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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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Law & Crime

Unification Church raided as investigators target ex-first lady

The special counsel team investigating allegations against former first lady Kim Keon Hee raided premises belonging to the Unification Church on Friday, intensifying a probe into claims that she received luxury gifts from a church official in exchange for business favors. Investigators executed search warrants at the group’s headquarters in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, its main Seoul office and the residence of a former senior church official surnamed Yun. He is accused of giving a Chanel handbag and jewelry to an associate of the former first lady between April and August 2022, during the presidency of her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol. The investigation also points to the associate, Jeon Seong-bae ― also known as Geon Jin, a shaman close to Kim ― who is suspected of acting as an intermediary in the delivery of the gifts. In exchange, the Unification Church is alleged to have sought government support for its business ventures, including backing for a Mekong River development project in Cambodia, the acquisition of cable news channel YTN and invitations to high-profile state events such

Jul 18, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Unification Church raided as investigators target ex-first lady
People & Events

Lawmakers form committee to combat online hate, misinformation

A National Assembly committee has been established to address online hate speech, fake news and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven misinformation, while promoting a culture of constructive and respectful communication. A total of 22 lawmakers — including co-chairpersons Lee Hack-young, Lee Hun-seung, Min Hong-chul, Jin Sun-mee, Yun Jae-ok and Lee In-seon — along with Sunfull Foundation Chairman Min Byoung-chul, marked the committee’s launch at a ceremony in Seoul Wednesday. Under its new mandate, the Sunfull Committee will operate through three key subcommittees: the AI Digital Response Committee, the Global Peace Committee and the Local Government Committee. Their mission includes tackling the dangers of malicious online comments, AI-generated disinformation and algorithmic bias — all growing concerns in the digital age — while also promoting peace in Korea and beyond. “In this era of digital transformation, the National Assembly will take the lead in fostering exemplary language culture and politics of coexistence,” Rep. Lee Hack-young said. “The 22nd Sunfull Committe

Jul 17, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Lawmakers form committee to combat online hate, misinformation
Politics

Seoul mayor vows AI-driven transformation in governance

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced his strong commitment to using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency of administrative services and the quality of life for residents. At a press conference marking the third anniversary of his term on Wednesday, Oh declared this year to be a turning point in the city government’s “AI administrative revolution,” saying he will help make the new technology more accessible and useful to all Seoulites. “AI is reshaping every aspect of our lives, and this year will be recorded as the beginning of an AI-driven transformation in governance,” the mayor said at Seoul City Hall. While the central government focuses on AI development and broad policy strategy, Oh emphasized that local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, must adopt a more citizen-centered approach. “For cities, the key mission is not just to adopt AI but to help citizens leverage it to improve their daily lives,” Oh said. “To achieve that, we will continue expanding programs like the Youth Employment Academy and the RISE (Regional Innovation Sys

Jul 16, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Seoul mayor vows AI-driven transformation in governance
Environment & Animals

Growing movement in Korea challenges tradition of bullfighting

A campaign to end traditional bullfighting in Korea is gaining momentum, driven by growing public concern and pressure from animal rights activists, as several municipalities move to withdraw funding for such events in response to evolving societal values. As of Tuesday, an online petition submitted to the National Assembly calling for a total ban on bullfighting had garnered more than 45,000 signatures — just 5,000 short of the threshold required for formal parliamentary review. “Cattle used in bullfighting suffer injuries and stress from training and collisions. Some suffer broken horns or internal injuries during fights and are left abandoned after the games,” the petitioner wrote. “Bulls were not born to fight. There is no reason they should be forced to ram into each other for human entertainment.” While the Animal Protection Act prohibits injuring animals for gambling or entertainment, bullfighting remains exempt, as the law does not apply to activities designated as “folk games.” In recent years, however, animal rights activists have increasingly challenged the ratio

Jul 16, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Growing movement in Korea challenges tradition of bullfighting
Politics

EXPLAINER Strike threat by major union spotlights demands over how to define workers, employers

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country’s two largest labor groups with over a million members, is threatening a nationwide general strike Wednesday in an effort to pressure lawmakers to revise a key labor law at the heart of its demands. At a press conference earlier this month, KCTU representatives said their top demand is the revision of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, calling the changes essential to achieving what it described as “labor justice.” Currently, an employer is legally defined as “a business owner, a person responsible for the management of a business or a person who acts on behalf of a business owner with regard to matters concerning workers in the business.” The KCTU seeks to expand the definition. A bill, proposed last month by 43 liberal legislators, mostly of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, would include not only employers who hire workers directly but also entities with “de facto control” over working conditions ― such as parent companies in subcontracting arrangements. The bil

Jul 15, 2025By Jung Min-ho
[EXPLAINER] Strike threat by major union spotlights demands over how to define workers, employers
Travel & Food

Apocalyptic manga fails to deter Koreans from traveling to Japan

Sensational speculation about an impending disaster in Japan sparked by a 1999 comic book has had only a limited impact on Korean travel demand this year, according to travel industry officials. Representatives from Korea’s two largest travel agencies, Hana Tour and Mode Tour, told The Korea Times that the number of prebooked customers for July ― rumored to be the month of a doomsday-like natural disaster ― was only slightly lower compared to the same period in 2024. “So far, the number of bookings was just slightly lower for July, with no noticeable change in the number of cancellations,” a Hana Tour official told The Korea Times. An official at Mode Tour said demand for travel to Japan has remained steady among vacationers, despite the doomsday prediction linked to the manga “The Future I Saw: Complete Edition” by Japanese artist Ryo Tatsuki. The author became famous after a previous version of the same manga predicted a “great disaster” in March 2011 ― the same month Japan suffered the 9.0-magnitude Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. “The number of bookings decreased

Jul 14, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Apocalyptic manga fails to deter Koreans from traveling to Japan
Health

Medical students' return plan opens door to ending 17-month standoff

Thousands of medical students are planning to return to studies after 17 months of boycotting classes in protest of the government-led medical school quota hike, signaling an end to a prolonged standoff that strained the country’s health care system. Their return, however, is unlikely to be immediate, as their schools and the government need to decide whether to allow them to return without any disciplinary measures for the long-term absence. Moreover, full recovery of medical service disruptions will be possible only when junior doctors, who also left hospitals in protest, also return to work. The Korean Medical Student Association announced the decision to return on Saturday, blaming the prolonged standoff on the previous administration and expressing trust in President Lee Jae Myung, with whom they hope to open negotiations. However, the group offered no details on how or when students would return, casting doubt on whether a full resumption is imminent. “Korea’s medical system is in an unprecedented crisis. This devastating outcome was caused by the unilateral actions and polic

Jul 13, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Medical students' return plan opens door to ending 17-month standoff
Law & Crime

Probe deepens into claims ex-leader ordered drone incursion over Pyongyang

Did former President Yoon Suk Yeol authorize a covert drone operation over Pyongyang as a pretext for declaring martial law? This question lies at the heart of a high-profile investigation led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-seok. The probe has intensified following Yoon’s arrest, Thursday, as investigators focus on allegations that he sought to exploit military tensions with North Korea to manufacture a crisis — one that would justify issuing an emergency decree on Dec. 3. The team is now examining whether the former commander-in-chief directly and unnecessarily ordered the Drone Operations Command to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles into North Korean airspace in October, just two months before declaring martial law. On Oct. 11, North Korea accused the South Korean military of sending drones over Pyongyang on three separate occasions — Oct. 3, 9 and 11 — to drop anti-regime propaganda leaflets. The North warned it would respond with force if such flights were repeated. Audio recordings the investigators reportedly secured from active-duty officers indicate that the drone missions m

Jul 10, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Probe deepens into claims ex-leader ordered drone incursion over Pyongyang
People & Events

Rights advocate for migrant workers named recipient of labor award

An immigrant rights advocate will be honored with the 2025 Korean Labor Award for her three decades of advocacy supporting and empowering migrant workers in Korea. The organizers of the prestigious annual award ― the Korea University Graduate School of Labor Studies and its Labor Issues Research Institute ― have named Jeong Gue-sun, 64, as the next recipient. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on July 16 at the Press Center in Seoul. “It is such a great honor to receive the award,” Jeong told The Korea Times on Tuesday. “But at the same time, the announcement makes me ponder over whether I deserve it, given in my view, little progress has been made over the past 30 years in terms of how workers from other countries are perceived and treated in our society.” Jeong’s journey began in the 1980s, a period marked by poor working conditions and the rise of Korea’s labor and pro-democracy movements. As new unions formed and legal reforms were enacted to protect workers from excessive overtime and health hazards, she believed these were major steps forward for all worker

Jul 10, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Rights advocate for migrant workers named recipient of labor award
Health

40% of elderly disabled Koreans live alone: report

A new report reveals that nearly 4 in 10 Koreans aged 65 or older with disabilities live alone, facing a risk of social isolation 1.7 times higher than their non-disabled peers. According to a report released Wednesday by the Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute (KODDI), a state-run research center, 39.4 percent of people with disabilities in that age bracket live alone, compared to 32.5 percent among non-disabled seniors. The analysis found that 26.3 percent of older adults with disabilities are considered socially isolated — defined as having no one to turn to when feeling depressed or needing help with daily tasks — compared with 15.5 percent of their non-disabled counterparts. As of 2024, there were 1,455,782 registered disabled people aged 65 or older, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare data. This figure accounts for 14.6 percent of all seniors in Korea. In addition to facing a higher risk of isolation and related mental health issues, many elderly people with disabilities also struggle financially. The average monthly household income for elderly disabled peo

Jul 10, 2025By Jung Min-ho
40% of elderly disabled Koreans live alone: report
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