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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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Health

WHO 'ready to provide support' to contain MERS in Korea

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom / ReutersBy Jung Min-hoThe World Health Organization (WHO) is willing to support efforts to contain the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in Korea, the UN organization said Sunday.The statement comes after a Korean man, 61, was diagnosed with the disease on Saturday ― the first MERS case in the country in three years. Since then, he has been treated in an isolated ward at Seoul National University Hospital.“WHO is in discussions with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the required response and is ready to provide further support if required,” the WHO said in a statement. “While this case is unusual, it is not unexpected that MERS will occasionally appear outside of the Middle East. The risk of spread can be minimized by the implementation of rapid response measures, including adequate infection prevention and control measures in health care facilities, contact tracing and public communication.”According to the KCDC, the patient had traveled to Kuwait on business betwee

Sep 10, 2018By Jung Min-ho
WHO 'ready to provide support' to contain MERS in Korea
Tech & Science

Huawei caught cheating on benchmark tests: reports

More bad news for Huawei / ReutersBy Jung Min-hoUL, the creator of the famous 3DMark test, has delisted four Huawei devices ― Huawei Nova 3, P20, P20 Pro and Honor Play ― from its database after discovering that Huawei cheated in its benchmark tests. According to AnandTech, an online computer hardware media outlet, some of the company's phones had been programmed to maximize performance specifically when running 3DMark, a popular benchmarking app.Anandtech reported that Huawei phones scored up to 47 percent higher with the program than they would otherwise. UL's rules require phone tests to be the same as for any other app.Chenglu Wang, Huawei president of software engineering, later told AnandTech that the company did so because “others do the same.” He said it was common practice in China.The news is expected to be another blow to the reputation of Chinese firm, which is already struggling amid cyber-espionage concerns.

Sep 9, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Huawei caught cheating on benchmark tests: reports
Law & Crime

Man jailed for fighting back against attacker

If you hit back, do not expect Korea's self-defense law to support you. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoA man has received a prison sentence for assaulting a driver who attacked him first.The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the man, 39, to eight months in prison Saturday for retaliating against a driver, 52, who hit him first with a weapon after an argument about the driver's driving style.On the other hand, the court gave the driver a suspended prison sentence.According to the prosecution, the driver hit the younger guy with a “blunt weapon” in anger last September after repeatedly being told to drive slowly.But the younger man took the weapon from the driver and attacked him back with it, leaving the older man with injuries requiring six weeks of medical treatment.The younger man claimed he acted in self-defense, but the court said he had other options, including simply running away from the situation. Judge Jang Dong-min said the behavior should be considered an assault that was obviously beyond what should be allowed under the self-defense law.The case highlights Korea's c

Sep 9, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Man jailed for fighting back against attacker
  • Korea's self-defense law - nothing but a name
South Korea

No. of teenagers' 'hidden cam' crimes quadruples in 3 years

By Jung Min-hoAn increasing number of teenagers break the law by taking photos or recording videos of naked people using concealed cameras, police said Thursday.According to the National Police Agency, the number such crimes by people aged from 14 to 19 spiked from 87 in 2011 to 313 last year.Last year, people in this age group accounted for 10.7 percent of the total crimes involving such cameras.Unlike such incidents involving people in other age groups, most teenagers’ crimes occur between friends or acquaintances rather than strangers, police said.“Their crimes are usually detected while they show footage taken with hidden cameras to their friends,” said a police officer at the agency.Last month, a high school student in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, was transferred to another school after it was found that he took photographs under the skirts of five female teachers with a mobile phone and downloaded them to share with his friends. He is also under police investigation.Police said, 18.2 percent of all such crimes last year occurred on streets, followed by subw

Sep 17, 2015By Jung Min-ho
South Korea

Unknown fees hidden in passports

By Jung Min-hoIf you want a Korean passport, you must “donate” part of the issuance fees to the government.However, the “charity fund for international exchanges” is not optional. If you don’t want to pay the fee, forget about getting a passport.Of the total cost of 53,000 won ($45) for a 10-year passport, 15,000 won goes to the state-run Korea Foundation (KF), an organization that promotes the country in the international community.According to the foundation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 539 billion won has been collected since 2006. On average, this is about 40 billion won each year.The problem with the KF allocation is that few people know it even exists, let alone how it is used.When a 25-year-old college student, Kim, had his passport issued last month, there was no explanation about the money, which he thought was “wrong.”“I found the name problematic,” he said. “Why would I want to donate my money, if I don’t know where it goes? If the government wants to collect money as a charity fund, not

Jul 23, 2015By Jung Min-ho
Unknown fees hidden in passports
South Korea

What's WHO ruling on MERS fight?

By Jung Min-ho Was it pride or procedural necessity?The Korea Times first reported the World Health Organization’s (WHO) plan to send a team to Korea over the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemic, Tuesday.The Ministry of Health and Welfare then vehemently denied it.A ministry official said Thursday that the government “has absolutely no plan” to seek outside help and was capable of dealing with the epidemic on its own.However, on Friday the ministry issued a news release about a WHO team coming, adding an interesting twist by saying the international body will join it to assess the situation.  Sources forewarned that the ministry is quite opposed to having the U.N. organization’s team here.One speculated that ministry officials are too proud to be seen accepting outside help.It could be a matter of medical sovereignty.Or, he said, that they were afraid to expose to third-party scrutiny how “screwed up” their response had been.He said the WHO was upset because the government delayed its final go-ahead for its mission’s vi

Jun 5, 2015By Jung Min-ho
South Korea

UN chief to visit NK industrial complex

Ban offers to mediate on regime’s military threat By Jung Min-ho, Jun Ji-hye INCHEON _ U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that he will visit the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea, Thursday, to “facilitate peace and stability” on the Korean Peninsula.“I reiterate my willingness to do whatever it takes to contribute to improving inter-Korean relations and promoting reconciliation and stability in the region,” he said during a press conference at the World Education Forum in the Songdo Convensia.Whether Ban will meet with any of North Korea’s high-profile politicians is unclear yet. The U.N. will send an advance team there Wednesday to discuss the details of his schedule.For now, he plans to visit South Korean factories operating at the complex and meet with North Korean workers there.“The Gaeseong project is a win-win model for both Koreas,” he said. “It symbolizes a good way to tap the advantages of the Koreas in a complementary manner.“The main purpose of the visit is to encourage more of such

May 19, 2015By Jung Min-ho
UN chief to visit NK industrial complex
South Korea

Hwang slams Abe for not facing up to shameful past

By Jung Min-hoKorea's Deputy Prime Minister Hwang Woo-yea delievers a speech at the Asia-Africa Conference in Jakarta, Wednesday./Courtesy of Ministry of EducationJAKARTA ― Deputy Prime Minister Hwang Woo-yea said Wednesday that Japan’s reluctance to face up to its wartime wrongdoings is preventing many Asian countries from moving forward.In his statement aimed at Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Hwang, who is attending the Asia-Africa Conference on behalf of President Park Geun-hye, criticized Abe for his repeated attempts to distort history.“Unfortunately, historical issues in Northeast Asia have yet to be overcome, and we instead are witnessing a rise in historical revisionism,” he said. “This has caused mistrust and tension, and has deterred reconciliation and cooperation between countries in the region.”To become a responsible member of the regional community, Hwang said, Japan “must face up to its past.”“With this being the basis, there must be sincere remorse and apology, as well as proper education for the next gene

Apr 22, 2015By Jung Min-ho
Hwang slams Abe for not facing up to shameful past
South Korea

Freshmen hazing still rampant

By Jung Min-hoEarlier this week, a college student lost consciousness after being forced to drink a bowl of poktanju, a mixture of soju and beer, at a welcoming party for freshmen in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.Drinking poktanju is a freshman hazing ritual at her school in North Gyeongsang Province.After she passed out, a participant called police and she was immediately taken to a nearby hospital where she recovered quickly. But not everyone is as lucky as she was.According to the Korea Public Health Association, at least one college student has died every year since 2006 in a binge-drinking incident.The research organization noted that 8.2 percent of male and 28.3 percent of female college students have an alcohol problem.And the culture of heavy drinking often leads students to sexual crimes.During their three-day freshman orientation in February, Sogang Business School students were forced to smell the feet of their senior students, and women were forced to perform a “sexy dance.”Many students complained that it was simply hazing under the guise of orientation. Some said

Mar 13, 2015By Jung Min-ho
South Korea

11 rescued from gym collapse

Rescue workers look for survivors in the debris at the construction site for a gymnasium in Sadang-dong, Seoul, Wednesday. Part of a roof collapsed, burying 11 workers. All the workers were safely rescued. / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoAll eleven workers buried under debris from a collapsed roof were rescued at the construction site of a Seoul gymnasium, firefighters said Wednesday. The accident occurred at around 5:05 p.m. when part of the roof of the gym collapsed. Two Daejeon-based companies ­ Art Construction and Sunrise Construction ­ have been in charge of building the gym in Sadang-dong, southern Seoul, since June 2013.The workers were trapped for a little over an hour before they were rescued by the firefighters and sent to nearby hospitals.A rescue worker said no one was seriously injured by the collapse, but a few of them appeared to have suffered minor leg injuries.After being told of the accident, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon immediately rushed to the scene. Firefighters earlier had said there were nine people buried under the debris, but they found two more victims during t

Feb 11, 2015By Jung Min-ho
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