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

Politics

Ballot shortage issue fuels PPP infighting

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is descending into open infighting over how far to push its challenge on the local elections after ballot shortages in several key electorates caused disruptions to voting, with PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok facing mounting calls to step down and accusations that he is using the controversy to prolong his own political career. At the center of the dispute is the leadership’s decision to lodge election complaints seeking partial revotes in seven constituencies where ballot papers ran out during the June 3 elections, followed by Jang’s move to escalate demands for a nationwide rerun. Senior party members such as Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and floor leader Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig have dismissed Jang’s remarks, saying they are his own personal stance rather than a party position. Jang made a social media post Tuesday, writing, “The goal is clear. A nationwide rerun. The petitions are only the beginning.” Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Oh — who himself scraped through to win the Seoul mayoral race by a narrow margin — said Jang’s leade

Jun 17, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Ballot shortage issue fuels PPP infighting
Health

New suicide prevention chief puts responsibility on state

Korea must treat suicide not as an individual failing but as a government responsibility, said Jung Yoon-soon, chairman of the state-run Korea Life Respect and Hope Foundation. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Jung, who took office last month, pointed to the persistently high number of Korean people who take their own lives. The rate has consistently been higher than other OECD member countries since 2003, and Jung said that blaming individuals’ “personal problems” is not tenable. “This is not about a few people making bad choices,” Jung said. “It is a structural failure, and the government must take primary responsibility for fixing it.” According to official data, the 2024 suicide rate was 29.1 per 100,000 people, with 14,872 deaths — an average of 41 lives lost every day. Although preliminary figures for 2025 suggest a modest decline of around 6.5 percent, Jung cautioned against premature optimism. Fixing it requires a whole-of-government response, he noted. The suicide rate should be read not just as a mental health statistic but as a key indicator of how K

Jun 17, 2026By Jung Min-ho
New suicide prevention chief puts responsibility on state
Travel & Food

Tourists in Seoul trade World Cup fever for taekwondo

While much of the world had its eyes glued to the 2026 World Cup, a small plaza in central Seoul filled up on Sunday instead with the sound of “kihap” as visitors lined up to kick, punch and bow their way through a hands-on taekwondo class. Under a summer sky at Namsangol Hanok Village, tourists from different parts of the world followed an instructor’s count — “One and two, easy, good!” — as they practiced basic stretches and front kicks on a mat laid out in front of a traditional Korean pavilion. Some in sneakers and shorts tried to mirror the black belt teacher leading the session, while others laughed as they struggled to keep their balance. This class came after a 30-minute taekwondo showcase featuring wooden board-breaking, traditional dance and K-pop-style choreography, before the performers waved visitors onto the mat to try the moves themselves. All participants, especially the children, appear to have enjoyed it. Vince Ward, an American from Kansas City whose parents were in town visiting, said he signed up as soon as he spotted the program being advertised. “We

Jun 16, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Tourists in Seoul trade World Cup fever for taekwondo
Society

Should chip tax bonanza be shared with workers, society?

Korea’s debate over how to share the spoils of a historic semiconductor boom is intensifying, with the government claiming the need for a new mechanism to share unexpected gains from chipmakers — including tax revenues and excess profits — even as business and labor clash over how far the state should reach into corporate earnings. Several top policymakers, including President Lee Jae Myung himself, have recently suggested a national-level — or even international — debate on how to use excess corporate gains, as part of efforts to narrow the pay gap between large and small firms. At the International Labour Organization conference in Geneva last Wednesday, Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said that gains from the chip boom driven by artificial intelligence (AI) demand should serve as many as possible. “The benefits of AI should not be concentrated only in a few countries and companies, but should also translate into new opportunities for all nations and workers,” he said. Those gains are the result of a semiconductor boom that has sent profits soaring at Samsung Electronics an

Jun 15, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Should chip tax bonanza be shared with workers, society?
Health

1 in 4 Seoul residents don’t drink at all, survey finds

Nearly one out of four residents in Seoul reported not drinking alcohol at all in the past year, according to a new citywide survey that shows drinking frequency decreasing and flexible forms of vegetarianism on the rise. The survey, based on responses from more than 3,000 adults and released Sunday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, showed that 23.7 percent of respondents said they had not consumed alcohol at all over the last 12 months — up from the previous year’s 21.6 percent. Among those who do drink, the number of Seoul residents drinking several times a week appears to be declining. The share of respondents who said they drink four or more times a week was 1 percent, down from 1.4 percent the previous year. Those drinking two to three times a week fell to 12.5 percent from 13.4 percent, while those drinking two to four times a month dropped to 23 percent from 31.5 percent. Less frequent drinking also became more common. The share of people who said they drink about once a month rose to 22.6 percent from 19.8 percent, and those who drink less than once a month increased to

Jun 14, 2026By Jung Min-ho
1 in 4 Seoul residents don’t drink at all, survey finds
Society

POSCO E&C faces headquarters audit, nationwide safety inspections after fatal accident

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has announced sweeping inspections of POSCO E&C after a series of fatal industrial accidents at the company’s construction sites, including the recent death of a subcontracted worker at the Sinansan Line subway project in Seoul. According to officials on Thursday, Minister Kim Young-hoon, who is currently attending the International Labour Organization’s conference in Geneva, was briefed on the latest incident and immediately ordered inspections of POSCO E&C’s headquarters and all its construction sites nationwide. The move follows an accident at a Sinansan Line construction site on Tuesday, in which a 35-year-old subcontracted worker fell about 15 meters to his death while carrying out work to widen an opening for cable tray installation. According to the ministry, one worker died in industrial accidents at the company's construction sites in 2023, three in 2024 and five last year. In cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, labor authorities will launch inspections at construction sites for the Sinansan Line, focusi

Jun 11, 2026By Jung Min-ho
POSCO E&C faces headquarters audit, nationwide safety inspections after fatal accident
Society

Gender equality minister backs anti-discrimination law, diverse family recognition

Korea’s gender equality minister has endorsed a comprehensive anti-discrimination law and pledged to reflect a broader range of family forms in government policy, while promising to take tougher action on crimes targeting women and present the government’s stance on juvenile offender reform by the end of this month. Speaking at Thursday’s press conference marking the first anniversary of the Lee Jae Myung administration, Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyong said legislation against hate speech and discriminatory action would be a major step toward protecting vulnerable groups. “Anti-discrimination legislation is highly significant, as it would provide effective remedies against unfair treatment of diverse families within our policy scope — including single-parent families and families with migrant backgrounds — and help protect their rights,” Won said. “I think the debate should be led by the National Assembly and the government ministries directly responsible for drafting the relevant laws. In that process, we can actively support those efforts.” Won also

Jun 11, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Gender equality minister backs anti-discrimination law, diverse family recognition
Foreign Affairs

Filipino killer of Korean businessman nabbed as Lee hails arrest

A dismissed high-ranking Philippine police officer convicted of orchestrating the 2016 killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo has been arrested in Manila after nearly two years on the run, authorities said Wednesday. President Lee Jae Myung welcomed the arrest, vowing to seek justice for criminals targeting Korean citizens abroad and expressing gratitude to officials in both countries for their joint efforts. Rafael Dumlao, who was a top official of an anti-drug unit within the Philippine National Police at the time of the killing, was apprehended at around 5:15 a.m. on Tuesday (local time), according to Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The mastermind behind Jee's killing had been in hiding since the Philippine Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that convicted him and sentenced him to at least 30 years in prison. The case involved the abduction and killing of Jee inside the national police headquarters in 2016. With the direct involvement of several active-duty and former police officers, the case shocked both countries as it exposed serious corruption within law enforce

Jun 10, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Filipino killer of Korean businessman nabbed as Lee hails arrest
Politics

12 student bodies to issue joint declaration over voting rights violations

As rallies calling for a redo of last week’s local elections continued into their fifth day, student leaders from 12 universities across Korea said Tuesday they will issue a joint declaration denouncing ballot shortages that they say deprived citizens of their right to vote. Student leaders said student bodies from 12 universities — Yonsei, Konkuk, Kyung Hee, Sogang, Korea, Seoul National, Hongik, Sungkyunkwan, Soongsil, Chonnam National, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the University of Seoul — will simultaneously hold a joint declaration and protest on their campuses at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the June 10 Democratic Uprising of 1987, a key milestone in Korea’s pro-democracy movement against the Chun Doo-hwan military regime, in a bid to frame the current dispute as a struggle over basic political rights. In their declaration, the participants are expected to demand a thorough investigation into the ballot shortages, which they say undermined the integrity of the democratic system and effectively deprived many citi

Jun 9, 2026By Jung Min-ho
12 student bodies to issue joint declaration over voting rights violations
  • Election commission faces probe, major overhaul
Health

Korea to put counselors in every school in teen suicide prevention push

Professional counselors will be deployed to every school in Korea and school principals will be able to arrange counseling and treatment without parental consent under a sweeping pangovernment plan to curb teen suicide announced Tuesday amid a rise in youth deaths and mental health problems in recent years. The plan involves 15 ministries and government agencies and targets a reduction in the youth suicide rate from eight per 100,000 people in 2024 to 6.5 by 2030 and 4.2 by 2035 — back to levels last seen in 2015. Officials say such a broad, cross-ministry approach is needed because teen suicide is often driven by strong impulsivity and a complex mix of causes, from academic and career pressures to family conflict, harmful online content and media influence, which cannot be addressed by a single institution. "Teen suicide is not an issue that can be resolved simply by focusing on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being or on the efforts of school communities alone. It is a challenge that demands a collective response and sense of responsibility from everyone who shapes the e

Jun 9, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Korea to put counselors in every school in teen suicide prevention push
previous page
45678
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.