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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

North Korean leader visiting Vietnam till March 2

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrives at the railway station in Vietnam's Dong Dang on Tuesday to attend the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi. AFPBy Jung Min-hoNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un will stay in Vietnam for two extra days for a goodwill visit after his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the North's state media, KCNA, Wednesday.“Kim will meet with Trump for their historic second summit on Feb. 27-28. And then he will conduct a goodwill visit to Vietnam on March 1-2,” KCNA said.The KCNA previously reported that Kim was planning to pay an official visit to North Korea's critical Southeast Asian ally, where the “leaders of the two countries will have a meeting and talks.”During his visit to the North Korean embassy in Hanoi Tuesday, Kim told staff to strengthen bilateral ties.North Korea and Vietnam established formal diplomatic relations in 1950.During the Vietnam War, North Korea provided military supplies and deployed its air force to North Vietnam, which was led by Ho Chi Minh. Since then, relations have had their ups and

Feb 27, 2019By Jung Min-ho
North Korean leader visiting Vietnam till March 2
North Korea

FULL TEXT White House: Trump committed to achieving peace for everyone

The White House. gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoAhead of U.S. President Donald Trump's two-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, the White House said in a statement that Trump is fully committed to achieving a “bright and secure future” for everyone on the Korean Peninsula and across the world.Here is the full text of the statement:President Trump Is Committed to Achieving Transformational Peace for the United States, the Korean Peninsula, and the World“As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula.”A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY: President Donald J. Trump is committed to achieving a bright and secure future for all people on the Korean Peninsula and across the world.On February 27 and 28, 2019, President Donald J. Trump will meet with Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Chairman Kim Jong Un for a second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.This summit aims to make further progress on the commitments the two leaders made in Singapore: transformed relations, a lasting and stable peace, and the complete

Feb 27, 2019By Jung Min-ho
White House: Trump committed to achieving peace for everyone [FULL TEXT]
  • US demanded North Korea to rejoin NPT: sources
  • Sanders praises Trump for North Korea peace efforts
Economy

Warren Buffett: Bitcoin is a 'delusion'

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett is no fan of cryptocurrencies. / APBy Jung Min-hoBillionaire investor Warren Buffett has branded bitcoin, the world's most popular cryptocurrency, a delusion that attracts scammers.“Bitcoin has no unique value at all,” Buffett said during a CNBC interview on Feb. 25. “It is a delusion, basically.”Buffett told his interviewer that he had not changed his negative view on cryptocurrencies in general.“It attracts charlatans,” he said. “If you do something phony by going out and selling yo-yos or something, there's no money in it ― but when you get into Wall Street, there's huge money.”Buffett is one of the famous vocal cryptocurrency critics. “Mirage,” “tulips” and “probably rat poison squared” are among the descriptors he has used for bitcoin.Bitcoin has lost more than 80 percent of its value since reaching a high near $20,000 at the end of 2017. On Feb. 26, it was worth $3,842 a coin, according to Coin Market Cap, a popular data source for price changes

Feb 26, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Warren Buffett: Bitcoin is a 'delusion'
  • 'Cryptocurrency fantasy is over'
North Korea

Train trip to Vietnam no longer pipe dream for South Koreans

Kim Jong-un boards a train in Pyongyang for his trip to Vietnam. South Koreans are excited about the possibility of being able to travel to other countries by train. APBy Jung Min-hoFacing a belligerent regime in the north for decades, South Koreans have become so used to the belief that ― like people living on an island ― traveling overseas almost always requires air tickets.So when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced earlier this month that he would take a train to Vietnam for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi on Feb. 27 and 28, they were pleasantly surprised.The news reminded South Koreans that Korea is part of the Asian continent and, if the North opens its railways to them, they too can go to Vietnam or even Britain by train.South Korea has resources to build world-class high-speed trains and railways, and its people have purchasing power and interest in overseas travel. With Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in already cooperating to connect railways along the eastern and western Korean Peninsula, the dream of connecting South Korea with th

Feb 26, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Train trip to Vietnam no longer pipe dream for South Koreans
Law & Crime

Korean Air 'nut rage' heiress probed over alleged attacks on husband

Cho Hyun-ah (Heather Cho) / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoInjuries allegedly caused by Cho's violence / Courtesy of Cho's husbandCho Hyun-ah, 44, the Korean Air heiress who made headlines around the world for the 2014 “nut rage” incident, is being investigated for allegedly attacking her husband during divorce proceedings.The Suseo Police Station in Seoul said Saturday that investigators started analyzing evidence provided by her husband, surnamed Park, 45, who claims Cho's abusive behavior against him and five-year-old twin sons destroyed their marriage.In a recently released video, Cho shouts “Die! Die!” at Park, who told investigators his wife repeatedly “strangled him” and threw a tablet PC at him, which seriously injured his toe.On Feb. 20, Park said he was preparing for a long legal battle.“I thought it would be better to put up with it, but when my child asked me, 'Dad, would you protect me?,' I was able to get up the nerve (to fight),” he wrote on Facebook. “I'm afraid of standing up to a chaebol family, but as a father, I will prot

Feb 24, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Korean Air 'nut rage' heiress probed over alleged attacks on husband
Tech & Science

Advertisers boycott YouTube over pedophile network

Nestle and others major companies have suspended their YouTube ads over news of a pedophile network on the global video-sharing platform. gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoDisney, Nestle, Epic Games and other major brands have pulled their ads from YouTube after reports of a pedophile network rampant in the comments of many videos.The companies reportedly made the decision after YouTube creator Matt Watson posted a video on Feb. 17 to criticize YouTube, owned by Google, for ignoring pedophiles' exploitation of videos of young children, mostly girls, doing, for example, gymnastics or showing bare legs.Such videos are often filled with all kinds of lewd remarks directed at the children.A Nestle spokesperson confirmed that “all Nestle companies in the U.S. have paused advertising on YouTube.”A spokesperson from Epic said: “We have paused all pre-roll advertising … Through our advertising agency, we have reached out to Google/YouTube to determine actions they'll take to eliminate this type of content from their service.”Watson, also known as MattsWhatItIs, accus

Feb 21, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Advertisers boycott YouTube over pedophile network
  • YouTube fake news rampant in Korea
Law & Crime

Women under probe after fighting back against alleged rapist

A woman who attacked a man who allegedly raped her may be indicted on assault charges. gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoA woman is being investigated for allegedly wounding a man with a knife after she realized that he “raped” her while she slept.The Gwangju Seobu Police Station said Wednesday that it is investigating whether her attack was necessary. The man, 36, has also been questioned for the alleged crime.According to police, the two drank at his place in western Gwangju on Feb. 15. But after she fell asleep, he allegedly raped her, which woke her up. In anger, she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and attacked him. Police said his injuries are minor.Police did not release her immediately because they thought her attack, which did not occur during his alleged rape attempt, may not be covered by Korea's self-defense law, which is notorious for its lack of flexibility for defenders.Under the law, people are allowed to use force to “prevent unjust infringement of one's or another person's legal interest,” as long as there are reasonable grounds for that act and t

Feb 21, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Women under probe after fighting back against alleged rapist
  • Korea's self-defense law - nothing but a name
Companies

Future uncertain for Sealy Korea amid radon fears

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission is expected to fine Sealy Korea after completing its inspection. Screengrab of Sealy Korea's websiteBy Jung Min-hoThe future of Sealy, a global bedding maker, remains uncertain in Korea after some of its mattresses were found to emit excessive levels of a cancer-causing gas.A similar case several months ago has pushed local company Daijin Bed to the brink of bankruptcy.On Feb. 13, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) ordered the U.S. company to recall 357 mattresses of six models ― produced between January 2014 and November 2016 ― after finding they were contaminated with the radioactive gas radon.The models are Majesty Deluxe, Cygnus, Pegasus, Veloce, Hospitality Euro Top and Violet.Following the decision, Sealy recalled about 500 mattresses of nine models (Canna, Morendo and Allegro added) on Feb. 14.Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. According to the World Health Organization, it is the biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking. Studies in Europe, North America and China have confirmed that even l

Feb 21, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Future uncertain for Sealy Korea amid radon fears
Foreign Affairs

Family demands truth behind Korean man's mystery death in Indonesia

Family members of a Korean man who died in Indonesia have demanded a thorough investigation. gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoIt was a mysterious death.A Korean man, 54, surnamed Oh, a veteran employee of Korea East-West Power (EWP), a subsidiary of the Korea Electronic Power Corp., was found dead on Jan. 21 at his home in the southern region of Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo.When police arrived, a wire was wrapped around his neck, his body was covered with stab wounds and bruises, and there were blood-stained footprints. So it was no wonder his family was dumbfounded when police concluded that there were no signs of anyone having broken in and the man died of suffocation ― without telling them what caused him to choke in the first place.Now his wife and two daughters fear they will never know how he died.“All of his family members are concerned whether local police are properly investigating the case,” Oh's niece said in a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website, which has garnered more than 9,500 signatures.“Meanwhile, officials at the Korean Embassy in Jakar

Feb 20, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Family demands truth behind Korean man's mystery death in Indonesia
Health

Lawmaker proposes bill to ban smoking while walking

A lawmaker has proposed a new bill to ban smoking while walking to protect pedestrians from secondhand cigarette smoke. Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoSmoking while walking would be banned in Korea if a new bill passes into law.Rep. Hwang Ju-hong of the minor liberal Party for Democracy and Peace proposed a bill early this month to ban smoking on virtually all public roads and walkways.If the National Assembly passes the bill, violators would be fined 100,000 won ($90).“Non-smokers are often exposed to tobacco smoke because of some inconsiderate smokers,” Hwang said. “Public opinion is in favor of banning smoking while walking.” Korea has already banned smoking in most restaurants, offices and public venues such as parks.Smokers opposed to the bill complain that there are not enough smoking rooms. According to the Seoul Institute's study in 2017, the number of public smoking rooms in the city with a population of 10 million people was only 10,000.

Feb 20, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Lawmaker proposes bill to ban smoking while walking
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