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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

Blade threat at Korea's Antarctic base puts crew member under police investigation

A member of a Korean Antarctic research team threatened fellow crew members with a blade at Jang Bogo Station, raising concerns about conduct and oversight at the country's remote polar outposts. According to the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), a winter-over station member pulled a blade on station personnel in April. Korean media reports identified the suspect, who fashioned the 30-centimeter blade from a steel sheet in the station's workshop, as a man in his 50s with a prior record of misconduct and friction with colleagues. The incident ended with no one injured after station officials separated the suspect from the group. The suspect departed last week and returned to Korea, Monday, where he is now under police investigation. His transport was secured through international cooperation, with Antarctic winter having largely grounded air operations. Jang Bogo Station, established in 2014 on Terra Nova Bay in Victoria Land in southeastern Antarctica, is Korea's second Antarctic base and its first on the Antarctic mainland, built 26 years after King Sejong Station on King George

May 12, 2026By Park Ung
Blade threat at Korea's Antarctic base puts crew member under police investigation
Society

74 countries, one plaza: Seoul Friendship Festival marks 30 years of bringing world closer

Choi Yun-ho had never been to Poland despite dating his Polish girlfriend Pola for a year. On Saturday, this year's Seoul Friendship Festival brought a taste of her homeland to him. “It's difficult to find a restaurant in Korea that serves proper Polish food,” the 30-year-old told The Korea Times after biting into kielbasa, a Polish smoked sausage, at one of the festival's food booths. For Pola, 30, the festival was more than a taste of home. “It's not just food. There are embassy booths where you can learn about different countries. We did a quiz about Poland and won some postcards,” she said. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year's Seoul Friendship Festival took place Saturday and Sunday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, bringing together embassies from 74 countries under the slogan “30 Years with the World, Bridging Cultures Together.” First held in 1996, the festival promotes cultural exchange between Seoul and cities worldwide, drawing about 160,000 visitors last year to DDP, one of Seoul's most visited landmarks. “When the festival first took root in

May 11, 2026By Park Ung
74 countries, one plaza: Seoul Friendship Festival marks 30 years of bringing world closer
Society

Korea to add drunk driving warnings to alcohol bottle labels in November

Liquor bottles in Korea will be required to carry warning text or images about the dangers of drunk driving, as part of efforts to curb alcohol-related harm. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute said Friday the alcohol labeling regulations have been revised, with the new rules taking effect Nov. 9. The revised rules will require liquor containers to include a "no drunk driving" warning in text or image form, alongside existing warnings about health risks and the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. The regulations also establish a legal basis for warning images, moving beyond the previous text-only approach for greater visual impact. The amendments carry a six-month grace period in compliance with the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. The rules apply to all alcoholic beverages produced or cleared through customs on or after March 19. Products produced or imported before Nov. 9 may remain on sale until May 8, 2027. The revised rules come amid a broader shift in drinking habits. The median monthly binge drinking rate acr

May 8, 2026By Park Ung
Korea to add drunk driving warnings to alcohol bottle labels in November
Society

Viral AI baseball fan reflects Korea's struggle to tell real from fake

Last week, a post captioned “The average Korean woman” went viral on X, featuring a video of a woman in the stands watching a Korea Baseball Organization game between the Hanwha Eagles and Doosan Bears. The post has racked up 14.9 million views as of Friday. But some die-hard Korean baseball fans have zeroed in on the broadcast graphics rather than the woman, raising suspicions it was generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The scoreboard in the upper left corner showed Kim Seo-hyeon as the pitcher and Jo In-seong listed as the batter, but Jo retired in 2017 and has since worked as a coach. He was also shown as a Doosan Bears player, despite joining the team only as a coach, never as a player. The video is part of a growing pattern in Korea, where AI-generated content is increasingly causing real-world consequences that existing regulations have struggled to address. Last month, AI-generated sighting photos of an escaped wolf named “Neukgu” from O-World Zoo in Daejeon spread across social media, disrupting search operations. Last July, some news outlets ran false reports after

May 8, 2026By Park Ung
Viral AI baseball fan reflects Korea's struggle to tell real from fake
Society

'Not one of these new homes is mine': Women left behind by Seoul's red-light district closures

A towering high-rise apartment complex rises over a strip of restaurants, clinics and cafes, just a 10-minute walk from Cheonho Station in Seoul's Gangdong District. Park, 46, who asked to be identified only by her surname, remembers a different place. She spent the last eight years of her life there as a sex worker in the area, which was home to more than 200 brothels at its peak before being shuttered in 2020 and redeveloped into the complex that stands today. Cheonho-dong once housed one of Seoul's best-known red-light districts, along with Miari Texas in Seongbuk District and Cheongnyangni 588 in Dongdaemun District. “I'd look at the map now and think, that was my room, there used to be a corner store there,” Park told The Korea Times. “I thought to myself, all these new homes going up and not one of them is mine.” Displaced, not freed Prostitution was first criminalized in Korea in 1961, but enforcement was significantly strengthened with the enactment of the Special Act on Prostitution in 2004. Under this law, people who buy sex can face up to one year in prison or fines of

May 8, 2026By Park Ung
'Not one of these new homes is mine': Women left behind by Seoul's red-light district closures
Society

Global Korea Awards winners share experiences with gender minister

Outstanding students from multicultural backgrounds shared their stories and policy ideas with Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyong, turning their personal experiences into proposals for change. Winners of the Global Korea Awards — hosted by The Korea Times to support multicultural students who often encounter hurdles rooted in cultural differences or language barriers — gathered for a luncheon with Won at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Thursday. “I read about each of your backgrounds and achievements. You are all truly remarkable,” Won said, explaining that the ministry is shifting from awareness campaigns toward policies that respond to what multicultural families and immigrant-background youth actually need. “We all share this planet. That common ground calls us to reject discrimination and build a society where young people of all backgrounds stand equal,” she said. Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin noted that multiculturalism, once an unfamiliar concept when the awards launched 15 years ago, has become a natural part of Korean soc

May 7, 2026By Park Ung
Global Korea Awards winners share experiences with gender minister
People & Events

Daegu lines up tours, cultural programs for World Masters Athletics Championships visitors

With the World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC) 2026 slated for Daegu this August, the city is getting ready to welcome athletes with more than just a venue for demonstrating their physical prowess, preparing a slate of exciting activities around town. Beyond the track, the city has put together a broad range of tours, cultural experiences and discounts for the some 11,000 athletes and family members from 90 countries expected at the event running from Aug. 22 to Sept. 3. Headlining the program are three daytime tours running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., each winding through a different part of the city and mixing traditional landmarks with trending spots. The art tour visits some of Daegu's most iconic cultural landmarks, including Kansong Art Museum Daegu, home to an extensive collection of Korea's cultural heritage, and 83 Tower, a skyscraper offering sweeping views of downtown Daegu. The modern history tour explores the city's historic downtown, including Seomun Market, its largest traditional marketplace. The nature tour heads to Mount Palgong, where the Palgongsan Cable Car carrie

May 7, 2026By Park Ung
Daegu lines up tours, cultural programs for World Masters Athletics Championships visitors
  • Daegu to host world athletics championships for amateurs this summer
Sports

Daegu to host world athletics championships for amateurs this summer

If you are 35 or older, love athletics or simply want to experience Korea at its sporting best, Daegu has a date for you this summer. The World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC) Daegu 2026 will run Aug. 22 through Sept. 3 at Daegu Stadium and surrounding venues, reinforcing the southeastern city's standing as a leading host city for international athletics. Unlike events centered on elite athletes, the championships welcome amateurs aged 35 and older to compete in age groups across 34 disciplines, with registration still open through June. Some 11,000 participants and family members from 90 countries are expected this year — everyday athletes who love to run, jump or throw, bringing their families along for a celebration of sport and cultural exchange. The championships hold particular resonance for Daegu, a seasoned host of major international athletics. Having hosted the indoor edition in 2017, Daegu would become the only city to have hosted both editions of the WMAC, with the indoor held in odd-numbered years and the outdoor in even-numbered years. The city is also the only one

May 7, 2026By Park Ung
Daegu to host world athletics championships for amateurs this summer
Environment & Animals

Seoul's air clears as fine dust drops 40% over 2 decades

Seoul's fine dust levels have dropped significantly over the past two decades, marking a hard-won turnaround even as ozone is emerging as the capital's next air quality threat. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that the annual average concentration of ultrafine dust, or PM2.5, fell 40 percent from 30 micrograms per cubic meter in 2006 to 18 micrograms in 2025. Fine dust, or PM10, dropped 47 percent over the same period, from 60 micrograms to 32 micrograms. Days with poor PM2.5 levels, defined as concentrations at or above 36 micrograms per cubic meter, fell from 108 in 2006 to 32 last year, while days with clean air, at or below 15 micrograms, more than doubled from 73 to 182 over the same period. The city credited the gains largely to the de-dieselization of its bus fleet. Between 2006 and 2014, Seoul converted about 8,900 diesel buses to compressed natural gas and other cleaner alternatives. The shift has continued since, with electric buses now making up about 23 percent of the city's fleet. Fitting aging diesel vehicles with particulate filters and subsidizing early sc

May 6, 2026By Park Ung
Seoul's air clears as fine dust drops 40% over 2 decades
Society

Mount Gwanak's surge in popularity takes its toll

Mount Gwanak, riding a wave of surging popularity, is struggling with growing problems of littering, vandalism and safety as visitor numbers continue to climb. On Monday, photos went viral of a puddle fouled with what appeared to be instant noodle broth and other waste, drawing sharp criticism. Local authorities managing Mount Gwanak moved quickly to respond. After the site was suspected of falling within its jurisdiction, southwestern Seoul's Geumcheon District said Monday it had confirmed that the puddle was located outside its boundaries. That same day, Gyeonggi Province's Gwacheon dispatched workers to clean the puddle. As the mountain is not a national park, it is jointly managed by multiple local authorities, including Seoul's Gwanak and Geumcheon districts and the Gyeonggi Province cities of Anyang and Gwacheon. Improper disposal of waste is not the only concern. Last month, graffiti spray-painted on rocks near a hiking trail prompted Gwanak District to carry out restoration work. The incidents follow a surge in visitors to Mount Gwanak, driven in part by a well-known fortune telle

May 5, 2026By Park Ung
Mount Gwanak's surge in popularity takes its toll
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