Photo News
PHOTOS Snow on first day of 2020
Snow covers Mt. Gwangdeok in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, Jan. 1, 2020. YonhapYonhapYonhapYonhapYonhap
Jan 1, 2020
![Snow on first day of 2020 [PHOTOS]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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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Law & Crime
Too young to prosecute? A fifth grader will not face trial after stabbing peer to death
The minimum age of criminal responsibility in Korea is 14. GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoHow young is too young to be prosecuted? In Korea, that legal threshold is 14 years old. But after a series of horrendous crimes committed by minors in recent years, there have been growing calls for change.The latest controversy erupted last week when a fifth grader was found to have stabbed a peer to death at her grandparents' home in revenge for “badmouthing” her and her family.The attacker, who “was removing blood stains” at the crime scene when police arrived, later confessed to the killing and trying to cover it up.Because she is under 14, she will not face trial. Instead, she was sent to a juvenile review center, where she will stay for about a month for medical observation.Shocked by the news, hundreds of people have signed online petitions urging authorities to toughen laws against minors' crimes.Data from the National Police Agency show that 7,364 people under 14 were sent to juvenile institutions last year, up 12.4 percent from 2015. Four crimes ― murder, robbery
Dec 31, 2019
Films
'Parasite' among Obama's favorite films of 2019
Former U.S. President Barack Obama. / AP"Parasite" won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoFormer U.S. President Barack Obama has named “Parasite” among his favorite films this year.Obama unveiled his favorite movies and TV shows of 2019 on Facebook, Sunday (local time), a day after he posted his favorite books.“This year's list includes everything from explorations of class dynamics and relationships, to an inspired reboot of a classic graphic novel, to a portal back to one of the most special places in history ― an Aretha Franklin concert,” he wrote.“Of course, there's also 'American Factory', a film from our own production company, Higher Ground, that was recently shortlisted for an Oscar. It's our first offering in partnership with Netflix, and I'm excited about the other projects we've got in the works.”“Parasite,” a Korean black comedy thriller, won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong amo
Dec 30, 2019
Society
Korea's minimum wage increase to take effect Wednesday
The 2020 minimum wage will be 8,590 won an hour. GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoKorea's minimum wage increase will go into effect on Wednesday (Jan. 1).Next year's minimum wage will be 8,590 won ($7.4) an hour, up from 8,350 won.In July, the Minimum Wage Commission, made up of experts and representatives of labor and business, decided to raise the minimum wage by 2.87 percent.According to the commission, the new minimum wage is expected to affect more than 1.37 million workers across the country.The government hopes the increase will improve the lives of people struggling with high and ever-increasing living costs.Raising minimum could backfire for workers, some argueThe Moon Jae-in administration aims to boost the economy by increasing disposable workers' income, one of the key policies of his income-driven growth strategy.But the idea has brought a strong backlash from small business owners, who say they have no choice but to hire fewer workers to stay afloat. After raising the minimum wage rapidly in his first two years ― by 16.4 percent for 2018 and 10.9 percent for 2019 ― the gove
Dec 30, 2019
Society
Cold snap expected tomorrow
A man wearing a winter jacket walks in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Friday. A cold snap is forecast to hit Korea Tuesday, the last day of 2019. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA cold snap is expected to grip Korea Tuesday, the last day of 2019.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, temperatures will plummet to -10C in Seoul in early morning. In the afternoon, temperatures are forecast to rise by up to -3C, but stay below freezing throughout the day.Temperatures in most big cities, including Incheon, Jeonju, Busan and Mokpo, are expected to fall below freezing in the morning. Strong winds are also expected across the country.The weather agency has advised drivers to take extra care.
Dec 30, 2019
Law & Crime
Photos of murder suspect who 'destroyed' Korean family in Vietnam revealed
The suspect wears a mask, a light blue shirt and jeans. His nationality is unclear. Courtesy of Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh CityBy Jung Min-hoPhotos of the primary suspect who allegedly killed a Korean woman and seriously wounded her husband and daughter in Ho Chi Minh City have been released.The Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times, reported Monday that Vietnam's officials released the photos of the man, who allegedly stabbed the woman, 49, to death and injured her husband, 50, and daughter, 16, at their home in Phu My Hung early Saturday morning.“Vietnamese authorities gave us his photos and asked us to help find the man. They seem to be determined to solve the case as soon as possible,” said an official at the Korean Consulate General in the city.Surveillance camera footage shows the man wearing a mask, a light blue shirt and jeans. His nationality is unclear.The suspect is possibly Korean. But, a person who spoke with the husband after the tragedy said the suspect “spoke awkward English.”Forensic officials performed an autopsy on the w
Dec 24, 2019
Photo News
PHOTOS Korea Times blogger day
Robert Neff, fifth from left, freelance writer and historian specializing in Korea, poses with Korea Times President Lee Byeong-eon, sixth from left, and other members of the paper after receiving an appreciation plaque for his contribution at the office in Seoul, Monday. Neff, author of several books including "Korea Through Western Eyes" and "The Lives of Westerners in Joseon Korea," has contributed to the blogger section of "About the past" over the past two years with interesting stories and photos mostly about Korean history during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minKorea Times contributors, including Neff, Andrew Salmon, left, Rachel Stine, sixth from left, David Tizzard, eighth from left, and Casey Lartigue Jr., pose at a restaurant near the office in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min
Dec 23, 2019
Law & Crime
Korean woman killed, husband and daughter seriously injured in Vietnam robbery
Ambulances at the hospital where the Korean victims received surgery in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday. Korea Times photo by Jung Min-seungBy Jung Min-hoA Korean woman has been stabbed to death and her husband and daughter seriously injured in a robbery in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial hub.According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sunday, an armed man who broke into their home in Phu My Hung, an affluent area in District 7, on Saturday at around 2 a.m. killed the woman, 49, and wounded her husband, 50, surnamed Yoon, and their daughter, 16.Neighbors and construction workers nearby heard their screams and called police.Yoon and the daughter were taken to a nearby hospital where they underwent surgery.Their son, 11, who was there at the time, was unhurt.According to the Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and local media reports, the man was wearing a mask and a hoodie. He fled in a car, which police found in a field 10 kilometers away two hours later.After checking surveillance cameras in the area, investigators are hunting for the suspect, the Korean Consulate Gene
Dec 22, 2019
Society
Large sinkhole appears in Goyang
A sinkhole appears in the middle of a road at Baekseok-dong in Goyang, Saturday. YonhapYonhapBy Jung Min-hoA large sinkhole has opened up in the middle of a road in Goyang, swallowing the pavement and disrupting construction work nearby.A big chunk of the roadway near the Almi Park in Baekseok-dong collapsed on Sunday around 2:30 p.m., leaving a hole five meters wide and one meter deep, according to city government officials.It was the fourth sinkhole in the area after three others appeared in 2017.No casualties were reported.Officials immediately blocked the road. They said construction of a 15-story complex next to the hole might have been the cause.
Dec 22, 2019
Law & Crime
Korean man arrested for killing girlfriend in Philippines: reports
A Korean man has been arrested in the Philippines on charges of killing his Korean girlfriend there. GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoA Korean man has been arrested on charges of killing his Korean girlfriend at their home in the City of Angeles in the northern Philippines.According to media reports Thursday, the man, 25, surnamed Hwang, was arrested for allegedly killing his live-in partner, 23, surnamed Lim, at their residence near Marquee Mall.When police found her body in the bathroom on Dec. 15, it was wrapped in a bed sheet and had several stab wounds. They also found blood stains on the floor. The victim was thought to have been killed “seven to 10 days ago,” they said.According to police Colonel Joyce Patrick Sangalang, surveillance camera footage shows that she entered the building at 6:05 a.m. on Dec. 1.Local police said they are working with the Korean Embassy to notify the families of the man and the victim in Korea.
Dec 19, 2019