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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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Health

Researchers in Australia discover anti-parasite drug can kill coronavirus

A colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), also known as novel coronavirus, isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH via ReutersBy Jung Min-hoResearchers in Australia have found that an anti-parasitic drug can kill COVID-19 in a lab.In a study published Friday, scientists at Monash University in Melbourne say one dose of Ivermectin, which is available around the world, was found to halt SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) from growing in cell culture within 48 hours.“We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it,” said study leader Kylie Wagstaff.She noted that the mechanism by which Ivermectin worked on the virus was unknown yet, but based on how it interacted with other viruses, the drug probably stopped the virus “dampening down” the

Apr 6, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Researchers in Australia discover anti-parasite drug can kill coronavirus
Society

Biggest full moon of 2020 on show Tuesday

The biggest and brightest full moon of the year will be visible from Tuesday evening (KST). Courtesy of Korea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteBy Jung Min-hoThe biggest and brightest full moon of the year is set to appear Tuesday (KST).According to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), the supermoon will be visible between Tuesday evening and dawn Wednesday before it reaches its maximum size at 11:35 a.m. Wednesday.A supermoon occurs when the moon moves closest to Earth in its elliptical orbit while in its “full” phase. This makes the moon look larger and brighter than usual.When the moon rises in the east Tuesday, it will be about 357,000 kilometers from Earth ― about 275,000 kilometers closer than the average distance.The supermoon will be about 14 percent larger than this year's smallest full moon, which is expected on Oct. 31, the KASI said.

Apr 6, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Biggest full moon of 2020 on show Tuesday
Health

Eight foreigners denied entry for refusing to follow self-isolation rule

Police officers in protective clothing wait for Koreans repatriated from Italy at Incheon International, April 1. AFPBy Jung Min-hoEight foreigners have been denied entry to Korea for refusing to comply with the country's mandatory self-isolation rule.The Ministry of Justice said Thursday that it returned eight foreigners to their countries after they refused to follow its coronavirus containment measure. The rule, which came into force April 1, requires all people arriving in Korea from overseas to quarantine themselves at their residences or government-designated facilities for 14 days.According to the ministry, the foreigners from six countries, including Kazakhstan, refused to follow the rule when they arrived at Incheon International Airport even after they were notified of it before leaving for Korea.Under the measure, those who do not have a place to stay here have to pay around 100,000 won ($82) for using the government-designated facilities. They also must install a mobile app that allows authorities to monitor their locations in real time.According to government data, 35 pe

Apr 2, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Eight foreigners denied entry for refusing to follow self-isolation rule
  • PM's ultimatum: 'No mercy for people caught ignoring self-isolation rules'
Companies

Korean budget carrier Eastar Jet to lay off 750 employees

Korean budget airline Eastar Jet plans to cut 750 jobs due to financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoEastar Jet, a Korean budget airline, plans to lay off 750 employees due to financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic.According to industry sources Thursday, the company plans to lay off 45 percent of its 1,680 workers ― to 930 ― to keep the business afloat amid the crisis.The company is also in talks to reduce its fleet by 10 planes to 13.“The plan has not been finalized,” a company official was quoted by Yonhap, a local news agency, as saying. “We are still in talks over the size of layoffs and severance pay.”Many people in the airline industry fear that this will only be the beginning of more job cuts, with the pandemic showing no signs of abating.Last month, Eastar Jet decided to suspend all domestic and international flights to minimize operating losses.

Apr 2, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Korean budget carrier Eastar Jet to lay off 750 employees
Global Community

Expats ask for universal basic income amid COVID-19 crisis

A man passes closed stores in Myeongdong, Seoul, March 17. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jung Min-hoForeign workers in Korea are asking for universal basic income amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying excluding them from access to the benefit would be a violation of the United Nations human rights treaty.More than 10,000 people have signed a petition urging the central and local governments to provide financial support to everyone, including all tax-paying foreign workers “who are also suffering” the economic fallout from the crisis.The petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website followed the Moon Jae-in government's decision to offer “emergency disaster relief money” to low and middle-income citizens in a stimulus program for the faltering economy.“Foreigners, such as married immigrants, permanent residents and ethnic Koreans who hold citizenship of other countries, have been excluded from the benefit of the anti-disaster basic income, although they pay taxes,” the petitioner wrote. “It is discrimination.”The petitioner urged the govern

Apr 2, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Expats ask for universal basic income amid COVID-19 crisis
  • Gyeonggi mulls giving universal basic income to foreign spouses, permanent residents
  • Gyeonggi to offer universal basic income to marriage immigrants, permanent residents
Health

'There will be light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel'

David Yonggi Cho, right, and Lee Young-hoon, two of the most influential Christian leaders in Korea and senior pastors of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, smile during a recent interview at the church office in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jung Min-hoThe challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic is not only medical but also profoundly spiritual.With many people around the world suffering from the disease, some may wonder: where is God's love in this?David Yonggi Cho and Lee Young-hoon, two of the most influential Christian leaders in Korea and senior pastors of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, do not know the answer. However, they say, what they know for sure is that “God will bring good out of this difficult time.”For the first time in its 62-year history, the church ― the country's largest with more than half a million members ― has closed buildings over the past month to help contain the virus and suspended plans for all international events this year.But Cho and Lee remain hopeful for the future and their visions during and after this plight. They encourage their m

Apr 1, 2020By Jung Min-ho
'There will be light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel'
  • Message of hope from two pastors at Yoido Full Gospel Church
  • INTERVIEW Yoido Full Gospel Church vows $84 million for people hurt by pandemic
Companies

SolGent to export COVID-19 detection kits to US

President Moon Jae-in speaks with representatives of Korean COVID-19 detection kit makers, including SolGent's co-CEO You Jae-hyung, left, at Seegen's office in southern Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoSolGent, a subsidiary of Korean genome sequencing company EDGC, will export its COVID-19 detection kits to the United States, where cases have been soaring over the past few weeks.SolGent told The Korea Times Thursday that it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with several U.S. states, including New York, California and Nevada, to sell its kits (DiaPlexQ) for 1 million tests.This comes two days after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Korean President Moon Jae-in during a phone conversation for supplies to help combat the disease. Trump then said he would help expedite the process of receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration for supply providers.The next day, Moon met representatives of five detection kit makers, including SolGent's co-CEO You Jae-hyung, to thank them for their R&D efforts, saying he was “grateful and proud” of them.SolGent's corona

Mar 26, 2020By Jung Min-ho
SolGent to export COVID-19 detection kits to US
Health

Teen confirmed to have COVID-19 after traveling around Jeju for five days

Airplanes are parked at Jeju International Airport on Jeju Island, March 24. A woman, 19, a Seoul resident, was confirmed to have COVID-19 after traveling around the island for five days. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA woman, 19, was confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 after traveling around Jeju Island for five days, authorities said Wednesday.According to the Jeju government, the woman and three other people, including her mother, arrived on Jeju March 20 and ― despite her coronavirus symptoms ― traveled around the island before being confirmed to have the disease at a Seoul health center on March 24.As a result, 38 people, who had been in close contact with her, are now under quarantine in their homes. Most of them are residents of Jeju, an island with a population of 670,000.Their movement information, which is available on the Jeju government website, shows they stayed at Hanwha Resort Jeju for the first two nights and at Haevichi Hotel and Resort Jeju for the other two. All places they visited have been disinfected.The patient, a college student in the United States, returned

Mar 26, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Teen confirmed to have COVID-19 after traveling around Jeju for five days
Trends

Deaths outnumber births in January

Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoKorea reported more deaths than births for the third consecutive month in January.According to Statistics Korea Wednesday, 28,471 people died last month, up 4 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the number of newborns decreased 11.6 percent to 26,818.The trend of more deaths than births started in November, with the government running out of policy ideas and ― now with the COVID-19 pandemic ― resources to boost the falling birth rate.Korea's total fertility rate ― the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime ― hit a record low of 0.92 in 2019, a further drop from 0.98 a year before. The level is the lowest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and far below the replacement level of 2.1, which the country needs to keep its population stable at 51 million.The trend is only expected to accelerate, with fewer couples tying the knot. Data shows that 239,200 couples married in 2019, down 7.1 percent from a year earlier.The agency said the number of deaths is expected to exceed that of births for all of t

Mar 26, 2020By Jung Min-ho
Deaths outnumber births in January
Law & Crime

College official suspended for flirting with 40 Chinese students after stealing phone numbers

YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA Korea University official has been suspended for flirting with 40 international students after allegedly stealing their phone numbers from a database.According to police and Korea University, the man is being investigated for allegedly violating the personal information protection law after sending KakaoTalk messages like “I had a crush on you” to 40 Chinese students for several days from March 16 ― the day he started working there.After receiving the messages, some students complained to the school, which reported the matter to police on March 20.A Korea University representative reportedly said the man has been suspended and will be fired eventually.

Mar 23, 2020By Jung Min-ho
College official suspended for flirting with 40 Chinese students after stealing phone numbers
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