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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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Defense

Drone unit aims to counter North Korea's evolving air threats

South Korean military drones fly during joint drills with the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, in this May 23 photo. The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday promulgated a decree for the launch of a multipurpose drone operations unit. AP-YonhapGov't declares decree to create multipurpose UAV commandBy Jung Min-hoThe Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday promulgated a decree for the launch of a multipurpose drone operations unit as part of efforts to counter North Korea's evolving air threats and to reinforce the capabilities that have become increasingly critical in modern warfare.The declaration comes six months after President Yoon Suk Yeol told his military officials to create a command center for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) strategies for both offensive and defensive missions.The unit, which is expected to be established in September, will take direct orders from Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and take on reconnaissance, strike and other roles. Its presence in the military may well expand as its interoperability with other units i

Jun 27, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Drone unit aims to counter North Korea's evolving air threats
People & Events

Donations pour in for Korean War veteran caught shoplifting

By Jung Min-hoThis photo released by police shows a hand-written letter from a person offering help to a financially struggling Korean War veteran who was recently caught stealing food. Courtesy of Busanjin Police StationDonations are pouring in for a financially struggling Korean War veteran who was caught stealing food. According to police and officials at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on Monday, more than 20 people have so far contacted them to ask about ways to help the man who is now in his late 80s. Some offered cash, while others sent food and other daily necessities.They decided to lend a helping hand and joined in following the news that the veteran was being investigated for allegedly stealing several bottles of sesame oil, canned fish and other food products worth 83,000 won ($64) between April and May.After being apprehended, he immediately apologized and said he did so because he did not have enough money to buy food, police explained.After serving in the war, the veteran worked as a fisherman for 30 years. Reportedly, he has two children he has lost cont

Jun 27, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Donations pour in for Korean War veteran caught shoplifting
North Korea

Wagner mutiny may have killed North Korea's dream project

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, welcomes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for talks in Vladivostok, Russia, in this, April 25, 2019 photo. The Wagner Group's recent rebellion may have killed North Korea's dream project in Russia, an expert said Monday. AP-YonhapExpert says Pyongyang's hopes of taking advantage of Moscow ties now look dimBy Jung Min-hoWhen Russia's military forces took control of Luhansk and Donetsk, two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, North Korea seized an opportunity, becoming only the second state after Syria to recognize their independence in a move to back Moscow.Then followed the news that the North was offering 100,000 soldiers to help stabilize the regions and that it was supplying munitions to the Kremlin through the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary group with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.All this suggests that North Korea was keen to take advantage of the war. First, by selling Russia weapons during the conflict and then by taking part in its reconstruction. That plan may now have been seriously ― perhaps fatally ― disrup

Jun 26, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Wagner mutiny may have killed North Korea's dream project
Politics

Minor progressive parties seek to unify

Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoMinor liberal parties seek to unify in the coming months in order to spread their common values more effectively and challenge the two-party system in the general election next year.Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday, Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, said she will join forces with those who share similar visions, with a plan to finalize the process by the end of October at the latest.“We will meet with those who agree with the social vision that the Justice Party pursues with a firm determination to challenge the two-party system,” Lee said. “We are seeking to collaborate especially with those in the labor and green activism movements.”There have been reports that several former members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea such as Rep. Yang Hyang-ja and Keum Tae-seop, a former lawmaker, have also been moving to create a new party. Yang said

Jun 26, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Minor progressive parties seek to unify
Defense

Yoon vows 'peace through strength' on 73rd Korean War anniversary

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, waves the Korean flag with veterans of the Korean War and other attendees during an event marking the 73rd anniversary of the war's outbreak at eastern Seoul's Jangchung Gymnasium, Sunday. YonhapPresident honors heroes who died defending freedom against communist forcesBy Jung Min-hoMarking the 73rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on Sunday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said only “strong power” can guarantee peace on the peninsula and honored those who died while defending South Korea against communist forces.“We should never forget the tears and blood of those who participated in the war and their families. We should remember the meaning of all of the blood that was shed by those in uniform, which made freedom in the Republic of Korea possible,” Yoon said in a message posted on social media.“Only strong power can guarantee true peace. We will defend the free Republic of Korea resolutely and contribute to bringing prosperity and freedom to the citizens of the world so that the sacrifice of the heroes who defe

Jun 25, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Yoon vows 'peace through strength' on 73rd Korean War anniversary
  • PHOTOS 73rd anniversary of Korean War
Politics

Opposition leader meets fishermen amid Fukushima worries

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, tries raw squid during his visit to a traditional market in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday. NewsisSafety fears may be unfounded, but industry is already taking hitBy Jung Min-hoSeemingly determined to keep the Fukushima water issue alive, Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition party, on Thursday met with fishermen who are deeply concerned about Japan's plan to discharge treated wastewater from the city's nuclear plant into the sea.The leader and other officials of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) visited a local market at Gangneung, a coastal city in Gangwon Province, where such worries are especially high.His move comes at a time when concerns are rising over a million tons of radioactive water set to be released into the Pacific Ocean beginning in the coming weeks. Many in the seafood industry say that they have already been losing customers and fear that this was only the beginning of a more serious business crisis that could unfold when Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) proceeds wi

Jun 22, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Opposition leader meets fishermen amid Fukushima worries
North Korea

North Korea worries Blinken's trip may lead to US-China detente

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday. AP-YonhapBeijing's attempt to manage bilateral tensions ruffles Pyongyang: analystsBy Jung Min-hoNorth Korea on Wednesday belittled U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to Beijing as a “begging trip” to reduce bilateral tensions, in remarks analysts believe revealed the regime's desire to maintain the Cold War-like status quo.Citing Jong Yong-hak, an analyst on international affairs, the North's official Korean Central News Agency portrayed Blinken's trip as an admission of the failure of U.S.' policy of putting pressure on China, following one of the most significant exchanges between the two nations under President Joe Biden.The state news agency then slammed the “double-dealing and impudence” of Washington, siding with Beijing, which demands the lifting of all U.S. tech restrictions targeting Chinese companies.“China tends to view North Korea as a liability when it has a good relationship wit

Jun 21, 2023By Jung Min-ho
North Korea worries Blinken's trip may lead to US-China detente
Foreign Affairs

Korea-US alliance serves as 'compass for freedom'

Panelists engage in discussions during a session of the 2023 Korea Times Forum themed “Korea-U.S. Alliance: Security & Space Cooperation,” at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukForged in war 70 years ago, deep ties expand into spaceBy Jung Min-hoForged in battle seven decades ago to protect the values of freedom and democracy, the Korea-U.S. alliance today seeks to set an example of liberty and peace for countries that support the same principles, top-level government officials in Seoul said Tuesday.What began as a military treaty has strengthened and expanded into a wide scope of sectors, ranging from the environment to space, as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of their special partnership and bond this year.At the 2023 Korea Times Forum, themed “Korea-U.S. Alliance: Security & Space Cooperation,” policymakers and experts from different fields shared their views on how the alliance has not just survived, but thrived despite major challenges over the past decades. They

Jun 20, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Korea-US alliance serves as 'compass for freedom'
  • Envoys explore new areas of cooperation beyond Korea-US alliance
  • PHOTOS Forum navigates past, present, future of Korea-US alliance
North Korea

Hardliner behind multiple attacks on S. Korean military returns to N. Korean politics

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party Committee, attend an extended bilateral meeting with their U.S. counterparts during the second Washington-Pyongyang summit in the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, in this Feb. 28, 2019, file photo. Kim Yong-chol, a hardliner blamed for multiple attacks on South Korea, has returned to the center stage of North Korean politics, state media reported Monday. Reuters-YonhapPyongyang reveals satellite launch failure to public at major party eventBy Jung Min-hoA former top-level spy and military general who was behind multiple attacks against the South Korean military has returned to the center stage of North Korean politics. Kim Yong-chol, who is believed to have been in command of the attacks on the ROKS Cheonan corvette and a South Korean island in 2010 as well as a 2015 landmine explosion on the southern side of the DMZ, was elected as an alternative member of the political bureau of its ruling Workers' Party of Korea, state media reported Monday.According to the Rodong Sinmun, a mout

Jun 19, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Hardliner behind multiple attacks on S. Korean military returns to N. Korean politics
Law & Crime

Ruling party plans to strengthen laws against criminals seeking revenge

The attacker in the infamous "spin-kick case" leaves the Busan High Court in Busan, June 12, after the verdict. His face in this image is blurred under a law that protects the human rights of criminals. The ruling People Power Party said Friday that it is seeking to bolster legal measures to better protect victims. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoThe government and the ruling People Power Party plan to bolster laws and other rules against revenge-seeking criminals after the so-called “spin-kick case” that shocked the nation recently.Rep. Park Dae-chul, the party's chief policymaker, held a meeting with high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Justice, Friday, to come up with new measures to better protect victims of crimes, especially women who suffered from sexual assault.The move came after the Busan High Court sentenced the infamous spin-kick attacker, in his early 30s, surnamed Lee, to 20 years in prison earlier this week for inflicting permanent nerve damage on a stranger with a roundhouse kick and attempting to rape her in the southern port city on May 22, 2022. His inmates la

Jun 17, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Ruling party plans to strengthen laws against criminals seeking revenge
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