my timesThe Korea Times

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.

Go to Email

Read more

Politics

Six PPP lawmakers convicted over 2019 parliamentary standoff

Six lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) were convicted Thursday of illegally attempting to block a bill from being brought forward in the National Assembly in 2019. The ruling adds to pressures on the conservative party, which has struggled to regain footing since former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last December. The Seoul Southern District Court fined PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog 11.5 million won ($7,830) and Rep. Na Kyung-won 24 million won. Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, a former member of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the PPP’s predecessor, was fined 19 million won. The other convicted lawmakers — Rep. Kim Jung-jae, Rep. Lee Man-hee, Rep. Yoon Han-hong and Rep. Lee Chul-gyu — all received fines exceeding 5 million won. In 2019, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and three opposition parties — the Bareunmirae Party, the Party for Democracy and Peace, and the Justice Party — reached a tentative agreement to fast-track a series of reform bills. The package included electoral system reforms, the launch of the Corruption Investi

Nov 20, 2025By Park Ung
Six PPP lawmakers convicted over 2019 parliamentary standoff
People & Events

Korean activist recognized by church group for humanitarian work in Gaza

Kim Ah-hyun, 27, an activist who was detained by Israel last month after joining a Gaza aid flotilla, was awarded this year’s Korean Churches Human Rights Award, the oldest human rights prize in Korea, given to those who advance human dignity. The Korean Churches Human Rights Center said Monday that Kim was honored for raising awareness of the suffering of Palestinian refugees and actively taking part in humanitarian relief efforts. Kim, a member of Thousand Madleens to Gaza — a volunteer coalition that sends aid flotillas to challenge the Gaza blockade — is the first Korean to take part in such activities. Last month, she was detained for two days by Israeli authorities in international waters about 220 kilometers off the Gaza Strip and released in a voluntary deportation. “Since Gaza has been officially blockaded since 2009, the sea was the only route in,” Kim said earlier this month. “We sailed not only to reach Gaza, but also to stand in solidarity with the small island communities across East Asian waters.” Kim became interested in social issues from her teenage years a

Nov 20, 2025By Park Ung
Korean activist recognized by church group for humanitarian work in Gaza
Society

Korea avoids $216 mil. payment in final Lone Star ruling

The Korean government secured a victory in a protracted international arbitration, successfully nullifying a ruling in an investor-state dispute over the U.S. private equity firm Lone Star's sale of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB), ending a legal battle that has stretched on for more than a decade. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Tuesday that the Korean government won a favorable ruling from the annulment committee of the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, D.C. “The annulment committee has voided all payment obligations outlined in the Aug. 31, 2022, arbitration award, including the $216.5 million in principal and the interest owed to Lone Star,” Kim said. Kim added that the government’s previously estimated compensation liability of roughly 400 billion won ($272.8 million) has been entirely nullified. The ruling also directs Lone Star to reimburse the government about 7.3 billion won in legal costs within 30 days. In August 2022, ICSID ordered the Korean government to pay Lone Star $216.5 million, plus interest. The ruling a

Nov 18, 2025By Park Ung
Korea avoids $216 mil. payment in final Lone Star ruling
People & Events

From fields to fortune: Gangnam District marks five decades of change

Fifty years ago, the newly established Gangnam District — today a major hub of Seoul’s economy and culture — was little more than open fields and farmland. Now the district's mayor, Cho Sung-myung was once a local 18-year-old, growing up as the area around him was being reshaped into a bustling urban landscape. Nearly five decades later, having witnessed Gangnam’s transformation firsthand, Cho takes pride in calling himself “a true Gangnam native” and is already looking ahead to what the next 50 years might bring. “When Gangnam was first developed in the 1970s, the focus was on building as much housing as possible,” Cho said during an interview with The Korea Times. “Cultural, leisure and environmental values were overlooked, but today’s global trend emphasizes quality of life.” Cho believes the district is ready for that shift, pointing to its expanding cultural offerings and growing role as a global medical hub. The 2025 Gangnam Festival, now in its 14th year and featuring programs from music to fashion, highlights this shift. This year’s event to mark the distri

Nov 18, 2025By Park Ung
From fields to fortune: Gangnam District marks five decades of change
Society

Bucheon crash renews debate on older drivers

At Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, few anticipated the moment Thursday a 1-ton truck would surge into the crowd, killing two people and leaving 19 others injured. “The truck came barreling in just as I stepped forward to help a customer checking radishes,” a vendor said. “If I had stayed where I was, I could have died. Later, I told her how grateful I was.” With police attributing the crash to driver error by the 67-year-old behind the wheel, the incident has revived debate over tightening regulations for older motorists, a discussion that has flared anew after a series of fatal accidents. Last July, a 68-year-old driver struck pedestrians near Seoul City Hall, killing nine and injuring five. He claimed unintended acceleration, but an appeals court in August rejected the argument and sentenced him to five years in prison. A similar incident occurred last December, when a 74-year-old man drove into a traditional market in Yangcheon District, southwestern Seoul, killing one and injuring 12. These cases underscore a broader trend: Both the number of drivers 65 and older an

Nov 15, 2025By Park Ung
Bucheon crash renews debate on older drivers
Society

Police advocacy group condemns treatment of officers at Gyeongju APEC summit

After last month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, which saw up to 19,000 police officers deployed daily from across the country, Kim Keon-pyo, director of the Korean National Police Workers Council, said the reports he received from officers on the ground were far from commendable. “They said they were treated like homeless people,” Kim told The Korea Times. Angered by their accounts, Kim began collecting photos of the poor working conditions officers faced during the APEC events. The council is now holding a photo exhibition in Seoul this week displaying those conditions, sparking criticism of the treatment of deployed officers and renewed calls for better working conditions. On Tuesday, photos displayed outside the National Police Agency in Seoul’s Seodaemun District showed the meager meals provided to officers and police standing by in a movie theater. The council plans to hold additional exhibitions in front of the National Assembly on Wednesday and Friday. Among the photos were images of meals served to some officers

Nov 12, 2025By Park Ung
Police advocacy group condemns treatment of officers at Gyeongju APEC summit
Society

1 in 3 Koreans now obese, highlighting mounting disease risks

The obesity rate among Korean adults has climbed by roughly a third over the past decade, with one in three now classified as medically obese as of last year, underscoring rising public health risks from obesity-related diseases. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported Monday that 34.4 percent of Korean adults had a body mass index of 25 or higher, based on a nationwide survey of about 230,000 people aged 19 and older — up from 26.3 percent in 2015. By gender, the obesity rate was 41.4 percent among men and 23 percent among women, highlighting a pronounced gender gap. The rate was particularly high among men in their 30s and 40s, at 53.1 percent and 50.3 percent. Among women, obesity rates increased with age, peaking at 26.6 percent among those in their 60s and 27.9 percent among those 70 and older. In addition, 74.7 percent of men and 78.4 percent of women said they had attempted to lose or manage weight at least once in the past year. Regionally, the public health challenge was most pronounced in South Jeolla Province, where the obesity rate reached 36.8 percen

Nov 11, 2025By Park Ung
1 in 3 Koreans now obese, highlighting mounting disease risks
Society

Lunchboxes, analog watches: essentials for Korea’s college entrance exam

As this Thursday’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), known in Korean as “suneung,” approaches, people planning on taking the exam are preparing in ways that go far beyond hitting the books — they're packing lunchboxes and choosing analog watches. The annual nationwide exam, which is considered so important that the police will escort test-takers who are running late and nearby air traffic is suspended during the English listening section, also sparks a scramble for items rarely needed in daily school life but suddenly indispensable for this single day. That demand is now reflected in shopping habits. Searches for insulated lunch boxes on Bungaejangter, a secondhand marketplace commonly known as "Bunjang," surged 107 percent in October from the previous month, the company said Tuesday. Test-takers must bring their own lunch on exam day, as school cafeterias do not operate during the CSAT. “It was really important to bring a warm, comforting lunch when I took the exam, too,” said Wang Sung-jun, 30, an artificial intelligence researcher who sat for the CSAT in 2014 and 201

Nov 11, 2025By Park Ung
Lunchboxes, analog watches: essentials for Korea’s college entrance exam
People & Events

Winners of 14th Global Korea Awards

The Korea Times has selected 14 students as winners of the 14th Global Korea Awards. Selma Naciri, a student at Bosung Girls’ High School in central Seoul's Yongsan District, won the grand prize, which will be presented by Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyong. Born to a Moroccan father who later became a naturalized Korean and a Korean mother, she drew on her multicultural background to study Arabic and other languages, cultivating an early sensitivity to global perspectives. Hoping to pursue a career in diplomacy, she has been active in her school’s Model United Nations program, reflecting a deep interest in international affairs. The Korea Times also recognized two outstanding students each from the elementary, middle and high school levels, along with two from the university category. The winners are Myeong Soo-min from Geumsan Elementary School, Shrestha Mondal from Gwangnam Elementary School, Kim Eun-woo from Jinsan Middle School, Ryu Seo-yeon from Lausanne Collegiate Incheon, Kim Hyun-jin from Kwangdong High School, and Park Si-yeun from Hansung Science High Sch

Nov 11, 2025By Park Ung
Winners of 14th Global Korea Awards
Society

Teens, young adults account for 4 in 10 ER visits for self-harm

Nearly four in 10 people who visited emergency rooms last year as a result of self-inflicted injuries or suicide attempts were in their teens or 20s, highlighting growing mental health concerns among young people and the urgent need for stronger prevention measures. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Medical Center, 35,170 cases of self-inflicted injury or suicide attempts were seen at regional and local emergency medical centers last year. Although the total number dropped by roughly 11,000 from 2023, these cases still accounted for 0.8 percent of all ER visits for the third consecutive year, reflecting a broader decline in overall emergency care use. Of those who attempted self-harm or suicide, roughly 21,500 were women, accounting for 61.1 percent, while nearly 13,700 were men, representing 38.9 percent. By age group, people in their 20s made up the largest share at 23.6 percent, followed by teenagers at 16.3 percent — together accounting for 39.9 percent. Those in their 30s represented 14.7 percent, those in their 40s accounted for 14.3 percent and tho

Nov 9, 2025By Park Ung
Teens, young adults account for 4 in 10 ER visits for self-harm
previous page
2728293031
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.