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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

'Even BTS served in military': Debate reignites over athletes' service exemption privilege

Debate has reignited over the military service exemption for athletes who win medals at international athletic competitions, after some players made remarks gloating about the privilege at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. While the issue has been around for more than a decade, calls for abolishing the system have grown stronger, especially in light of fairness issues with others who contributed to raising national prestige in other fields, including global stars like BTS, and the shrinking population in the age group eligible for military enlistment. The controversy resurfaced after Korea beat host Japan 1-0 in the men's football final on Saturday, winning a fourth consecutive Asian Games title. Afterward, some players brought up the military service exemption in interviews. "I don't think the medal or the trophy mattered at all. The real reward for us is the military exemption, so I think we played with only that in mind," said Yang Min-hyeok, a 20-year-old winger. Lee Gi-hyuk, a 26-year-old defender, smiled as he held up his gold medal to reporters and said, "I'm not going to the military

Oct 5, 2026By Park Ung
'Even BTS served in military': Debate reignites over athletes' service exemption privilege
Society

COVER STORY 120 meters above Seoul, slackliner stuns crowds

When Jaan Roose, 34, a three-time slackline world champion from Estonia, stepped onto a line 120 meters above downtown Seoul on Thursday, a collective gasp rose from the hundreds watching below. "Seeing a person up there feels like watching a video. It doesn't seem real," said Sung Na-hyun, 37, an office worker, adding that it was her first time watching a slackline performance. Sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and hosted by Red Bull, the event was the first slackline performance held high above central Seoul. Slackline is an extreme sport in which athletes walk along a line about 2.5 to 5 centimeters wide stretched between two points, performing tricks such as jumps and spins using the line's sway and rebound. Roose, who began slacklining at 18, became the first person to slackline across the Strait of Messina, which separates Sicily from mainland Italy, in July 2024. Two months later, he became the first to cross from Asia to Europe on a slackline, walking 1,074 meters over the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. He kept breaking new ground in January 2025, walking a 100-meter

Oct 1, 2026By Park Ung
[COVER STORY] 120 meters above Seoul, slackliner stuns crowds
Books

Asian journalists share firsthand accounts of war, loss, division

Journalists and other voices from across Asia are drawing attention to stories often overlooked by mainstream coverage, sharing firsthand accounts of war, division and migration at a book talk in Seoul. The event, held Tuesday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul’s Jung District, centered on Korean journalist Lee Sang-ki’s new book, "Why Asia Again? Journalist Lee Sang-ki Asks, Asia Answers." The author began his journalism career in 1988, founded the Asia Journalists Association (AJA) in 2004 and launched the news outlet The AsiaN in 2011 to convey perspectives from across the continent through an Asian lens. In his book, which covers roughly 50 Asian countries, Lee said the COVID-19 pandemic made him feel the existing world order was giving way to a new era, prompting him to take a fresh look at Asia. "Much of the news from Asia is not properly reported and many people are not interested," Lee said, adding that even when it is reported, coverage is often one-sided. The author introduced AJA journalists who are still reporting from the ground across Asia. "One journalist in Lebanon is a

Sep 30, 2026By Park Ung
Asian journalists share firsthand accounts of war, loss, division
Society

Cornell disputes light-punishment claims in drugging, assault case

Cornell University has disputed claims that students named in a sexual assault lawsuit were allowed to mitigate their punishment simply by submitting essays, calling the characterization false and warning it could deter survivors from coming forward. When asked about the disciplinary action against the accused students, the Ivy League university said that any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false. “A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault,” the university said in a statement on Monday (local time), which it sent to The Korea Times in response to the newspaper's inquiry. The response came after a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit in New York this month alleging that seven members of the school's Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her in October 2024, according to The Cornell Daily Sun. The university said the

Sep 29, 2026By Park Ung
Cornell disputes light-punishment claims in drugging, assault case
Society

COVER STORY Online hunt begins for Korean defendant in Cornell sexual assault suit

Online users are trying to find information about Winston Lee, a Cornell University student widely believed to be a Korean national, after a sexual assault lawsuit named seven current and former students at the university as defendants. A former Cornell student filed the lawsuit in New York this month, claiming seven members of the school's Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her in October 2024, according to The Cornell Daily Sun. Lee was among the seven defendants. No criminal charges were filed against the seven students, as a police investigation found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges, according to local media reports. The victim's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, told CBS that only two of them were expelled and the others received only light punishment. The Cornell Daily Sun reported that the defendants "were offered the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to the university." As reports on the case have spread, a wave of online criticism of the defendants and Cornell's handling of the case has grown. Lee's current whereabouts, includin

Sep 28, 2026By Park Ung
[COVER STORY] Online hunt begins for Korean defendant in Cornell sexual assault suit
Society

'Pretty officer'? Defense ministry's glossary for multicultural soldiers plagued with translation errors

Several translation errors were found in a Ministry of National Defense glossary meant to help soldiers unfamiliar with the Korean language, raising questions about the ministry's vetting process as the number of troops from multicultural backgrounds continues to grow. In August, the ministry said it had compiled the glossary to explain 562 common military terms such as "salute" and "roll call" for soldiers with overseas permanent residency and those from multicultural backgrounds. The words, compiled from observations of a soldier's daily routine, were translated into English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and Japanese, posted on the Military Manpower Administration's website and distributed in print to new recruits. But the glossary was plagued with translation errors. In the English version, the Korean word for "petty officer" was mistranslated as "pretty officer." The Korean word meaning "checking the chamber for rounds after firing" was rendered instead as "Weather conditions such as rain, snow, or strong winds that restrict activities," an unrelated sentence about the weather. The te

Sep 23, 2026By Park Ung
'Pretty officer'? Defense ministry's glossary for multicultural soldiers plagued with translation errors
Others

From palaces to museums, best spots to visit for free in Seoul this Chuseok

Much of Seoul will empty out from Thursday through Sunday for this year's Chuseok holiday, as many residents head to their hometowns. But for those staying in the capital, several of the city's best-known royal palaces and museums will open for free. Here are some places worth a visit. Four grand palaces — Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu and Changgyeong The Korea Heritage Service will offer free admission to four of the grand palaces of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) — Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu and Changgyeong — as well as Jongmyo Shrine and the royal tombs, from Thursday to Sunday. Changdeok Palace's "Secret Garden" is excluded from free admission and reservations are recommended. The Changing of the Royal Palace Guard Ceremony at Gyeongbok Palace will run at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the Guard Duty Performance at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the Gyeongbokgung Guard Patrol Ceremony at 3 p.m. Gyeongbok Palace, built in 1395, was the first royal palace constructed in Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty. As the dynasty's main palace, it housed offices for state affairs and the royal family's living

Sep 23, 2026By Park Ung
From palaces to museums, best spots to visit for free in Seoul this Chuseok
Society

KMTPA, Fypher team up on digital dollar infrastructure for medical tourism

The Korea Medical Tourism Promotion Association (KMTPA) and digital dollar infrastructure company Fypher signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving financial convenience for foreign medical tourists and expanding Asia's medical tourism ecosystem. KMTPA said Monday that under the agreement, it will combine its network of medical institutions with Fypher's digital dollar infrastructure, easing payment and remittance difficulties for foreign patients seeking medical services in Korea. "The sustainable competitiveness of Korea's medical tourism industry lies not only in excellent medical services but in branding the entire process, from choosing Korea to booking and payment, as an integrated, high-value-added product," said Kim Jin-kuk, KMTPA president. Kim added that through the partnership, KMTPA will work to make real, on-the-ground improvements so foreign patients can access Korean medical care in a more convenient and reliable environment. Paul Kim, chairman of Fypher, said medical tourism is a field where trust and convenience are essential in cross-border fund transfers. "

Sep 22, 2026By Park Ung
KMTPA, Fypher team up on digital dollar infrastructure for medical tourism
Society

Suicides account for 1 in 5 international student deaths in Korea, spurring mental health calls

About one in five international students who died in Korea over the past six years took their own lives, fueling calls for stronger mental health support as their numbers in the country continue to grow. According to data the Ministry of Education submitted to Rep. Kim Moon-soo on Monday after surveying some 350 universities nationwide, 84 international students at Korean universities died between 2021 and this year. Accidents, including traffic accidents, caused the most deaths at 34 cases, followed by illness at 23, suicide at 15, undetermined causes at seven and other causes at five. The annual number of international student deaths was 12 in 2021, 16 in 2022, seven in 2023, 13 in 2024 and 21 in 2025, with 15 recorded so far this year. Suicides fell from four in 2021 to one in 2022, then dropped to zero in 2023 before rising to five in 2024, three in 2025 and two so far this year. International students often face difficulties adjusting to life in Korea, including language barriers, unfamiliar culture and academic stress. In 2024 at Chonnam National University, the death of an African g

Sep 21, 2026By Park Ung
Suicides account for 1 in 5 international student deaths in Korea, spurring mental health calls
Sports

Operational blunders at Asian Games disrupt Korean team

South Korea's delegation to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games faced a string of problems, from the wrong national anthem to poor housing conditions and repeated transportation failures, amid the organizers' sloppy planning and operations. On Friday, North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's ahead of a men's field hockey Pool A match between South Korea and Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara. The South Korean delegation demanded an explanation and sent an official letter of protest to the organizing committee. "The national anthem, a symbol of the country, should never be played incorrectly at an international multi-sport event, and we view this matter with utmost seriousness," Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min said. "We will do our best to protect our athletes so they can focus on competition without being affected by issues outside the games. We will also continue to demand that the organizing committee investigate the cause and take steps to prevent a recurrence." After the incident, two organizing com

Sep 21, 2026By Park Ung
Operational blunders at Asian Games disrupt Korean team
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