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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

Courier health vs. consumer convenience at center of midnight delivery dispute

In Korea, where delivery apps have become indispensable, nighttime service are now a routine part of everyday life. Just a click in the evening can bring groceries or other daily items to your doorstep early in the morning. Behind this convenient lifestyle are delivery people who work at night. Concern over increasing health risks and worsening labor conditions from their long overnight shifts has led a courier union to propose restricting deliveries between midnight and 5 a.m. The move has reignited debate over how to balance couriers’ health with their right to work overnight, and with consumer expectations for near-instant delivery. The proposal came from the couriers' union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country’s two major umbrella labor groups, at last month’s meeting of the courier social dialogue council — a forum launched in September by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to address labor conditions in the delivery industry. This council had previously met twice in 2021, when parcel volumes surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and over

Nov 6, 2025By Park Ung
Courier health vs. consumer convenience at center of midnight delivery dispute
Society

Hwangnam bread sees surge in demand and imitation after APEC summit

Demand for Gyeongju’s famed Hwangnam bread has surged following last week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city, prompting the brand on Tuesday to warn against resellers inflating prices and vendors passing off imitations as the original. First made in 1939, the thin, hand-pressed pastry filled with sweet red bean paste — named for a local neighborhood — is a signature specialty of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Last week, President Lee Jae Myung presented freshly baked Hwangnam bread to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the message that he hoped Xi would “enjoy the taste of Gyeongju.” At the APEC summit, Xi told Lee that he had enjoyed the bread, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. Lee later sent an additional 200 boxes to the Chinese delegation and instructed Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to present Hwangnam bread to the other APEC member delegations as well. The bread has quickly seen a surge in demand, leading to shortages and a rise in reselling and imitation products. “Recently, we have seen Hwangnam bread being resol

Nov 5, 2025By Park Ung
Hwangnam bread sees surge in demand and imitation after APEC summit
Society

Seoul City, heritage agency clash over 140-meter-tall building near Jongmyo Shrine

A plan by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to allow the construction of a 142-meter building opposite Jongmyo Shrine — the royal Confucian shrine where ancestral rites for Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings are still held — has drawn opposition from the Korea Heritage Service, which warned that the project could diminish the site’s historical value. Built in 1395, Jongmyo enshrines the spirit tablets (tablets inscribed with the names of the deceased) of 49 Joseon kings and queens. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and is recognized as the oldest and most intact Confucian royal ancestral shrine, with its original spatial layout fully preserved. The city government last week raised allowable building heights in Sewoon District 4, with Jongmyo Shrine to the north and Cheonggye Stream to the south. Under the new plan, limits will increase from 55 meters to 98.7 meters at the north end of the property and from 71.9 meters to 141.9 meters at the south end. Located about 180 meters from the shrine's front gate, the district has been marked for redevelopment since 2004

Nov 4, 2025By Park Ung
Seoul City, heritage agency clash over 140-meter-tall building near Jongmyo Shrine
Travel & Food

Gyeongju is worth visiting, with or without APEC

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Thousands of international visitors arrived in Gyeongju at the end of October for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events, where world leaders and global business figures shaped the agenda on trade and technology. But that is not the only reason to visit the city often described as a “museum without walls.” The city was the capital of the ancient Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. to 935 A.D.) for nearly a millenium, and is home to four UNESCO World Heritage sites and 36 state-designated national treasures, accounting for about 10 percent of the national total. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, more than 1.15 million foreign visitors traveled to Gyeongju between December 2023 and November 2024 — an unusually high figure for a city that is not a major metropolis. Many tourists told The Korea Times they were unaware of the major diplomatic gatherings being held at the time, but said they were still enjoying the city. Leo, a 60-year-old tourist from the United States, was not only unaware that the APEC meetings were taking place, but had

Nov 2, 2025By Park Ung
Gyeongju is worth visiting, with or without APEC
Society

After APEC, can Gyeongju become global meeting city?

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings closed Saturday after thousands of delegates visited Gyeongju, the focus is now turning to whether the city can establish itself as a recurring hub for global conferences. To host APEC events, Gyeongju invested heavily in infrastructure. The Hwabaek International Convention Center, the main summit venue, received interior upgrades such as new carpets and elevators. Next to it, the city built a new two-story International Media Center spanning 6,000 square meters to accommodate the global press. Some hotels in the city added new presidential suites to host national leaders, with renovation costs of up to 100 billion won ($69.8 million). “The city seemed well-prepared for a large international event,” said a Chinese reporter who requested anonymity due to workplace policy. “We received text alerts about road blocks, which helped us move quickly between sites. Even though the messages were in Korean, I could read them with translation apps.” He added that he was able to stay downtown by

Nov 1, 2025By Park Ung
After APEC, can Gyeongju become global meeting city?
Society

AI interpretation debuts at APEC — but does it work?

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — With thousands of visitors arriving in Gyeongju for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events this week, Korea has rolled out artificial intelligence (AI) interpretation services to support communication. However, questions remain over how effectively these tools are being used on the ground. Upon arrival, interpretation devices supporting up to 37 languages — including those of all 21 APEC member economies — are available at major transit hubs such as Gimhae International Airport and Gyeongju Station. About 140 accommodations, from hotels for heads of state to lodging for other delegations, are also equipped with these devices. Around 1,000 taxis in Gyeongju are now equipped with AI interpretation systems, and about 150 certified restaurants offer QR code-based multilingual menus and two-way AI interpretation devices. However, most of those services saw limited use in practice. “I haven’t used the government-provided AI interpretation system for APEC events because I already have my own apps,” said Ko Sung-woo, 67, a taxi driver, h

Oct 30, 2025By Park Ung
AI interpretation debuts at APEC — but does it work?
Politics

Korea, US set to deepen tech alliance with new MOU

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Korea and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for technological cooperation on Wednesday, on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events in Gyeongju. The memorandum followed a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived in Korea earlier Wednesday. It reflects shared efforts to align policies on technology and research as global competition intensifies. “The two countries signed the MOU to reinforce cooperation in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and synthetic biology, as their strategic importance grows,” the Ministry of Science and ICT said. The agreement commits the two sides to accelerating AI development and innovation and strengthening trusted leadership in emerging technologies, and was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon of the Ministry of Science and ICT and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Under the agreement, the U.S. and Korea will jointl

Oct 29, 2025By Park Ung
Korea, US set to deepen tech alliance with new MOU
Society

Security heightened in Gyeongju for APEC summit

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Security across Gyeongju has been tightened as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events begin, with a massive deployment of forces to protect visiting leaders and delegates, placing the city on one of the highest alert levels in its history. While the nationwide terrorism alert level was raised to “caution” last Friday, it was elevated further to “warning” in Gyeongju and nearby regions — Busan, Daegu, Ulsan and North and South Gyeongsang provinces — for Tuesday through Saturday. As leaders from the 21 member economies prepared to arrive, police in North Gyeongsang Province issued their highest-level security alert on Tuesday, allowing the mobilization of all available personnel. Up to 19,000 officers will be deployed across Gyeongju each day during the APEC meetings to keep the city secure. At the center of the heightened security is Bomun Tourist Complex, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Gyeongju. It houses Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), the main venue for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, as

Oct 28, 2025By Park Ung
Security heightened in Gyeongju for APEC summit
South Korea

Korea’s APEC journey: From founding member to agenda-setter

In November 1989, 12 economies gathered in Canberra, Australia, to launch Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a forum created to promote sustainable growth and shared prosperity in the region. Both Korea and APEC have continued to flourish in the 36 years since. As of 2023, the forum has grown to 21 member economies, representing approximately 3 billion people and a combined real gross domestic product of $56.9 trillion — around 61 percent of the global total. Building on that growth, Korea has evolved from a founding member into an agenda-setter, most notably with the 2005 summit in Busan. It is now poised to play a key role once again when the summit opens this week in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Korea’s rise within APEC reflects its transformation from a developing nation into a regional leader, now shaping discussions on trade, innovation and sustainable, inclusive growth across the Asia-Pacific. The country has been instrumental in guiding APEC’s direction, from the 1991 Seoul Declaration on open trade and regional cooperation to the 1994 designation of the Kore

Oct 28, 2025By Park Ung
Korea’s APEC journey: From founding member to agenda-setter
Society

Meet the volunteers keeping Gyeongju’s APEC summit running smoothly

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events now underway, Gyeongju is alive with heightened security and the diplomatic pageantry that accompanies such gatherings — from heads of state to a swelling international press corps. Yet beyond the visible layers of police and protocol, Korea’s second APEC meeting in two decades owes its success to a dedicated local team — 310 volunteers quietly managing the event’s operations. They assist thousands of foreign visitors as they arrive at the airport, and also provide support with transportation, lodging, and on-site operations. In July, 254 volunteers were selected from a pool of 1,069 applicants nationwide, with additional support from students at Dongguk University’s Gyeongju campus and other international participants. On Monday, the volunteers were stationed throughout the city, quickly forming the essential on-the-ground support network needed to guide thousands of delegates. “My job is to provide transportation support at Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, helping visitors find

Oct 27, 2025By Park Ung
Meet the volunteers keeping Gyeongju’s APEC summit running smoothly
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