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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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Entertainment

'My husband threatens to leak our sex videos'

Nancy Lang and Wang Jinjin. / Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoNancy Lang, a pop artist and TV personality, has accused her husband Wang Jinjin of making threats to leak their sex videos as the two go through divorce.Speaking on CBS radio program, Kim Hyun-Jung's News Show, Wednesday, Lang, 40, accused Wang, 47, of threatening to destroy her life with their sex videos, which she thought he had deleted.“In this era of the internet and smartphones, the videos will ruin my life. I'm so terrified and ashamed,” she said.“I don't know why he is doing this to me after agreeing to go our separate ways.”Earlier this month, local media reported that former KARA member Koo Ha-ra's had accused her ex-boyfriend of making a similar threat as their relationship soured.Speaking about Koo's case, Lang said she fully understood her fear. At a press conference in December, Nancy and Wang announced that they had married. But earlier this month, it was revealed the two were going through divorce proceedings.Since the “revenge porn” issue came to the fore, more than 240,00

Oct 18, 2018By Jung Min-ho
'My husband threatens to leak our sex videos'
Health

Korean adoptee looking for birth mother

Johannes Lindgren (Kang Min-ho) with his Korean foster mother Lee Chang-soon in 1981 / Courtesy of LindgrenA reunion with his foster mother in Seoul after 36 years / Courtesy of LindgrenBy Jung Min-hoIt took more than three decades for Johannes Lindgren to decide to return to Korea, the land of his birth, after a Swedish couple adopted him when he was barely a year old.After his disappointing first trip here in 2012, Lindgren (whose Korean name is Kang Min-ho), now 37, is visiting the country again with his wife and children to find his biological parents.“My biggest fear is to die without meeting my birth parents,” Lindgren told The Korea Times in Seoul, Tuesday. “I'm not angry at them. No hard feelings. I just want to meet them.”That dream almost came true in 2012, when the Korea Adoption Services found the address of his father. But the father rejected the agency's offer to meet him, citing personal reasons.“I was very disappointed and sad when I was told about his decision,” Lindgren said. “I'm still hoping he will change his mind.”

Oct 18, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korean adoptee looking for birth mother
  • The missing piece: A Korean adoptee's new life in Sweden
Entertainment

Fan Bingbing seen in public for first time in months: report

A woman believed to be Fan Bingbing walks outside Beijing Airport on Monday. / Screengrab of Shanghaiist's websiteBy Jung Min-hoFan Bingbing, China's highest-paid actress, has been seen in public for the first time in more than three months, according to local media.Chinese entertainment news outlets, including Shanghaiist, reported Monday that paparazzi took photos of Fan, 37, who was dressed in black.The pictures show a young woman walking to a car with a man holding a black umbrella. It is unclear if she really is the actress, who was last seen in public at a children's hospital in Beijing on July 1.The images quickly became the main topic on Weibo.After her disappearance, rumors spread Fan had been arrested on tax evasion charges.Early this month, Chinese authorities ordered Fan to pay 883 million yuan ($129 million) in back taxes and fines, saying she would otherwise go to jail.Fan has been China's highest-paid celebrity for the past four years. According to Forbes, she earned (a reported) 300 million yuan last year.

Oct 16, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Fan Bingbing seen in public for first time in months: report
Foreign Affairs

South Korea to change passport design

Option A and B for cover design / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismShould diplomats and some other government officials be allowed to use passports of different colors?Inside the new passportBy Jung Min-hoThe South Korean government will determine the country's new passport design by the end of the year ― and your opinion is needed.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed new design options, Monday, saying they would gather more options before making a final decision.If everything goes as planned, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will start issuing the new passports from 2020.There are two options for the cover design: one has the nation's symbolic Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon) mark in a bright color at the top, while the other does not highlight it.The ministries also must decide whether to allow diplomats and other government officials with special tasks to use passports of different colors.The ministries came up with the design options based on the award-winning work of Kim Su-zung, a fine arts professor at Seoul Nation

Oct 16, 2018By Jung Min-ho
South Korea to change passport design
  • Korea's new passport design ignites controversy
Health

Centenary of 20th century's worst pandemic

Influenza victims crowd into an emergency hospital near Fort Riley, Kansas, in this 1918 file photo. APSpanish flu wiped out up to 100 million lives. Experts warn it could happen againBy Jung Min-hoHakim DjaballahOne hundred years ago, a deadly infectious disease spread across the globe, infecting 500 million people ― about one-third of the world's population at the time ― and killing at least 50 million.At minimum, the Spanish flu killed three times as many as died in World War I (17 million). At worst (100 million), it was more lethal than World War II (60 million) ― and even both wars put together.As historians mark the centenary of the flu outbreak, two important questions arise today: is any similar outbreak possible and, if so, how much are we prepared?According to Hakim Djaballah, former CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, it is foolish to think that the world is now safe from another pandemic on that scale.“As an example, there are still many war-torn regions in the world, where the viral/pathogen landscape must be thriving and evolving,” Djaballah told The K

Oct 16, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Centenary of 20th century's worst pandemic
World

46% of Americans think Donald Trump will win re-election

U.S. President Donald Trump points while speaking at a rally at Alumni Coliseum in Richmond, Ky., Saturday. APBy Jung Min-hoNearly half of Americans believe that U.S. President Donald Trump will win a second term in office, according to a recent poll.The poll revealed Sunday (local time) by CNN shows that 46 percent of responders said they think Trump will stay in the White House for four additional years, while 47 percent said he won't.In a poll conducted in March, only 40 percent said they were positive about his victory.The survey also shows that support for Trump serving a second term is growing across party lines.Increases were shown among men (8 points), independents (from 39 percent in March to 47 percent) and those who are enthusiastic about voting in this year's midterm election (from 37 percent in March to 46 percent).About 74 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they would like to see Trump nominated in 2020, while 21 percent said they would prefer a different candidate.Among Democrats, former Vice President Joe Biden is emerging as a leading can

Oct 15, 2018By Jung Min-ho
46% of Americans think Donald Trump will win re-election
Law & Crime

Six arrested for smuggling 112kg of meth

Seized bags of meth on display at Seoul Metropolitan Station, Monday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe screw-making machine used in the drug-trafficking operation / YonhapSix members of an international drug syndicate have been arrested on charges of smuggling 112 kilograms of meth, police said Monday.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the six, including a Japanese, 32, and a Taiwanese, 25, allegedly colluded in smuggling 112 kilograms of meth into Korea on July 6.The amount, which is worth about 370 billion won ($327 million), is the largest seizure of the drug in the country.According to police, 112 bags of the drug were concealed inside a screw-making machine, which was transported from Bangkok to the Busan Port. Two Taiwanese men later moved the machine to a warehouse in Hwaseong, where they took it apart to get the drug.The two sold 22 kilograms of meth to a Japanese dealer, who eventually sold it to a Korean man for 1.1 billion won.Police said they were searching for four people believed to have planned the operation and given instructions to the other six.Police are wor

Oct 15, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Six arrested for smuggling 112kg of meth
Sports

IOC president says taekwondo has 'bright future'

IOC President Thomas Bach, center, meets World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won at the taekwondo venue during the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of World TaekwondoCourtesy of World TaekwondoBy Jung Min-hoIOC President Thomas Bach has praised the progress World Taekwondo (WT) governing body has made in recent years, saying “taekwondo has a bright future.”According to the federation Saturday, Bach visited the taekwondo venue at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games to greet President Choue Chung-won and encourage young athletes.“With these young athletes, taekwondo certainly has a bright future,” Bach said. “It is amazing how fast it is developing, especially with the new judging system. We can see why it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.”Along with IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell and WT Secretary General Hoss Rafaty, the two watched the semifinals and finals.“It was an honor to welcome IOC President Bach to our taekwondo venue this evening,” Choue said. “Our young athletes

Oct 15, 2018By Jung Min-ho
IOC president says taekwondo has 'bright future'
Health

Blind people should be allowed on roller-coasters: court

The T-Express in Everland. / Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoA court has ruled that visually impaired people should be allowed to ride roller-coasters.The Seoul Central District Court ruled Thursday that Everland, a major theme park in Yongin, has to compensate each of three visually challenged customers 2 million won ($1,750) after blocking them from riding its T-Express roller-coaster three years ago.The court also ordered the company to revise its guideline that restricts such people from enjoying some of its rides.“There is little evidence to support the argument that the roller-coaster would be more risky for the plaintiffs than others,” the court said. “Thus, it should be considered an act of discrimination against disabled people.” The three filed a damage suit against the company after they were denied access to the ride in May 2015.Among Everland's 46 rides, disabled people do not have access to three, including the Bumper Car and the T-Express, and they need “guardians” to get access to four others, according to the guideline.

Oct 11, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Blind people should be allowed on roller-coasters: court
Society

Korea second in world human capital rankings

The top four countries in the World Bank human capital index are in Asia. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoKorea has ranked second in a World Bank list called the “human capital index” ― a measure of youth mortality, health and education.Among the World Bank's 157 member countries, Korea came second to Singapore in the rankings, which assess the future productivity and earnings potential of citizens.The World Bank revealed the index at its annual meeting with the International Monetary Fund on the Indonesian island of Bali, Thursday.Korea was highly rated in all areas, including life expectancy, learning periods and test results.The other three in the top five were Japan, Hong Kong and Finland.The report found that, on average, 56 percent of children born today will have to forgo more than half their potential lifetime earnings because their governments do not invest properly to ensure their well-being.World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said he hoped the index would encourage government leaders to take the steps necessary to improve the lives of their citizens.“This is abou

Oct 11, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korea second in world human capital rankings
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