in between.With the number of daily new cases hovering around 10 and social distancing eased, many people opt to enjoy their holida

Apr 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho
PM urges Jeju officials to stay alert during long holiday weekend
  • Jeju braces for surge in incoming holiday tourists amid easing pandemic restrictions
Law & Crime

Court to decide whether to extradite Korean operator of child porn site to US

An picture released by Britain's National Crime Agency in London on Oct. 16, 2019, shows a screen shot of "Welcome to Video." U.K. and U.S. authorities said the site contained 250,000 videos downloaded a million times by users across the world. AFPBy Jung Min-hoA Seoul court will decide whether to extradite the operator of a notorious child porn website to the United States by the end of June.The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office said Monday that it has arrested Son Jong-woo, 24, who was released that day after serving 18 months in prison for operating “Welcome to Video,” which was called the world's “largest dark web child porn marketplace.”In three days, the prosecution will ask the Seoul High Court to review whether he should be extradited to the U.S, where a federal grand jury has indicted him on charges of advertising and distributing child porn among others. The court must then make a decision within two months.The move follows a U.S. Department of Justice extradition request last year.Between June 2015 and March 2018, Son operated the site on the dark web,

Apr 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Court to decide whether to extradite Korean operator of child porn site to US
Health

Petition demanding resignation of WHO chief gathers more than 1 million signatures

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland. ReutersBy Jung Min-hoA petition demanding the immediate resignation of World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic has gathered more than 1 million signatures.The petition, initiated by a person using the ID “Osuka Yip” on Jan. 31, blames Tedros' poor leadership for the wide spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 200,000 people and infected nearly 3 million around the world.How and when exactly the virus infected the first person, most likely by making a jump from a wild animal, in the Chinese city of Wuhan is still unclear. But when the threat was brought to the attention of Chinese authorities in December and then of the world, Tedros hesitated to declare a global health emergency ― until Jan. 31.His belated decision has drawn criticism, particularly from U.S. politicians. President Donald Trump accused the WHO of failing its basic duty and suspended the U.S. contribution on Apr

Apr 27, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Petition demanding resignation of WHO chief gathers more than 1 million signatures
Global Community

Korea to grant visa for heroic Kazakh man who saved people from blaze

By Jung Min-hoAli, the undocumented hero from Kazakhstan / YonhapThe government will grant a G-1 visa for the heroic Kazakh man who risked his life to rescue people from a burning building in Gangwon Province last month.According to the Ministry of Justice Thursday, the Korea Immigration Service is completing the paperwork to give the visa for the man, 28, identified only by his given name Ali, whose bravery saved 10 people from a burning apartment at a town in Yangyang County on March 23.He was scheduled to be deported after his illegal status came to light.The visa will allow him to continue to receive treatment at a hospital in Seoul.Ali suffered burns to his back, neck and hands while trying to rescue his neighbors. Unfortunately, a woman on the second floor died after inhaling too much toxic smoke.The immigration office also said it would consider granting Ali permanent residency. On the Cheong Wa Dae website, a petition calling for the government to offer the permanent right to stay here has gathered more than 22,000 signatures.In a similar case, the government awarded permanen

Apr 24, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Korea to grant visa for heroic Kazakh man who saved people from blaze
  • Undocumented hero: Koreans urge gov't not to deport Kazakh man who saved people from burning building
Law & Crime

Ruling party agrees to raise age of consent to 16 in fight against child sexual abuse

GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday vowed to raise the age of consent to 16 from 13 in its fight against child sexual abuse.The move comes a week after the Ministry of Justice said a 13-year-old is not mature enough to consent to sexual acts and that the age should be raised to 16.At a high-level meeting at the National Assembly, the two sides agreed to cooperate to push for parliamentary passage of relevant bills before the end of May.The age of consent is that at which a person is legally considered old enough and competent enough to consent to sexual activity. An adult who engages in sexual activity with a person under the age could be charged with child sexual abuse or rape.Korea has long been criticized for keeping the legal benchmark too low. It is one of few major countries where adults can engage in sexual activity with 13-year-olds, as long as it is “consensual.” In Finland and New Zealand, the benchmark is 16; in California, it is 18.

Apr 23, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Ruling party agrees to raise age of consent to 16 in fight against child sexual abuse
  • Gov't pushes to raise consent age to 16 from 13 in fight against sexual exploitation
  • Parliament approves raising the age of consent to 16
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