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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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World

145 pilot whales die of mysterious cause on New Zealand beach

A supplied image shows 145 pilot whales that died in a mass stranding on a beach on Stewart Island, south of New Zealand's South Island, Nov. 25. New Zealand Department of Conservation via ReutersBy Jung Min-hoA total of 145 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding on a remote New Zealand beach.According to the nation's Department of Conservation (DOC) Monday, a hiker discovered the whales on Stewart Island, 30 kilometers off the southern coast of the South Island, last Sunday.When conservation workers arrived there, half the whales were already dead. The DOC later decided to euthanize the rest.“Sadly, the likelihood of being able to re-float the remaining whales successfully was extremely low,” said Ren Leppens, the DOC's operations manager on Stewart Island. “The remote location, lack of nearby personnel and the whales' deteriorating condition meant the most humane thing to do was to euthanize … However, it's always a heart-breaking decision to make.”Leppens said the whales were half buried in sand and not in good health, indicating they had been th

Nov 26, 2018By Jung Min-ho
145 pilot whales die of mysterious cause on New Zealand beach
Foreign Affairs

Korean lawmaker belittles Philippines

Rep. Lee Un-ju / Korea Times fileBy Jung Min-hoA high-profile Korean lawmaker has come under criticism after belittling the Philippines in defending the economic policies of former military dictator Park Chung-hee.In a recent interview with Dong-A Ilbo, a local daily, Rep. Lee Un-ju of the minor conservative Bareunmirae Party said “Koreans would have lived in a country worse than the Philippines” if Park had not ruled the country in such a way.“There have been many dictators across East Asia and Africa. Most of them failed to develop the economy, unlike former President Park. We should recognize his achievement,” she added in a comment apparently aimed at Ferdinand Marcos, the late Philippine strongman who ruled the country from 1965-86.While some Koreans take her remarks only as a political attack against liberals, who generally share negative views about Park, others find them offensive to the people of the Philippines and diplomatically problematic.“If I were a Filipino, I wouldn't forgive Lee Un-ju. I wonder what Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

Nov 26, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korean lawmaker belittles Philippines
  • Filipinos furious over Korean lawmaker's degrading remarks
Society

PHOTOS First snow of the season falls in Seoul

The first snow of the season falls at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap Yonhap Yonhap Snow falls on the "comfort woman" statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap Vehicles are covered with snow in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Saturday. Yonhap A village is covered with snow in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Saturday. Yonhap Children roll snow into a snowman in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. YonhapKorea's first snow was observed on Oct. 18 around Mount Seorak, according to the Seorak National Park office of the Korean National Park Service.

Nov 24, 2018By Jung Min-ho
First snow of the season falls in Seoul [PHOTOS]
Others

US man killed by remote tribe was missionary trying to 'declare Jesus'

In this October 2018 photo, American adventurer John Allen Chau, right, stands with Founder of the Ubuntu Football Academy Casey Prince in Cape Town, South Africa, days before he left for India's remote North Sentinel Island, where he was killed. APBy Jung Min-hoAn American man, who was killed on Nov. 16 by an isolated tribe on a remote Indian island, was traveling there to “declare Jesus” to the tribespeople and told his family ― hours before his deaths ― that they should “not be angry at them or at God if I get killed.”John Allen Chau, 26, is believed to have been killed by a volley of arrows soon after landing on North Sentinel Island, one of the Andaman Islands.In a letter to his family shortly before his death, Chau said he was willing to risk death to spread the Christian gospel to the people. He reportedly visited the Andaman Islands several years ago and told friends that he would like to return there someday.“I hollered: 'My name is John, I love you and Jesus loves you.' I regret I began to panic slightly as I saw them string arrows in thei

Nov 23, 2018By Jung Min-ho
US man killed by remote tribe was missionary trying to 'declare Jesus'
World

Hillary Clinton: Europe must limit immigration to stop right-wing populists

Hillary Clinton / AFPBy Jung Min-hoEuropean leaders must send a much stronger message that they will not continue to offer “refuge and support,” or face ever-growing right-wing populism, Hillary Clinton warned in an interview published Thursday.The former Democratic presidential candidate praised leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for their compassion toward immigrants. But she said immigration had been inflaming voters and emboldening populist politicians.“I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame,” she told The Guardian.“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message ― 'we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support' ― because if we don't deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic.”Clinton's remarks, which contrast with her previous criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump for

Nov 23, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Hillary Clinton: Europe must limit immigration to stop right-wing populists
Others

Church leader jailed for raping women

Lee Jae-rock abused his authority, a Seoul court has ruled. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA church leader has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting his followers.The Seoul Central District Court convicted Lee Jae-rock, 75, the leader of the Manmin Central Church in Seoul, on Thursday of abusing his authority to rape eight women in their 20s over the past eight years.The court also ordered him to take an 80-hour therapy session and barred him from working at any institution related to children and adolescents for 10 years after his release.“The victims suffered enormously after being betrayed by the leader they once trusted,” the court said. “Lee, however, has denied all his wrongdoings and inflicted more mental damage on the victims during the hearings by revealing the sensitive parts of their private lives.”The court also said Lee tried to deify himself as a god through his sermons.The Manmin Central Church, which claims to be a Protestant Christian church, is believed to have 130,000 members.

Nov 22, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Church leader jailed for raping women
Society

US scholar defends English section of Korea's college entrance exam

Students prepare to take the College Scholastic Aptitude Test at Busan JungAng Girls' High School on Nov. 15. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoRobert KluenderThe English section of Korea's annual college entrance exam has again become a target of massive criticism.Many people, including teachers and native speakers, think the test is not designed to reflect students' true language abilities. Some even say the test is nothing more than a weeding-out process that keeps the majority out of the limited openings at reputable schools.But some language experts disagree.Robert Kluender, a linguistics professor at the University of California San Diego, believes the English part of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) is a fair assessment measure and such a question format is not unique to Korea.“I find the exam challenging but fair, and as best I can tell, it seems to accomplish that which it sets out to do,” Kluender told The Korea Times.“The reading comprehension questions seem comparable to the kinds of questions that one typically finds in English-language university entrance

Nov 22, 2018By Jung Min-ho
US scholar defends English section of Korea's college entrance exam
  • Check your English ability with 'notorious' Korean college entrance exam
Travel & Food

Korean tourist killed in train accident in Switzerland

Tourists enjoy the view over fog-covered valleys during sunny weather near the peak of Mount Rigi, Switzerland, Oct. 22. ReutersA cogwheel train on Mount Rigi. / Screengrab of the Local websiteBy Jung Min-ho, Park Si-sooA Korean tourist has died after being hit by a train on Switzerland's mountain railway.According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday, the man, 69, who had been traveling in a group, was hit by a train between the Rigi Staffel and Rigi Kulm stations on Mount Rigi's cogwheel railway line about 2.45 p.m. Monday (local time).His injuries were so severe that he died before medical workers arrived, police said. They also said the fog was very thick at the time. “He had lost contact with his travel group, but we do not yet know how he ended up on the train tracks,” a police spokesperson was quoted as saying.The ministry said it has sent officials to the scene to help the police investigation and provide assistance to the man's family.

Nov 21, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korean tourist killed in train accident in Switzerland
Foreign Affairs

Canadian school takes down 'Rising Sun' flag after student petition

Japan's "Rising Sun" flag in a classroom. Many people in Korea and other Asian countries think it is equivalent to the Nazi flag. Change.orgBy Jung Min-hoA Canadian school has removed a “Rising Sun” flag ― an emblem seen by many Asians as a symbol of the country's wartime aggression ― from a history classroom after students complained about it.Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, British Columbia, reportedly took down the flag on Tuesday (KST) after an online petition against it garnered nearly 10,000 signatures.A Korean student, surnamed Moon, who posted the petition on the website Change.org, Sunday, said the flag was “extremely offensive” to many students from Asian countries as it reminded them of Japan's war crimes, such as the sexual enslavement of tens of thousands of young women.School board spokesman Ken Hoff said officials decided to take down the flag temporarily ahead of a discussion between them and the students who found it offensive.“It's a little unfortunate that this was taken out of context,” Hoff was quoted as saying. &

Nov 20, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Canadian school takes down 'Rising Sun' flag after student petition
  • Korean students up in arms over 'Rising Sun' flag in Canadian classroom
Foreign Affairs

Korean students up in arms over 'Rising Sun' flag in Canadian classroom

Japan's "Rising Sun" flag in the classroom. Many people in Korea and other Asian countries think it is equivalent to the Nazi flag. Change.orgBy Jung Min-hoKorean students in Canada are demanding that their teacher remove Japan's “Rising Sun" flag ― a symbol of the country's wartime aggression ― from their classroom wall.According to the Columbia Valley Pioneer, a local paper, Monday (KST), a ninth-grade student at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, British Columbia, is leading a campaign against a history teacher's decision to put up the flag for “educational purposes.”Since the student, surnamed Moon, posted a petition on the website Change.org on Sunday, it has garnered more than 8,500 signatures.“Thinking of the tragedies my grandparents went through, we cannot imagine how someone wouldn't find this symbol inhumane and unethical,” Moon said. “This is also an issue that matters to everyone who believes in the sacredness of fundamental human rights built upon the sacrifices of those fallen in battlefields during World War II.”He

Nov 19, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korean students up in arms over 'Rising Sun' flag in Canadian classroom
  • Canadian school takes down 'Rising Sun' flag after student petition
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