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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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North Korea

UN rapporteur asks China not to forcibly deport North Korean escapees

Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea, speaks during a meeting with Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, not pictured, at the Government Complex in Seoul, Monday. Salmon asked Beijing not to forcibly deport North Korean escapees, Tuesday, saying all member states should respect U.N. treaties. YonhapMember states must comply with principle of non-refoulement, Salmon saysBy Jung Min-hoElizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea, asked Beijing not to forcibly deport North Korean escapees, Tuesday, saying all member countries should comply with the principle of non-refoulement.At a press conference where she shared the results of a nine-day visit here, Salmon said she was “extremely concerned” about the risk of grave human rights abuses facing some 2,000 North Koreans detained in China.Her request comes at a time when North Korea is easing border restrictions in a clear sign of reopening after three years of extreme pandemic isolation.“I welcome the partial reopening of the borders by the DPRK (North

Sep 12, 2023By Jung Min-ho
UN rapporteur asks China not to forcibly deport North Korean escapees
North Korea

Kim-Putin summit could take place as early as Tuesday

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 12, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un leaving Pyongyang for a trip to Russia on his special train. YonhapPyongyang, Moscow confirm meeting plan as North Korean train heads to Vladivostok By Jung Min-hoNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to arrive in Russia for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as Tuesday and possibly sign an arms deal.After a train presumably carrying Kim left Pyongyang en route to Vladivostok, Monday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported that he will soon “meet and have a talk with” Putin, but did not elaborate on when and where the meeting would take place.The Kremlin also confirmed that the North Korean leader will visit the country “in the coming days” at the invitation of Putin, according to Russia's TASS news agency.Hours before the confirmation, South Korean government officials said that the North Korean leader's heavily armored train appeared to have left Pyongyang on Sunday afternoon. If the summit t

Sep 11, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Kim-Putin summit could take place as early as Tuesday
  • Heavy security spotted at Vladivostok train station amid speculation of NK leader's visit
  • White House urges NK not to provide weapons to Russia
North Korea

North Korea takes another step toward perfecting second-strike capability: experts

This photo released Friday shows a newly built "tactical nuclear attack submarine" at Sinpo Shipyard in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, Wednesday. YonhapPyongyang unveils new 'tactical nuclear attack submarine'By Jung Min-hoNorth Korea revealed its first submarine designed to launch “tactical nuclear weapons” from underwater, Friday, as the regime is redoubling efforts to perfect its second-strike capability ― an ability to respond to a nuclear attack with nuclear retaliation.The submarine, named after a military hero, Kim Kun-ok, will carry nuclear-strike means for “a preemptive or a retaliatory attack,” its leader Kim Jong-un said during a ceremony, held Wednesday, ahead of North Korea's Sept. 9 founding anniversary, the state media said.This comes amid fears that Pyongyang is seeking Moscow's support in developing a nuclear-powered submarine through an ammunition-for-tech deal at Kim's expected meeting with Vladimir Putin next week. The New York Times reported that the summit would be held in Vladivostok between Sept. 10 and 13, citing U.S. sources.In

Sep 8, 2023By Jung Min-ho
North Korea takes another step toward perfecting second-strike capability: experts
Defense

ANALYSIS Concerns of Korea getting dragged into war in Taiwan are inflated

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan Island, one of Beijing's closest points from Taiwan, in Fujian province, ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan, in this Aug. 4, 2022 file photo. Experts recently told The Korea Times that a Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security deal signed at Camp David last month would not expose South Korea to a greater Taiwan war risk. AFP-YonhapTrilateral security pact does not make Seoul's involvement more likely, experts sayBy Jung Min-hoAfter a new Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security pact was sealed last month to reinforce cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, critics in South Korea claimed that the deal could expose their country to a greater risk of being drawn into a potential war over Taiwan ― a volatile superpower flashpoint.At a recent meeting with officials of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Do-gyun, former commander of the Capital Defense Command, said, with their stated commitment to unity, South Korea is now more likely to be embroiled in issues of potential armed conflict.“It is very likely that the move, packaged as th

Sep 8, 2023By Jung Min-ho
[ANALYSIS] Concerns of Korea getting dragged into war in Taiwan are inflated
North Korea

Major arms deal between Kim and Putin 'very likely,' experts say

This April 25, 2019 file photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other during their meeting at the Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia. Experts said on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine has brought the countries closer and the two leaders could reach a major arms deal at the expected summit in Vladivostok next week. EPA-YonhapRussia's help would 'advance and expedite' development of North Korean weaponsBy Jung Min-hoAfter Russia invaded Ukraine last year, experts on North Korea warned that the conflict could lead to a dangerous partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow. A protracted war could force the Kremlin to seek support from North Korea, which would be delighted to provide ammunition in return for Russian weapons technology, they said.That grim scenario may be set to unfold when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok sometime next week, as the New York Times reported citing U.S. sources.Speaking to The Korea Times on Tuesday, analysts sai

Sep 5, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Major arms deal between Kim and Putin 'very likely,' experts say
  • N. Korea will pay a price if it provides weapons to Russia: NSA Sullivan
North Korea

UN rapporteur urged to help lay groundwork to prosecute North Korean leader at ICC

Elizabeth Salmon, right, the U.N. special rapporteur for North Korean human rights, poses with Son Myung-hwa, a representative of the Korean War POW Family Association, in Seoul, Monday, as she begins her nine-day trip. Courtesy of Korean War POW Family AssociationEvidence for Kim's crimes against humanity 'more than sufficient,' rights activists sayBy Jung Min-hoEvidence of atrocities committed in North Korea by the Kim Jong-un regime is abundant. Therefore, human rights activists are wondering whether the evidence collected in the South would meet the U.N.'s requirements to bring him to justice at the International Criminal Court (ICC).Speaking to The Korea Times on Monday, rights advocates said this is one of the main issues they are planning to raise if given the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur for North Korean human rights. Arriving Monday in Seoul, Salmon began her nine-day trip where she will meet with government officials, members of civic groups and North Korean escapees.“My first question to Salmon would be whether it is possibl

Sep 4, 2023By Jung Min-ho
UN rapporteur urged to help lay groundwork to prosecute North Korean leader at ICC
Foreign Affairs

Korea joins Freedom Online Coalition

gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoKorea, under President Yoon Suk Yeol's leadership, has officially embraced the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) as a strategic partner, championing the cause of online freedoms and human rights in its diplomatic endeavors.In an announcement made last week, the FOC said it welcomed the country as its 38th member.“As a state party to several international treaties that relate to the FOC's mission, the ROK has demonstrated a commitment to human rights online both at a domestic level and in key international forums and initiatives,” the FOC said in a statement, referring to Korea by an acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea. “The country has a track record of actively engaging in various forums and human rights bodies, having supported efforts to bring attention to topics concerning human rights violations occurring globally.”Korea has been in talks with the United States, the current rotational chair, and other members to obtain partnership since early this year, a senior government official revealed in April. The organizat

Sep 4, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Korea joins Freedom Online Coalition
North Korea

Kim's visits to naval facilities show direction of North Korea's nuclear strategy: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a ship engine factory at Ryongchon County in North Pyongan Province, in this photo released on Sunday. YonhapPyongyang claims to have conducted 'tactical nuclear attack' drill with cruise missilesBy Jung Min-hoWhile reporting on its latest drill for a “tactical nuclear attack,” Sunday, Pyongyang released photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a ship engine factory. The facility, situated on its west coast near the border with China, assumes an “irreplaceable responsibility for strengthening naval forces,” Kim said while presenting his policy direction for “opening a new era” in marine engineering.Analysts told The Korea Times that this move, consistent with his recent messages highlighting the importance of naval power, suggests the trajectory of the North's long-term nuclear weapons strategy, namely building a submarine equipped with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) or a nuclear-capable submarine. “After developing and deploying strategic missiles on land, North Korea has be

Sep 3, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Kim's visits to naval facilities show direction of North Korea's nuclear strategy: experts
North Korea

UN rapporteur closely watching signs of China deporting NK defectors

This photo released on Aug. 22 by Kyodo shows North Korean women at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. North Korea said, Aug. 27, it will allow its citizens staying abroad to return home as the country slowly eases its draconian pandemic restrictions. YonhapActivists consider increasing pressure ahead of Hangzhou Asian GamesBy Jung Min-hoElizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea, said she has been closely monitoring China for any signs of a resumption in the forced repatriations of North Korean escapees as the two countries ease border restrictions.In a statement recently sent to The Korea Times, Salmon recognized the grave risk of human rights violations facing the escapees who have been detained in China during the three-year border closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.“I and other mandate holders have repeatedly raised concerns over the forced repatriation of people from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) by other countries including China due to the continuing real risk of serious human rights violation

Aug 31, 2023By Jung Min-ho
UN rapporteur closely watching signs of China deporting NK defectors
  • US lawmakers seek to meet UN officials to stop China from sending back N. Korean defectors
North Korea

Seoul urged not to give up on abductees in North Korea

This April 20, 2021, file photo shows the North Korean flag fluttering at the North Korea consular office in the Chinese border city of Dandong. Human rights groups call on the government to be step up efforts to resolve issues regarding South Korean abductees and prisoners of war in North Korea on Aug. 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, a day created to remember the victims of enforced disappearance. Reuters-YonhapGov't vows to redouble efforts for victims on International Day of the DisappearedBy Jung Min-hoWhen a North Korean agent hijacked a Korean Air flight carrying his father and forced the pilot to land in North Korea in December 1969, Hwang In-cheol was only two years old.Despite 53 years passing, Hwang and his family remain undeterred in their quest to search for him.“No matter how long it takes, we will not give up on him because we can't. We hope leaders in the government feel the same,” Hwang told The Korea Times on Wednesday.He spoke on the occasion rights advocates marked as the International Day of the Disappeared, a day created to remember the

Aug 30, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Seoul urged not to give up on abductees in North Korea
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