my timesThe Korea Times
mj6c2

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.

Go to Email

Read more

Foreign Affairs

Pohang mayor takes steel tariff protest to White House

The mayor of Pohang, which represents the center of Korea’s steel industry, brought his city’s opposition to U.S. steel tariffs to the U.S. capital, holding a protest outside the White House. According to the Pohang city government on Tuesday, its representatives, including Mayor Lee Kang-deok, protested near the presidential office while holding signs pleading, “Please stop imposing steel tariffs on your ally Republic of Korea.” Pohang, home to steel giants like POSCO and Hyundai Steel, has seen shuttered businesses and widespread job cuts amid worries about Washington’s imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Korean steel exports. “Pohang’s steel industry now stands on the brink of collapse,” Lee said in a social media post. “If steel falls, industries such as construction, automotives, shipbuilding and energy will fall with it. This is not a crisis just for one city ― it is a matter of survival for the entire Korean economy.” After the Trump administration’s tariff decision, the Korean government designated Pohang as a special crisis response zone, enabling suppor

Sep 2, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Pohang mayor takes steel tariff protest to White House
Travel & Food

Seoul sees record surge in foreign visitors, boosted by popularity of K-culture

Seoul is seeing record numbers of foreign visitors driven especially by the appeal of Korean pop culture, a trend expected to continue as the capital city broadens its international appeal. A record 1.36 million foreign travelers visited Seoul in July, a 23.1 percent year-on-year increase. Chinese tourists accounted for the largest group at 470,000, followed by 240,000 from Japan, 160,000 from Taiwan and 100,000 from the United States. Between January and July this year, 8.28 million foreigners visited the city, a record high and around 5.5 percent above prepandemic levels. Seoul officials attribute this surge to the city’s mix of traditional and modern culture, smart and safe digital-first infrastructure and the popularity of Korea’s cultural content. City officials note that more tourists — especially younger visitors — are flocking to well-known K-drama and movie sites across Seoul. To support them, the government has set up 30 “Seoul Spots,” artificial intelligence-enabled guideboards that offer multilingual audio tours through QR codes. Stops include the Korea Stone Art

Sep 2, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Seoul sees record surge in foreign visitors, boosted by popularity of K-culture
Society

Gov’t plans mock councils to ease rollout of ‘yellow envelope law’

Korea plans to roll out a simulated version of labor management councils with the country’s largest unions in an effort to smooth the transition and head off potential problems with the pro-labor “yellow envelope law” set to take effect in six months. The new legislation marks a significant shift in Korea’s labor landscape, potentially upending decades of corporate practices. While businesses fear increased disputes and liabilities, labor advocates contend that the change will empower millions of subcontracted workers, giving them a voice at the bargaining table. The law, which amends Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, widens the definition of “employer” to include parent corporations and outside contractors that exercise direct control over the working conditions of subcontracted workers. The revision is expected to allow those workers to bargain directly with corporate management and prohibits companies from demanding heavy compensation for losses stemming from strikes. Speaking to reporters in Sejong on Monday, Labor Minister Kim Young-

Sep 1, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Gov’t plans mock councils to ease rollout of ‘yellow envelope law’
  • Subcontractor unions ramp up demands after passage of ‘yellow envelope law’
Society

Subcontractor unions ramp up demands after passage of ‘yellow envelope law’

Subcontractor unions across Korea have intensified their demands for greater accountability and direct negotiations from parent companies after the passage of the so-called “yellow envelope bill,” a pro-labor law intended to expand union rights and redefine employer obligations. The legislation, scheduled to take effect in six months, will expand the definition of “employer” to an entity that “substantially controls” the working conditions of subcontracted workers. Even before its implementation, the law has already triggered a flurry of action by subcontractor unions nationwide and prompted concerns from the business sector. On Wednesday, more than 1,800 workers employed by subcontractors of Hyundai Steel, the nation’s second-largest steelmaker, filed a criminal complaint with the prosecution, accusing management of conducting unfair labor practices, including unlawful subcontracting. “Despite the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s direct employment order in 2021 and the court ruling issued in favor of it in 2022, Hyundai Steel has failed to rectify its unfair labor a

Aug 29, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Subcontractor unions ramp up demands after passage of ‘yellow envelope law’
  • EXPLAINER What’s in Korea's ‘yellow envelope law'?
Defense

Trump’s remarks on base ownership calm concerns over US withdrawal, experts say

U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that his country should seek ownership of the Korean land hosting American military bases has prompted questions about his underlying motives. While there are concerns about potential future ownership disputes, experts say the remarks also showed his intention to maintain U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. Trump said during a bilateral meeting with President Lee Jae Myung in Washington on Monday (local time) that, given the U.S. investment in building bases such as U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, the largest overseas U.S. military installation, he would like to “get rid of the lease and get ownership of the land.” Trump is not entirely correct. The roughly 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in Korea operate on land provided by the ally without paying any fees. Moreover, the Korean government covered the vast majority of construction and expansion costs for USAG Humphreys, located in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Over the past decade, the U.S. military has significantly consolidated its presence in Korea, shifting from numerous scattered installation

Aug 27, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Trump’s remarks on base ownership calm concerns over US withdrawal, experts say
Foreign Affairs

SUMMIT Korean, US presidential chiefs of staff open direct hotline

The presidential chiefs of staff in Seoul and Washington have established a direct communication line, Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, said on Monday (local time). Speaking at a press conference in Washington after Lee’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kang said the decision to open the communication channel reflected the need for sustained, comprehensive discussions on key economic, trade and security issues between the two allies. “During trade negotiations, it became clear to me that there should be a dedicated channel between our two presidential offices,” Kang told reporters. “Chief of staff Susie Wiles, who enjoys President Trump’s full confidence, was judged to be the right counterpart. Over the past two weeks, we have been working toward this goal.” Normally, the president’s chief of staff remains in Seoul during the leader’s overseas trips to oversee domestic affairs, so Kang’s decision to accompany Lee on the Washington trip caused some surprise. Kang said he met with Wiles at the White House at 10:30 a.m., about an hour afte

Aug 26, 2025By Jung Min-ho
[SUMMIT] Korean, US presidential chiefs of staff open direct hotline
  • SUMMIT Trump retracts ‘purge’ comment after Lee’s clarification
Foreign Affairs

SUMMIT Trump retracts ‘purge’ comment after Lee’s clarification

U.S. President Donald Trump stepped back from diplomatic controversy Monday (local time), retracting comments that had questioned Korea’s political stability just hours before his first summit with President Lee Jae Myung in Washington. Ahead of their talks, Trump stirred controversy by saying in a social media post that a “Purge or Revolution” was underway in Korea, suggesting that the United States would not conduct business there if those conditions persisted. “WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there,” Trump wrote. When asked about the post and the investigations reportedly targeting “churches and a U.S. military base” in Korea, Trump said intelligence briefings had informed him of church raids. Lee clarified that a recent special prosecutor’s search-and-seizure ― part of an investigation into an attempted coup in Korea ― was conducted strictly within the Korean jurisdiction of a jointly operated military base. This came after a raid conducted by investigators on July 21 at Osan Air Base in Pyeong

Aug 26, 2025By Jung Min-ho
[SUMMIT] Trump retracts ‘purge’ comment after Lee’s clarification
Society

Rights body urges action to curb pressure-filled early English programs

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea is urging broad measures to curb the country’s pervasive early English education, amid growing criticism of the so-called “7-year-old exam” — entrance tests that preschoolers take to gain admission to elite after-school English-language cram academies. The move follows a petition from 826 people, mostly parents of elementary-age children, urging the commission to officially recognize that requiring children as young as six to take such exams amounts to child abuse. In a statement released on Monday, the commission described these practices as “clearly a form of abuse” that can harm children’s health in the long term. It called on the Ministry of Education to take decisive action against “excessively premature education.” “To enter certain English academies (hagwons), 6-year-old children are required to take English reading tests, memorize sentences and prepare for oral interviews … Such exams are considered a serious infringement on children’s fundamental rights to healthy growth and development,” the commission sai

Aug 25, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Rights body urges action to curb pressure-filled early English programs
  • EXPLAINER What’s in Korea’s ‘English kindergarten ban law?’
Global Community

Fatal workplace accidents remain alarmingly high for foreign workers

Despite ongoing safety initiatives, fatal industrial accidents involving foreign workers remain persistently high, data showed Thursday. According to a report published by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 287 workers died in workplace accidents in Korea during the second quarter of this year. Of them, 38, or 13.2 percent, were foreign nationals. Officials say the figure reflects a troubling pattern in recent years. Noncitizens, who make up roughly 3.5 percent of the workforce, consistently account for about 10 percent of all occupational deaths. By industry, the construction sector had 138 deaths, with foreign workers accounting for 13 percent. In manufacturing, 67 deaths were reported, including 12 foreign nationals (17.9 percent). Other sectors recorded 82 deaths, including eight foreign nationals (9.8 percent). The 287 workplace deaths confirmed from April to June represented a slight improvement from the 296 reported during the same period in 2024. Yet a closer look reveals a persistent problem. Data from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, released earlier this we

Aug 21, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Fatal workplace accidents remain alarmingly high for foreign workers
Politics

Push to punish ‘fake news’ tests limits of free press in Korea

President Lee Jae Myung and the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea are pressing ahead with contentious legislation targeting media outlets accused of spreading “fake news,” a move that critics say could pose a serious threat to press freedom and democratic norms in the country. The president called for the proposed reform at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, saying that media outlets that “distort facts or spread false information” should be held accountable. He also directed all government ministries to disclose how they allocate their public relations budgets, adding that “it is important to communicate directly with the public, instead of spending money for promotion” through media advertising. The proposed bill would fundamentally reshape the country’s libel laws, allowing courts to award punitive damages of up to five times the actual harm caused by what the legislation defines as “false and fabricated news.” The measure represents a sharp departure from the current law, which limits compensation to a victim’s proven losses. Supporters say it is essential to cur

Aug 20, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Push to punish ‘fake news’ tests limits of free press in Korea
previous page
2021222324
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.