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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

ANALYSIS What is Seoul aiming for by prioritizing human rights in North Korea?

People bow to portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, in this November 2021 photo. YonhapPeaceful unity impossible without 'revolutionary change' in Pyongyang first: US expertsBy Jung Min-hoAfter his decision to replace three key figures in charge of handling inter-Korean relations, President Yoon Suk Yeol called on the unification ministry to fundamentally change the way it operates, saying its unification efforts should be based on the Constitution.Article 4 of the Constitution says that Korea should “formulate and carry out a policy of peaceful unification based on the principles of freedom and democracy.” What does that mean for the ministry's future role and the prospects of unification?According to U.S. analysts, it would mean achieving freedom and democracy in North Korea first before pursuing peaceful unification. Without a “revolutionary change” in Pyongyang, unification is impractical to attain or maintain, they said. In other words, if the North regime remains as it has always been ― trampling on the freedom of its citizens as a m

Jul 6, 2023By Jung Min-ho
[ANALYSIS] What is Seoul aiming for by prioritizing human rights in North Korea?
Politics

From weightlifting star to top sports administrator

Jang Mi-ran, new second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, walks out of a car to enter the ministry building in Sejong, Tuesday, her first day at work. The weightlifting star joins the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, drawing excitement and concerns about her role as the top sports administrator. YonhapEx-colleagues express trust in Jang amid leadership ability concernsBy Jung Min-hoBoth Park Jong-kil and Choi yoon-hui ― former athletes who both rose to the top post of sports administration in the past respectively ― vowed to bring hope to politics as they had done at the 1982 and 1986 Asian Games, only to eventually disappoint the public.Jang Mi-ran, 39, only the third sports star to become the vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, aims to set the first successful precedent. Entering the ministry building in Sejong on Tuesday, her very first day on the job, she said she will deliver her utmost efforts to exceed all expectations.As an athlete, Jang was the nation's biggest weightlifting star and is a certified legend. She held her World Championship title consecutivel

Jul 5, 2023By Jung Min-ho
From weightlifting star to top sports administrator
Defense

Caution needed in developing defense ties with Vietnam, North Korea's comrade

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong shake hands at the Presidential Palace of Vietnam in Hanoi, June 23. YonhapExperts say Seoul should tread carefully in taking advantage of Hanoi's bid to diversify arms import sourcesBy Jung Min-hoThe abysmal performance exhibited by Russia's military in Ukraine has been a PR disaster for its arms exporters and an alarming revelation for the nations that rely heavily on Russian weapons for their security.As many countries seek to reduce their dependence on Russian military hardware, President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea would reinforce defense ties with Vietnam ― one of the top buyers of Russian weapons ― at a summit with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong in Hanoi last month.Yoon's surprising move has prompted South Korean arms makers to rethink their overseas business strategies, which have almost exclusively targeted those in the free world. Vietnam, a one-party state ruled by the Communist Party of Vietnam, still maintains cordial diplomatic relations with North Korea.Foreign relations experts and industry off

Jul 3, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Caution needed in developing defense ties with Vietnam, North Korea's comrade
North Korea

Unification minister nominee vows not to compromise on human rights in dealing with N. Korea

Kim Yung-ho, nominee for next unification minister, speaks to reporters in front of the Office of the Inter-Korean Dialogue in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeonHis 'uncompromising' principles set to collide with very nature of Pyongyang regimeBy Jung Min-hoKim Yung-ho, the nominee for next unification minister, vowed on Friday not to compromise on any of his principles in the ministry's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, saying that human rights are among the unnegotiable values.Speaking to reporters at the Office of the Inter-Korean Dialogue in Seoul, Kim said the rights violations of ordinary North Koreans are “very serious” and South Korea has so far shown a lack of willingness to resolve the issue.“Freedom, human rights and the rule of law are among the uncompromising things,” said Kim, who is a political diplomacy professor. “From a scholar's perspective, the international community has paid extensive attention to addressing the issue, while South Korea has relatively been less so … As stakeholders in the unification m

Jun 30, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Unification minister nominee vows not to compromise on human rights in dealing with N. Korea
Society

Rights watchdog names 1st North Korean non-standing commissioner

By Jung Min-hoLee Han-byeolLee Han-byeol has become the first North Korean refugee to join the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) as one of its seven non-standing commissioners, the rights agency announced on Thursday. Lee, director of the Improving North Korean Human Rights Center and an advocate for the rights of North Koreans, escaped her birth country in 1999 at the age of 17 and spent three years in China before arriving in South Korea.In previous media interviews, she said she began to get involved in helping North Korean refugees after the news in 2013 that the government of Laos deported nine North Korean teenagers back to the totalitarian country they had escaped. She said she empathized with their pain because of her personal story; the Chinese government also sent her brother back in 2009 and he has not been heard from since. After studying Chinese and law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she worked as a public servant in Anyang for three years from 2010 while consulting with North Korean refugees.

Jun 29, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Rights watchdog names 1st North Korean non-standing commissioner
Politics

Yoon names new unification minister in Cabinet reshuffle

Kim Yung-ho, nominee for new unification minister, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. Newsis Ex-human rights diplomat to lead NK policy; weightlifting star tapped as vice sports ministerBy Jung Min-hoPresident Yoon Suk Yeol replaced his minister of unification and other key Cabinet members, Thursday, in a bid to breathe new life into his second year in office ahead of the most crucial political test of his five-year term early next year.Kim Yung-ho, a professor of political diplomacy at Sungshin Women's University and a former human rights ambassador, was named as the new unification minister in charge of handling relations with North Korea. His background, which includes his academic focus on the Korean War and past criticism of the regime's rights violations, suggests a continuation of the administration's unwavering tough stance toward the North.In a March interview with the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Ti

Jun 29, 2023By Jung Min-ho
Yoon names new unification minister in Cabinet reshuffle
North Korea

North Korea tightens state control of food

A farmer tends to rice seedlings at the Namsa Co-op Farm of Pyongyang's Rangrang District, May 25, 2021. Signs are palpable that North Korea has been tightening state control over its entire economy, particularly food, a veteran journalist said on Wednesday. AP-YonhapFamine worsens as Kim steps up fight against market forces: inside sourcesBy Jung Min-hoNorth Korea's great famine in the 1990s, which was a direct result of failures by the state, gave rise to “jangmadang,” the informal markets that eventually grew to play an essential role in the economic lives of its people.But history is set to repeat, as Kim Jong-un, the state's young leader, is poised to tighten state control on the market economy, particularly on food, a veteran journalist said at Wednesday's seminar on the issue in Seoul. He added that Kim will likely unleash another devastating period of mass hunger upon his own people. Citing six sources who are living in North Korea-China border regions, Jiro Ishimaru, who has been covering the rogue state for the past 30 years, said its food crisis may have alread

Jun 28, 2023By Jung Min-ho
North Korea tightens state control of food
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
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