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Park Ung

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.

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Society

Unification Church’s tangible but hidden presence

High on the slopes of Mount Jangrak, Cheon Jeong Gung rises from the hills of Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province like a fortress of white stone and quiet ambition. For years, it served as the secluded residence of Han Hak-ja, the leader of the Unification Church, until her detention in September left its halls largely silent. Once a sanctuary for the religious group, the compound, located about 62 kilometers east of Seoul, is now the focal point of an investigation into allegations that the church illegally funneled large sums of money to politicians in exchange for influence. Since a high-profile police raid earlier this month, it has been viewed less as a place of worship than as a potential clearinghouse for illicit political access, with investigators tracing discreet pilgrimages made by politicians to the mountain retreat. Amid the sustained attention, a different question began to surface for many Koreans: Can the Unification Church’s presence be felt in local neighborhoods? Kim Sang-hyun, a 30-year-old banker, was among those wondering. “I don’t recall ever seeing a Unific

Dec 26, 2025By Park Ung
Unification Church’s tangible but hidden presence
Society

PHOTO Lee, first lady visit convent on Christmas

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, second from right, shake hands with nuns during a visit to Sisters of Notre Dame convent in Gyeyang District, Incheon, Thursday. In a Christmas message posted on his official Facebook page, Lee wrote, "I hope you all have a joyful day today with your loved ones." Yonhap

Dec 25, 2025By Park Ung
[PHOTO] Lee, first lady visit convent on Christmas
Society

President’s return to Cheong Wa Dae draws cheers, concern from nearby residents

For Kim Hyo-sun, life beside Cheong Wa Dae, the longtime presidential office, had been shaped by the quiet rules of a high-security zone. Since her high school years in Seoul’s Hyoja-dong, the 38-year-old’s routines were influenced by the blue-tiled compound that served as the nation’s seat of power for more than 70 years. That proximity carried trade-offs. The neighborhood’s rare calm, set apart from Seoul’s bustle, came with constraints that defined daily life in Hyoja-dong. “There were frequent protests nearby, often causing traffic restrictions and inconvenience,” Kim told The Korea Times. “But the neighborhood felt very safe, with police stationed at every corner around the clock.” The balance shifted in 2022, after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol moved the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to central Seoul’s Yongsan District, describing the compound as authoritarian and insular. But now, President Lee Jae Myung is returning to Cheong Wa Dae, with the gradual move beginning earlier this week. The return of the presidential office will cost 56 billion won ($38.3

Dec 24, 2025By Park Ung
President’s return to Cheong Wa Dae draws cheers, concern from nearby residents
Society

2025 Top 10 National News Power shifts, nuclear ambitions, issues abroad reshape nation

Korea’s political and social landscape was turned upside down in 2025, as the nation saw a president ousted, his longtime rival swept into power and key institutions pushed to their limits at home and abroad. Koreans lived through a year of high drama that redefined the balance of power in Seoul and reshaped the country’s role on the global stage. At the same time, crises ranging from a paralyzing state data center fire to mass detention of Korean engineers in the United States exposed the vulnerabilities that accompany Korea’s status as a hyperconnected, export-driven democracy. Beyond politics, 2025 also laid bare the human cost of transnational crime and technological change. Rescue operations for Koreans trapped in Cambodian scam compounds, fierce debate over abolishing the prosecution’s headquarters and a surge of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cheating at top universities all forced hard questions about accountability, ethics and the rule of law. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, a green light for nuclear-p

Dec 24, 2025By Lee Hae-rin and Park Ung
[2025 Top 10 National News] Power shifts, nuclear ambitions, issues abroad reshape nation
Society

Record influx of medical tourists delivers $2.47 bil. economic windfall for Korea

For Natsagdorj Namuun, a 30-year-old freelance model from Mongolia, the imagined Korea of her youth was a neon-hued daydream of K-pop, defined by the synchronized glitz of Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation. But for her and her peers today, the country is no longer just a distant stage for pop idols, but a place they associate with personal reinvention. “I had rhinoplasty and breast surgery in Seoul in 2022,” she told The Korea Times. “I can’t give an exact figure, but I spent at least several million won on the procedures. Five or six of my friends also came to Korea for cosmetic surgery.” About 1.17 million foreign patients visited Korea last year, the highest total since Seoul began promoting medical tourism in 2009, underscoring the industry’s growing economic significance. The impact extends beyond hospitals. A recent study found that foreign patients are also emerging as significant consumers, with about 920,000 visitors spending a combined 3.66 trillion won ($2.47 billion) in Korea last year. The Korea Health Industry Development Institute released a report last week

Dec 21, 2025By Park Ung
Record influx of medical tourists delivers $2.47 bil. economic windfall for Korea
Society

Why do Western premium burgers struggle in Korea?

American hamburgers became a staple for Lee U-chan, a 29-year-old office worker, during his 18-day journey across the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast in 2023. Back in Korea, however, he finds U.S. chain burgers too expensive to enjoy. “In Korea, the difference in taste between U.S. chain burgers and Korean brands isn’t big enough to justify the price gap,” Lee told The Korea Times. “If I’m going to spend that much, I’d rather go to an independent restaurant that serves really good food.” At Lotteria, one of Korea’s largest homegrown burger chains, single burgers typically cost about 6,000 won ($4.06) to 9,000 won. At Five Guys, a U.S. burger chain, prices in Korea are twice as expensive, ranging from about 13,000 to 17,000 won. Lee’s viewpoint is one explanation for the limited success of Western burger chains in Korea, with many consumers regarding their higher prices as burdensome amid rising living costs. On Wednesday, Hanwha Galleria, the operator of Five Guys in Korea, agreed to sell the business to a private equity firm, just two and a half year

Dec 19, 2025By Park Ung
Why do Western premium burgers struggle in Korea?
Society

President Lee’s remarks on discredited history book sparks controversy

A book widely dismissed by mainstream historians, "Hwandan Gogi" claims that an ancient Korean state known as Hwanguk ruled much of Asia around 9,000 years ago, with some adherents even asserting links to Sumer, one of the world’s earliest civilizations. Published in 1979 by pseudo-historian Lee Yu-rip, who claimed to have based it on a 1911 text by a religious figure, the book has been rejected by scholars due to a lack of evidence and unclear origins. The long-dismissed book resurfaced amid controversy after President Lee Jae Myung mentioned it publicly, sparking criticism over the appropriateness of referencing pseudo-history in official discourse. During last week’s education ministry's annual policy briefing, Lee asked Park Ji-hang, president of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, whether the foundation had shown interest in derogatory terms used against followers of Hwandan Gogi. “There seems to be a difference in perspectives over how history should be viewed and from what standpoint,” Lee said, after Park responded that professional scholars’ theories are far more p

Dec 17, 2025By Park Ung
President Lee’s remarks on discredited history book sparks controversy
Society

Incheon's new bridge set to toll foreign residents only

Set to open in January, a bridge in Incheon promises to be a stunning and practical link connecting Incheon International Airport — Korea’s main international gateway — with the sprawling business hub of Cheongna International City in Incheon. Spanning 4.68 kilometers and featuring the world’s tallest offshore observation deck, the six-lane crossing is hailed as a major boost to the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), which encompasses Cheongna and Yeongjong, as well as Songdo International Business District. Yet, as the final cables are being laid, the bridge is attracting more than just praise. Its toll exemption policy, which critics say discriminates against non-Koreans by linking free passage to the nation’s Resident Registration Act, has turned this vital piece of infrastructure into a flash point over fairness and inclusion at the very entrance to Korea. Upon its opening, vehicles owned by residents whose addresses are listed under the Resident Registration Act in the Incheon areas of Yeongjong Island, Cheongna and islands of Bukdo Township will be eligible for unlimited

Dec 16, 2025By Park Ung
Incheon's new bridge set to toll foreign residents only
People & Events

Seongdong District to host Global Cultural Experience Festival

Seongdong District in eastern Seoul will host the 2025 Seongdong Global Cultural Experience Festival, an event aimed at fostering cultural and linguistic awareness among children, on Saturday. The event will run from 1-5 p.m. at the district office’s main auditorium on the third floor and is expected to draw about 400 children from the area. Now in its second year, the festival is organized around the theme of “expedition.” Participants will receive an Explorer Card for admission and an Explorer Map to guide them through the activities. Cultural experience booths run by English teachers from various countries will give children opportunities to explore cultures from around the world. The festival will also include craft activities in which participants can create Indian henna art using natural dye, build a Canadian beaver-themed block model and make Brazilian maracas (handheld percussion instruments). A traditional costume zone will feature opportunities for children to try on outfits from different countries. The event will also include a virtual reality program offering a world t

Dec 15, 2025By Park Ung
Seongdong District to host Global Cultural Experience Festival
Society

Koreans hesitant to have children amid pricey Seoul life, scarce regional jobs

A shortage of job opportunities is widely cited as the chief driver of falling birthrates and population outflows in towns and smaller cities, underscoring the need for policies that prioritize job creation to slow the demographic decline. A report released Thursday by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found the trend especially acute in 89 population-decline zones, defined by eight metrics such as the proportion of residents under 14 and those over 65, over the past five years. The report is based on a nationwide survey of 5,000 adults aged 19 to 69 conducted last month. Asked to assess the leading causes of declining birthrates on a five-point scale, respondents identified “a lack of desirable job opportunities” as the top factor, assigning it an average score of 3.61, compared with 3.27 for housing costs and 2.97 for limited child-education facilities. Among respondents in population-decline zones, employment conditions scored even higher in relation to low birthrates, averaging 4.09. The same factor also ranked highest for population outflows, scoring 3.8 overall a

Dec 12, 2025By Park Ung
Koreans hesitant to have children amid pricey Seoul life, scarce regional jobs
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