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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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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]
Photo News

PHOTOS Hugs, tears of joy after end of Wuhan lockdown

Medical workers hug at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport after travel restrictions on leaving Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province and China's epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, were lifted on April 8. ReutersA medical staff member from Jilin Province, right, cries while hugging a nurse from Wuhan after working together during the COVID-19 outbreak in the city, as the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is reopened in China's central Hubei Province on April 8. AFPMedical staff from Jilin Province (in red) hug nurses from Wuhan after working together during the COVID-19 outbreak, before leaving from the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in China's central Hubei Province on April 8. AFPA medical worker from China's Jilin Province (in red) embraces a colleague from Wuhan as she prepares to return home from Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport, in central China's Hubei Province, on April 8. AP

Apr 8, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Hugs, tears of joy after end of Wuhan lockdown [PHOTOS]
Companies

Scam alert: Beware of fake Korean masks

A KF94 face mask from Korean company Hansong, right, and the fake one with the same packaging / Korea TimesBy Jung Min-hoWatch out for scammers who are trying to rip you off with fake Korean masks.According to the Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times, scammers in Southeast Asia are selling fake Korean masks at a time when good-quality masks are difficult to find because of the COVID-19 pandemic.On the surface, it may look just like a famous Korean product with a KF94 filter ― but what's inside is not the same.“I have heard that some Chinese mask makers are trying to make a fortune by capitalizing on Korea's brand value,” a source told the paper. “Some people may just buy their fake products ― even though they know they are fake ― because they can make a lot of money (by reselling them).”The Korean government has strictly restricted mask exports since Feb. 26 to ensure sufficient domestic supply.Korean mask makers worry that such masks will undermine foreign customers' trust in Korea and Korean products in general.“I was expecting surges in deman

Apr 8, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Scam alert: Beware of fake Korean masks
Politics

Gov't considers temporarily lifting coronavirus self-isolation rules on poll day

Candidates' election posters on display in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe government is considering temporarily lifting coronavirus self-isolation measures on voting day.The National Election Commission (NEC) said Tuesday it has been talks with relevant ministries to make it possible for those who are quarantining themselves because of COVID-19 to vote in parliamentary elections on April 15.One option the NEC is considering is allowing those subject to the measures to leave their homes to vote at certain times of the day to minimize their exposure to others.In an effort to help contain the virus, the government has imposed a two-week self-isolation for all arrivals from overseas since April 1.During Sunday's KBS radio program, NEC Secretary General Park Young-soo said the people's right to health is as important as their right to vote and he is still collecting opinions.The NEC has also asked voters to wear masks when they visit polling stations and have their temperatures checked before casting their ballots.

Apr 8, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Gov't considers temporarily lifting coronavirus self-isolation rules on poll day
  • Early voting to begin Friday
  • Unfazed by virus scare, Koreans hit polls as early voting begins
Health

Korea deports Taiwanese woman for refusing to stay at quarantine facility

People wearing protective clothing sit on a bench at Incheon International Airport, Monday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoKorea has deported a Taiwanese woman for refusing to stay at a quarantine facility.According to the Ministry of Justice Monday, the woman, whose identity is being withheld, was deported late on Sunday after refusing to pay for a government-designated quarantine facility.This is the first time the government has deported a foreigner for violating the self-isolation rule over the COVID-19 pandemic, although there have been some cases in which foreigners were denied entry.In an effort to help contain the coronavirus, the government has imposed mandatory two-week self-isolation for all arrivals from overseas since Wednesday.Those subject to the rule must stay in their homes or the facilities. Daily expenses for staying at the facilities are about 100,000 won ($81).The woman, who arrived at Incheon International Airport Thursday, initially agreed to stay at the facility, but later refused to pay, the ministry said.As of Monday afternoon, the virus has infected 10,284 people and

Apr 6, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Korea deports Taiwanese woman for refusing to stay at quarantine facility
  • 'Game is not over yet': public warned of lowering guard against COVID-19
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