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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

From consumers to politicians, Starbucks Korea faces growing boycott

Kim Hye-joon, 30, doesn't go a single day without visiting Starbucks. But her daily routine may change following sharp criticism of the company over its controversial “Tank Day” promotion that briefly ran on Monday, the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising. “I think this was extremely careless. I have no idea what they were thinking with the event and the wording,” Kim told The Korea Times on Wednesday. “I'm not about to smash my mug like some people on social media, but if there's a local cafe nearby, I'll just go there instead.” Kim's sentiment reflects a broader backlash spreading among consumers and politicians, highlighting how a marketing blunder can ignite public fury in a country where the historical wounds around the 1980 uprising run deep. The pro-democracy movement erupted in the southwestern city of Gwangju on May 18, 1980, when citizens stood up against the nationwide extension of martial law by the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan, who would become president later that year. The crackdown left hundreds dead or missing, and it has since been recogn

May 20, 2026By Park Ung
From consumers to politicians, Starbucks Korea faces growing boycott
Society

1 in 8 elementary students face school violence, as half of witnesses stay silent

School violence among elementary school students has more than doubled in the past two years, raising alarm over the growing vulnerability of the country's youngest students. According to a survey released Tuesday by the Blue Tree Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to school violence prevention, the proportion of elementary school students who reported being victims of school violence jumped from 4.9 percent in 2023 to 12.5 percent last year. The survey polled 8,476 elementary, middle and high school students nationwide between November and December last year. Middle and high school students reported lower rates, at 3.4 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, highlighting the outsized impact on younger students. The foundation linked the rise to elementary school students' struggle to differentiate violence from play, noting that children at that age often cannot draw a clear line between roughhousing and actual harm. Verbal abuse was the most common form of school violence, accounting for 23.8 percent of cases, followed by physical violence at 17.9 percent and cyberbullying at 14.5 percen

May 19, 2026By Park Ung
1 in 8 elementary students face school violence, as half of witnesses stay silent
People & Events

Moon Dai-won, Korean grandmaster who pioneered taekwondo in Mexico, dies at 83

Moon Dai-won, the Korean grandmaster credited with bringing taekwondo to Mexico and building it into a national sport, died Saturday at his home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He was 83. Born in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, Moon arrived in Mexico in 1968 and founded Mexico's first taekwondo school, Moo Duk Kwan, the following year. “I did not know that I would settle down here. My initial plan was to live in the United States after graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in architecture. But the fateful visit changed my life,” he said in a 2013 interview with The Korea Times. His influence spread far beyond the gym. Over his lifetime, Moon trained more than 300,000 students, and the Moo Duk Kwan network has since grown to about 500 affiliate gyms across Mexico, with more than 1.5 million Mexicans practicing the sport today. This legacy earned him the title of Gran Maestro, meaning “grandmaster” in English. Moon also served as chairman of the technical committee of the World Taekwondo Federation. Under Moon's influence, Mexico grew into a taekwondo powerho

May 19, 2026By Park Ung
Moon Dai-won, Korean grandmaster who pioneered taekwondo in Mexico, dies at 83
Travel & Food

Where to find best roses in Korea this month

Rose festivals are blooming across the country this month, ready to draw large crowds from Seoul to the coasts. The Seoul Rose Festival in Jungnang District opened Friday and runs through Saturday. Featuring a rose tunnel stretching 5.45 kilometers along Jungnang Stream, the festival showcases about 320,000 roses of 232 varieties. Further south on the coast, the Ulsan Grand Park Rose Festival will open Wednesday and run through Monday. In conjunction with the 2028 Ulsan International Garden Expo, the festival aims to reinforce the city's image as a garden culture destination. The rose garden spans 56,174 square meters and features 3 million roses of 265 varieties, with night lighting installations that give the grounds a distinct look after dark. A photo zone runs through May 31, and the city plans to operate a QR code-based map service and free shuttle buses circling the park for visitor convenience. On the east coast of Gangwon Province, the Samcheok Rose Festival runs Tuesday through Monday at Samcheok Rose Park, showcasing 130,000 roses of 218 varieties across 85,000 square meters. H

May 19, 2026By Park Ung
Where to find best roses in Korea this month
Society

Seoul Global Student Center helps int'l students bridge gap from campus to career

Every week, Shapolayeva Aisulu spends nearly three hours on a round trip from Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to the Seoul Global Student Center in Seodaemun District. For the Kazakh student studying in Korea, every minute of the commute is worth it. “Korean language programs at universities can cost over 1.5 million won ($997) per semester, but here you can take nearly the same course for free,” the 24-year-old told The Korea Times. “I recommend it to anyone who wants in-person feedback from teachers or the chance to connect with other students.” Shapolayeva is among the growing number of international students seeking to build careers and settle in Korea after graduation, a trend the Seoul Metropolitan Government is stepping up to support. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of international students in Korea reached 308,838 as of December 2025, up 17.1 percent from the same month the previous year. A 2023 Ministry of Data and Statistics survey of 188,000 international students found that 63 percent hoped to remain in Korea after graduation. Opened in May right next t

May 19, 2026By Park Ung
Seoul Global Student Center helps int'l students bridge gap from campus to career
Society

Seoul expands $0.33 discount program for personal cup use at cafes

Seoul expanded its discount program for customers bringing their own cups to cafes on Monday, as it opens up participation to more stores in a bid to further curb disposable cup waste and promote eco-friendly habits. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said customers using their own cups at participating stores can save at least 500 won ($0.33) per drink, with stores discounting a minimum of 100 won and the city subsidizing 400 won. The city first implemented the initiative through a pilot program in 2023 and has since recorded around 260,000 personal cup uses through 2025, helping foster a culture of sustainability. This year, the city eliminated the Seoul Pay membership requirement, opening participation to a broader range of stores. At locations affiliated with Seoul Pay, the city's mobile payment platform, customers can choose between an immediate on-site discount or accumulated rewards points. Participating stores are listed on the Smart Seoul Map, an online service that visualizes city information geographically. To encourage public participation, the city will encourage stores to ho

May 18, 2026By Park Ung
Seoul expands $0.33 discount program for personal cup use at cafes
Society

Gwangju Uprising distortions still prevalent despite punishment law

With the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising falling on Monday, false claims about the pro-democracy movement, including assertions that it was a riot or involved North Korean troops, continue to circulate online. According to the May 18 Foundation Sunday, it found 5,182 posts, comments and videos distorting or denigrating the uprising between February and November last year, up roughly 200 percent from the same period a year earlier. The uprising erupted in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980, when citizens stood up against the imposition of martial law extended nationwide by the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan, who would become president later that year. The crackdown left hundreds dead or missing, and it has since been recognized as a pivotal moment in Korea's long road to democratization. Decades later, however, the uprising remains a target of online distortion among far-right circles. By platform, dcinside — the largest Korean online forum — accounted for more than half of all cases with 2,677, followed by Naver News with 1,028 and Ilbe, a far-right online

May 17, 2026By Park Ung
Gwangju Uprising distortions still prevalent despite punishment law
Society

At Seoul's bridge control center, AI helps stop 99% of suicide attempts

For most Seoul residents, the Han River is a place for evening strolls, picnics and a brief respite from city life. But for Kim Jun-young, chief of the Hangang Bridge CCTV Integrated Control Center in Gwangjin District, Seoul, it is where his team pulls people back from the edge every day. Established in 2021, the center uses artificial intelligence (AI) for comprehensive emergency response, monitoring 900 CCTV cameras across 17 of Seoul's 21 pedestrian-accessible Han River bridges. Beyond suicide prevention, its most frequent task, the center also handles criminal tracking, traffic accidents and drug enforcement. “We get three to four suspected suicide attempts that result in a dispatch call every day,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times. “Most of them go with officers without protest, which means they were determined to end their lives.” The intervention record reflects the scale of the crisis as well as the effectiveness of the response. According to city data, suicide attempts on Han River bridges have surpassed 1,000 for four consecutive years since 2022, reaching

May 15, 2026By Park Ung
At Seoul's bridge control center, AI helps stop 99% of suicide attempts
Society

$13.5 mil. bench: Seoul's new Korean War monument draws puzzled looks

Stavros was walking through Gwanghwamun Square Wednesday when the flags at the Garden of Gratitude caught his eye. The 42-year-old traveler from Cyprus paused, but struggled to make sense of what he was looking at. “I don't know, I think it is what it is,” he told The Korea Times, adding that he had first thought they were just art deco-style sculptures. He had no idea they were a stone monument honoring the 22 nations that fought in the 1950–53 Korean War, unveiled just the day before. He is not alone in that uncertainty. For many Koreans, setting aside whether the monument belongs in the square, its arrival just three weeks before the June 3 local elections has made it as much a political flashpoint as a civic one. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the conservative People Power Party calls it “a space that elevates the dignity and symbolism of Gwanghwamun Square,” while his rival Chong Won-o of the Democratic Party of Korea dismisses it as a “self-promotional legacy project” built on more than 20 billion won ($13.5 million) of public money. Opinions among Koreans and foreigners w

May 14, 2026By Park Ung
$13.5 mil. bench: Seoul's new Korean War monument draws puzzled looks
Society

UN rights chief says int'l law protects N. Korean POWs in Ukraine from repatriation

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the principle of non-refoulement applies to the two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) detained in Ukraine, citing obligations under international humanitarian and human rights laws. Non-refoulement is a principle of international law that prohibits states from returning individuals to a country where they face a real risk of persecution, torture or serious harm. This marks the first time the U.N. rights chief has publicly invoked the principle in relation to the North Korean POWs held in Ukraine. During a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday, Türk said the legal framework governing the treatment of the prisoners is clear. “International humanitarian law and international human rights law applies, and it means proper treatment, including the obligation not to send them back to areas where they could be ending up with harm. The principle of non-refoulement applies to them, which is part of the international legal framework,” he said. His office maintains a presence in Ukraine and is aware of the cases, he added. Tü

May 13, 2026By Park Ung
UN rights chief says int'l law protects N. Korean POWs in Ukraine from repatriation
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