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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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Global Community

Labor ministry vows to end ‘greenhouse dorms’ after ruling on migrant worker’s death

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has apologized to the family of a Cambodian migrant worker who died after living in a makeshift “greenhouse dormitory” and vowed to reinforce protections for foreign workers, following a Supreme Court ruling that found the government liable. In a statement issued Thursday after the decision, the ministry said it respects the ruling of the Supreme Court and promised to help swiftly proceed with compensation procedures for the bereaved family of Nuon Sokkheng. Earlier that day, Supreme Court justices upheld the verdict of a lower court, which ordered the government to pay 10 million won ($7,000) to each of her parents after recognizing its failure in properly overseeing the living conditions of her workplace. Sokkheng entered Korea as a migrant worker and was staying in a makeshift vinyl greenhouse structure used as her accommodation near a vegetable farm in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The 30-year-old was found dead in the structure on Dec. 20, 2020, as temperatures plummeted far below freezing. The police autopsy found that she died from complicati

Jan 30, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Labor ministry vows to end ‘greenhouse dorms’ after ruling on migrant worker’s death
Global Community

Dormitory controversy exposes campus tensions over foreign student prioritization

Days after Jeonbuk National University scrapped a plan to convert its largest dormitory into a building reserved for international students, tensions have subsided. But the proposal has sparked protests by Korean students and raised concerns that similar conflicts could emerge at other campuses. Earlier this month, the school announced that its 1,812-bed dormitory, which accounts for more than 37 percent of total housing capacity, would be reserved exclusively for international students starting in the spring semester. According to the student council, the move would have forced thousands of Korean students to compete for barely two-thirds of the remaining on-campus accommodation, with no gradual phase-in and little prior consultation. Strong backlash ensued. Student leaders accused the university of “infringing on the housing rights of local students” as it moves to improve living conditions for international students. This eventually forced the administration to backtrack on the plan. The school’s decision came against the backdrop of shrinking enrollment and new policy incentive

Jan 30, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Dormitory controversy exposes campus tensions over foreign student prioritization
People & Events

Ovarian cancer survivor celebrates twins’ 1st birthday

A medical center that helped make a long‑awaited pregnancy possible became the venue for a remarkable first birthday celebration this month. On Jan. 20, medical workers at Daegu CHA Fertility Center, located in central Daegu, hosted a “doljanchi” — a traditional first birthday celebration — for twins Kim Min-jeong and Kim Min-seo. The children were born to Jeong Ji-young, 30, who had overcome Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Jeong was diagnosed in 2016 at age 21, and underwent extensive surgery and chemotherapy, losing her right ovary in the process. Doctors were able to preserve her left ovary and uterus, however, leaving open the possibility that she might one day become a mother. Years later, she sought help at the fertility center. Through in vitro fertilization, she became pregnant with twins in 2024, conceiving on her second IVF attempt. The successful delivery of a healthy boy and girl was hailed by her medical team as a hard‑won victory over both a life‑threatening cancer and subfertility. “After recovering from ovarian cancer and overcoming subfertility, it is more meanin

Jan 29, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Ovarian cancer survivor celebrates twins’ 1st birthday
Law & Crime

Ex-first lady sentenced to 20 months in prison for receiving luxury items from Unification Church

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison on Wednesday after being convicted of receiving luxury gifts from a figure linked to the Unification Church in exchange for political favors. The verdict, which was broadcast live, comes after ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison in a separate case on Jan. 16. It marked the first time in Korea’s history that both a former president and spouse have been convicted. Judges at the Seoul Central District Court ordered Kim to pay a fine of more than 12 million won ($9,000). They also ordered the confiscation of a Graff diamond necklace that had been seized by the investigation team under special counsel Min Joong-ki. Kim had been indicted on three sets of charges: taking part in a Deutsch Motors stock price manipulation scheme between 2009 and 2012; violating the Political Funds Act by receiving opinion polls free of charge from political broker Myung Tae-gyun between June 2021 and March 2022; and accepting high-priced gifts from Unification Church figures in return for

Jan 28, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Ex-first lady sentenced to 20 months in prison for receiving luxury items from Unification Church
Global Community

Korea moves to stamp out wage theft as migrant workers remain vulnerable

Korean labor officials are intensifying their crackdown on employers who deliberately withhold wages, elevating such offenses to the level of a “grave social crime” that disproportionately targets the country’s vulnerable migrant workforce. The campaign reflects a growing urgency to protect basic livelihood rights as evidence emerges of systemic pay theft targeting foreign laborers. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on Tuesday that it opened investigations into 1,350 incidents in 2025, including 14 especially serious cases that resulted in the arrest of employers. Search operations rose by nearly 30 percent from the previous year, a surge officials said was necessary to expose those who intentionally exploit foreign staff often unfamiliar with local legal protections. In one case, a pig farm owner in South Jeolla Province was arrested in April 2025 on charges of assaulting foreign workers and withholding 260 million won ($180,000) in wages and severance pay. Prosecutors allege that the owner systematically cheated 62 employees, leveraging their precarious immigration

Jan 27, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea moves to stamp out wage theft as migrant workers remain vulnerable
Society

‘Yellow envelope law’ meets age of robot workers

Conflict over robots controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a scenario in the distant future for Korea. It is unfolding in real time, as changes to the country's labor law give unions new leverage over how quickly and extensively companies can replace human workers with machines. Experts say the recently enacted pro-labor “yellow envelope law” set to take effect in March may slow the transition to robot labor. The law expands workers’ rights in labor disputes and limits employers’ ability to seek damages from unions over strike-related losses, giving unions more leverage. Paradoxically, it could also hasten automation, as companies rush to install robots before union power increases and their legal risks grow. Nowhere has that tension become more evident than at Hyundai Motor, which has become a test case for how far unions, employers and the government can go to shape the coming wave of “physical AI,” with AI robotic systems carrying out hands-on work on factory floors. The company announced last week that it plans to mass-produce Atlas humanoid robots at a

Jan 27, 2026By Jung Min-ho
‘Yellow envelope law’ meets age of robot workers
Society

Korea’s ruling party pushes more bills to restrict free speech despite US concerns

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is advancing a new round of media legislation, prompting worry among civil liberties groups that the measures could expand the government’s authority to restrict online news and shape public discourse. The new push comes despite concerns raised by the United States and international organizations, including UNESCO, over Korea’s recently enacted “anti-fake news” law, a revision of the Information and Communications Network Act set to take effect in July, following President Lee Jae Myung’s approval. Rep. Yang Moon-seok introduced a bill last week to create a new “right to request the blocking of news articles.” The measure would allow people who claim harm from online reporting to demand that specific articles be effectively removed from public circulation. Under the proposal, people alleging that they have suffered privacy violations or defamation from online media could file a request to have the relevant article blocked from news sites and search engines. Current law permits victims of false news to seek correction, rebuttal or compen

Jan 22, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea’s ruling party pushes more bills to restrict free speech despite US concerns
  • ED Don't silence opponents
  • UN envoy signals scrutiny over 'fake news' law as lawyers condemn 'state censorship'
  • UNESCO raises censorship concerns over Korea’s ‘anti-fake news’ law
Environment & Animals

Landfills go quiet as Seoul’s trash heads to incinerators — and other regions

Seoul’s waste management system changed overnight on Jan. 1. Trucks that once lined up to dump mixed household waste at the Sudokwon Landfill Site in Incheon, west of the capital, have largely disappeared. Only ash and residue from incineration can now be buried there, forcing Seoul and other local governments in the capital region to burn or recycle their trash before anything is landfilled. According to the government-run Sudokwon Landfill Management Corp., just 66 tons of household waste entered the Incheon facility on the second day of the capital area's direct landfill ban. That is only about 3 percent of the 2,045‑ton daily average for directly landfilled household waste recorded there last year. Under the new policy, local governments in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province are no longer allowed to bury household garbage in standard pay‑as‑you‑throw bags at the Sudokwan facility. Only waste that has been processed first, such as incineration ash or nonrecyclable residues left after sorting, can now be buried there. The rule is the first stage of a nationwide shift, with

Jan 21, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Landfills go quiet as Seoul’s trash heads to incinerators — and other regions
Society

AI developers fear being replaced by their own creation

Every Monday at lunchtime over the past several weeks, a small crowd gathers outside Microsoft Korea’s Seoul office, protesting out of fear that artificial intelligence (AI) could make their jobs obsolete. The weekly demonstration has become a visible symbol of the deep anxiety gripping white-collar workers, particularly software developers and other employees who are building the very AI systems that could one day replace them. Union officials say about 50 positions — mostly software developers — have been affected by AI-driven restructuring over the past three years, and they worry that another 10 percent of roughly 550 jobs could be at risk as the technology is rolled out more aggressively. “For example, in one technical support division that handles phone and email queries from customers using Microsoft products, workers have been told to help train an AI agent that will automatically suggest solutions to problems,” Kwak Chang-yong, secretary-general of the union, told The Korea Times. “It naturally prompts a question, ‘What will happen to me when I complete the traini

Jan 20, 2026By Jung Min-ho
AI developers fear being replaced by their own creation
Law & Crime

Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday on multiple charges related to his martial law declaration. The ruling, televised live, was the first judicial decision addressing Yoon’s responsibility linked to the imposition of military rule on Dec. 3, 2024. Judges at the Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon on charges including infringement of ministers’ constitutional right to deliberate on the imposition of martial law, aggravated obstruction of the execution of a lawful warrant and the fabrication and destruction of official documents. The court stressed that emergency martial law is an “extremely exceptional” measure that may only be invoked when there is no other way to overcome a national crisis. “The fact that the Constitution specifically requires deliberation on a declaration of martial law is meant to prevent abuse of presidential power and to check unilateral decision-making. So the president must, even more than in ordinary Cabinet meetings, listen carefully to the views of all Cabinet members and act with great caution,” Ju

Jan 16, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Ex-president sentenced to 5 years in prison in first martial law-linked ruling
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