Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Baek Min-jeong
With the Republican defeat, Iran says “U.S. voters oppose war”···warns of escalation over further attacks
Iran defined the Republican defeat in the U.S. midterm elections as its own victory and warned the United States of the possibility of further attacks. It maintained a hard line, saying that even with Democratic control of Congress, U.S. policy toward Iran would not change.
‘Set the freezer temperature to 50 degrees’ European supermarket refrigerators hacked one after another···EU “an intent to disrupt the food supply chain”
Supermarkets in at least seven European countries have suffered a spate of cyberattacks in which refrigerator and freezer temperatures were manipulated by hacking. After a similar incident recently in France, the damage has spread across Europe, drawing attention to the perpetrators and their motives. The European Union criticized it as a deliberate attack aimed at disrupting the food supply chain and eroding consumer trust.
Youth protests in Germany as well, looting·clashes in some cities···500,000 gather in France
Following France, young people in Germany also took to the streets to oppose the government's rearmament and expansion of conscription. They demanded that the money poured into the military be used to improve young people's lives, including education·healthcare·housing. Coinciding with the Halloween festivities, the day's protests in some cities escalated into violence, with shops being looted and attacks on the police.
Cornell University faculty pursue a no-confidence vote against the president···“Leadership vacuum in the response to campus sexual violence”
Faculty at Cornell University in the United States, citing how the university administration handled campus sexual-violence cases, are moving to hold a no-confidence vote in President Michael Kotlikoff and other university leaders. According to The Associated Press and The New York Times (NYT), the Cornell Faculty Senate will conduct a one-week vote on a no-confidence resolution against the university leadership starting on the 29th (local time).
ECB leadership to change during the Macron presidency···Lagarde to step down early in February next year
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde will resign early about nine months before the end of her eight-year term. With the possibility of a far-right candidate taking power in France being discussed, analysts say she chose early resignation so that European leaders can appoint a successor during the term of pro-EU President Emmanuel Macron. The ECB said on the 29th (local time) that Lagarde will step down on February 7 next year.
“If Seoul is New York, then Busan is LA”···CNN is smitten with Busan
The U.S. network CNN has spotlighted Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea, as a standalone travel destination with charms distinct from Seoul. With its beaches, seafood, and surf culture joined by major cultural facilities and urban development projects, the city is said to be transforming into a magnet for international visitors. As tourism demand once concentrated in Seoul spreads to the regions, Busan is emerging as a new destination for travelers from around the world.
Musk “SpaceX imposed the Starlink speed limit”···Controversy over control of the satellite network that rattled Ukraine’s front lines
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, acknowledged that his company was responsible for limiting the Ukrainian military’s Starlink access speeds. As this exposed the vulnerability that a communications network essential to wartime operations can be restricted by a private company’s decision, concerns are growing that reliance on foreign satellite communications networks could lead to security risks.
From iPhones and laptops to Pokemon cards, they took everything... A night in Paris marred by violence
“They took everything, cosmetics, a coffee machine, even a calculator. I do not understand. We have nothing to do with this.” Malleine, who has run a hair salon for 12 years at 10 Boulevard de Magenta in Paris, said this while taping up a shattered window. On the 18th (local time), the French daily Le Monde reported that on the night of the 17th, the area around Place de la Republique and nearby shops were left in ruins by looting and vandalism amid mass demonstrations and violence.
“Sorry that things unfolded that way”···Texts from alleged perpetrator in Cornell gang rape released
In connection with a case at Ivy League Cornell University in which a female student alleged she was gang-raped by seven male students, text messages that appear to have been exchanged between the victim and a man identified as a perpetrator shortly after the incident have been released.
As the school-age population declines… why Japanese women-only universities are declaring to ‘maintain the women-only model’
“Education for an authentic self beyond gender roles” Choosing ‘differentiation’ over converting to coeducation Kyoto Women's University saw applicants increase by 10% As the global decline in births reduces the number of incoming university students, the question of whether women's universities should continue is deepening.
Iran “No additional talks in New York”···tosses a ‘7-day plan’ to Trump, putting the ball in the U.S. court
Iran dismissed the possibility of additional talks with the United States on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It said it had already delivered to the United States a peace proposal conditioned on opening the Strait of Hormuz and said it would now wait for a response from the United States.
“I lived here for 70 years, and they hiked the rent by 275% to throw me out”···Spain ‘seethes’ over the forced eviction of an 87-year-old tenant
Large-scale protest in Madrid against soaring housing costs·forced evictions The forced eviction of an 87-year-old woman driven from the home where she had lived for 70 years has become a symbol of the housing crisis in Spain. As video spread of police forcing open the door and carrying the woman out on a stretcher, public outrage grew, and in Madrid tens of thousands took to the streets to demand action on surging rents and protections for tenants.
Countries hit by a ‘windfall’ amid war···the two faces hidden behind the boom
As wars continue to rage in various parts of the world, some countries are emerging with unexpected economic benefits. With international oil prices surging due to the Middle East war, Guyana, a small South American oil producer, has become ‘oilrich’, while Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia has rapidly risen as a transshipment hub for goods bound for Russia by exploiting sanctions imposed after the RussiaUkraine war.
‘76ｍ triumphal arch’ to post snipers on top?···In the end, Trump turns to this ploy “It will be the greatest triumphal arch”
Facing backlash including lawsuits demanding a halt to construction “Facility for military purposes···ammunition storage space, too” Invoking national security to avoid ‘legal controversy’ President Donald Trump said he would build the 76ｍ-tall triumphal arch planned near Washington D C as a dual-use military facility.
Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, 43% say their vote is “a vote against Trump”… Record-high desire to hold him to account
A survey indicates a strong public sentiment to hold the Donald Trump administration to account in the U.S. midterm elections this November. In a poll released by NBC on the 20th (local time), 43% of registered voters said their midterm vote would be “a signal of opposition to President Trump.” By contrast, 27% said they would vote to signal support for President Trump. The 43% is the highest level since NBC first introduced this question in its midterm surveys.
Trump “The question is whether to blow away the whole of Iran”···Leaves the possibility of meeting with Pezeshkian open
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had entered “decision mode” on how to respond to Iran and indicated that a significant action could come soon. While mentioning several options, from a large-scale military attack targeting Iran to economic pressure and a deal, he left open the possibility of meeting President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran directly.
Iranian military “U.S. decides to resume actions against Iran···Regional countries should not align”
Khatam al-Anbiya, the Central Military Headquarters that exercises unified command over the armed forces of Iran, warned regional countries not to align, saying that the United States has decided to resume actions against Iran.
Number of missing in Nepal mega-flood rises by nearly 1,000 in a day···Search for 9 South Koreans also faces difficulties
Late last month, the number of people missing from the mega-flood that swept the Himalayan mountain region on the Nepal-China border increased by nearly 1,000 in a single day as authorities updated the tally. With the combined number of dead and missing in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China exceeding 8,000, nine South Koreans also remain missing.
“Data centers, share the ‘community costs’”···New York recommends ‘$1 million investment per 1㎿’
The U.S. state of New York has decided to require data center developers to invest in local communities in proportion to their power consumption. As competition to develop artificial intelligence (AI) has sharply increased data centers’ use of electricity and water, raising costs for communities, the state is moving to make developers share those costs.
‘Georgia Detentions’ 300 South Koreans, Begin Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration···One Year After the Incident
More than 300 South Korean workers who were arrested and detained in a large-scale immigration sweep in the U.S. state of Georgia last year have moved to seek damages from the U.S. federal government.
Former Google DeepMind employee also warns “AI could kill us”
An AI researcher who recently left Google DeepMind has warned that “AI has the potential to kill us”. Following an Anthropic AI developer leaving the company after saying ‘AI could be out of control by the end of next year,’ concerns from insiders who have led AI development are mounting.
This time, “I want to see a united Ireland”… Trump once again touched a sensitive issue of another country
The United States has mediated peace accords Northern Ireland “residents decide the future” Britain draws a line, saying “border poll off the table” US President Donald Trump visited Ireland and voiced public support for Irish unification. Having previously floated the annexation of Greenland and the incorporation of Canada, this time he weighed in on the Northern Ireland issue, which saw decades of bloody conflict.
They vowed to block the far right but were tripped up by the ‘rightward shift strategy’… Mainstream miscalculations enlarged Europe’s far-right playing field
Merz and Macron foregrounded ‘right-wing issues’ such as immigration and public safety, triggering defections among progressives Far-right parties pursue ‘de-demonization’… “They must be confronted with alternative agendas such as climate change” Analysts say the strategy of Europe’s mainstream political forces, which embraced core far-right agendas such as immigration and public order in the name of blocking the far right, has instead fueled its growth.
Trump ‘Mail-in Voting Restrictions’ Headed to the Supreme Court···Debate over voter-rights infringement with 60 days left before the midterms
The Trump administration has again filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking permission to enforce rules that restrict mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections. Although the Supreme Court earlier overturned a lower court ruling that had blocked President Trump's mail-in voting restrictions, a lower court subsequently halted the U.S. Postal Service (USPS)'s specific implementation rules.
An ‘Equal World Map’ backed by 164 countries… Only the U.S. casts a “radical” no vote
‘Equal Earth’ gets Africa right on scale “Cognitive justice that corrects existing distortions” UN General Assembly resolution recommends its use U.S. repeats ‘ignoring historical inequality’ The UN General Assembly recommended using world maps that depict the actual size of the African continent more accurately. Because conventional world maps have tended to make Northern Hemisphere regions larger than they are and to shrink Africa, South America, and others, the aim is to correct this.
In India, this time ‘civil service exam leak’ protests···young people take to the streets again
Another protest has erupted in India over leaked exam questions. After youth protests against leaks in the medical school entrance exam spread nationwide, moves in other regions are continuing as well, focusing on exam fairness and hiring corruption.
Parasitic infections surge in Russia···health authorities “blame North Korean worker inflow”
NK News, a U.S.-based outlet specializing in North Korea, reported on the 25th (local time) that local health authorities have identified the inflow of North Korean workers as one of the causes behind a surge in parasitic infections in a small Russian mining town.
Chinese Consulate General, on the killing of a Chinese international student: “Demands a thorough investigation·severe punishment of the perpetrator”
In connection with the case in which a Chinese international student was killed in South Korea, the Chinese Consulate General in Busan demanded a thorough investigation by the South Korean police and severe punishment of the perpetrator.
‘K-culture’ fever leaves ‘Cool Japan’ cold?···Ultimately shutting down after a 54 billion yen deficit
A state-backed project to promote Japanese culture···benchmarked on the Korean Wave Cumulative losses reached 54 billion yen amid weak investment performance Japanese government to abolish the public-private fund this year and remove its budget Asahi “A symbol of the failure of state-led content support” Japan has decided to halt the ‘Cool Japan (cool japan)’ program, which it had energetically pursued to ‘promote the appeal of cool Japanese culture to the world’.
Israeli far-right minister “We should kill 30~40 people in the Gaza Strip every day··· they can’t even be called human”
The Trump administration is urging Israel to scale back military operations Open defiance of Netanyahu’s plan to ease the intensity of Gaza attacks Minister Ben-Gvir advocates forced displacement grounded in ‘ethnic cleansing’ Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, publicly asserted that 30~40 people should be targeted and killed in the Gaza Strip every day.
Trump's son-in-law Kushner meets Hamas to seek a Gaza cease-fire breakthrough
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and the U.S. negotiating representative on the Middle East, held a rare meeting with Hamas leaders on the 16th (local time) to advance stalled Gaza cease-fire talks. AFP, citing sources who requested anonymity, reported that Kushner met a Hamas delegation in El Alamein, a Mediterranean coastal city in Egypt, on the 16th (local time).
Trump “I have not liked the U.S.-ROK joint exercises for a long time, ordered a major reduction···Kim Jong Un and I have a very good relationship”
On the day the drills began, he cited ‘a hostile signal to North Korea’ and costs “It was too late to cancel, so I told Hegseth to scale them back,” he said “Said he asked the South Korean president to join efforts to denuclearize Iran, but was declined” U.S. President Donald Trump said that ahead of the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, he instructed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to drastically reduce their scale.
Trump did not trust the Iranian negotiating team···attempted secret contacts with the Revolutionary Guard
It has belatedly come to light that while conducting talks to end the war with Iran in May, the Donald Trump administration concluded that Iran’s official negotiating team lacked real decision-making authority and attempted informal contacts with the top leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In other words, Washington sought to bypass Iran’s official negotiating channel to reach the actual decision-makers.
“I’m leaving home” Teen daughter poured boiling water on her mother after her phone was taken during an attempt to run away···arrested in the act
Second-degree burns to the head and body···no threat to life A teenage daughter who injured her mother by pouring boiling water on her after the mother took away her mobile phone to stop her from running away has been taken into police custody. The Namyangju South Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 15th that they arrested teenage A as a flagrant offender on suspicion of special injury to a lineal ascendant.
An 18-year-old employee who found ‘14.8 billion won in gold bars’ in the basement of a Belgian building: “I thought about sneaking some, but...”
At a building remodeling site in Belgium, gold bars and coins worth about 14.8 billion won were discovered. After the construction company employees who found the gold reported it to the authorities, police are working to identify its origin and owner. According to Belgium’s public broadcaster VRT and others, on the 10th (local time) construction company employees working in the basement of a building in Dendermonde discovered 49 gold bars and a large number of gold coins hidden in a chest.
Lotto draw 1237 sees 23 first-prize winners···winning numbers ‘10·20·23·34·37·40’
Donghaeng Lottery, the Lotto operator, announced on the 15th that ‘10, 20, 23, 34, 37, 40’ were drawn as the first-prize winning numbers in the 1,237th Lotto draw. The second-tier bonus number is ‘36’. There are 23 first-prize winners who matched all six numbers, and each receives 1,214,930,000 won. Second prize, awarded to those who matched five numbers plus the bonus number, goes to 75 winners, each receiving 62,100,000 won.
During U.S.-South Korea talks, ‘Dismissal of the Chief Trade Negotiator’···The opposition “Irrational state governance that does not even disclose the reasons, what secret are they trying to hide”
The People Power Party and the Reform Party criticized the government’s personnel action over the administrative dismissal of former Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Chief Trade Negotiator Yeo Han-gu, raising concerns about a potential vacuum in trade talks with the United States. Yeo was abruptly dismissed while tariff and investment negotiations between South Korea and the United States were underway.
“History-forgetting anachronism”···Government strongly protests Yasukuni moves by Japanese politicians on Liberation Day
On the 15th, Liberation Day, the government lodged a strong protest over visits to Yasukuni Shrine or the dedication of ritual offerings there by Japanese political figures; Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined at the shrine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned an official from the Embassy of Japan in Korea, and the Ministry of National Defense also called in the Japanese defense attache in Korea to express regret.
Even within the People Power Party, Lee Jin-sook faces criticism··· Hong Jun-pyo “A Don Quixote who has forgotten the spirit of the times?”
“Offer a swift and unequivocal apology to the people and party members” As People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-sook sparked controversy by holding a ‘Forum to Reexamine the May 18 Democratization Movement’, voices within the People Power Party are also calling on her to apologize.
Zelensky “Decision to deploy an additional 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops to Russia”···Requests air-defense weapons support from South Korea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on the 9th (local time) that a decision had been made to deploy an additional 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops to Russia. He asked that South Korea work more closely with Ukraine and requested support for air-defense weapons systems.
Israel “No troop withdrawal before Hamas disarmament”···Will the Gaza peace proposal by Trump be shaken?
It has been reported that Israel conveyed serious security concerns to the United States regarding the Gaza peace agreement centered on Hamas disarmament. This marks the first official position from Israel since U.S. President Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached on Hamas disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and friction between the sides is anticipated during implementation.
EU, AI Act Enters Full Enforcement···Mandatory Labeling of AI-Generated Content·Chatbot Disclosure Requirements
The European Union (EU) brought its comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, the ‘AI Act’, into full force on the 2nd (local time). As the first comprehensive regulatory framework to cover AI technologies across the board among major economies worldwide, it is expected to have a direct impact on global Big Tech companies. In 2024, the EU adopted the AI Act, which applies rules in a differentiated manner according to AI risk levels.
Death toll in the mass migration crisis in Spain rises to 72
The death toll from the mass crossing of migrants heading from Morocco in North Africa to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta has risen to 72. Spanish authorities said on the 2nd (local time), “The confirmed death toll so far is 72.” Most of the victims drowned while attempting to swim from Morocco to Ceuta, and some are reported to have died in a crush that occurred while trying to scale the border barrier.
Was Israel ‘sidelined’···“Learned that the Iran airstrike was canceled after seeing a Trump social media post”
It has been reported that the Israeli government was not notified in advance that U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a plan for a large-scale strike on Iran. The Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported on the 2nd (local time), citing senior Israeli defense and diplomatic officials, that Israel knew nothing about the matter until President Trump withdrew the strike plan.
‘Big spender’ Musk backs Trump... set to pour hundreds of billions of won into the GOP again
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, will once again pour large sums of political money into the Republican Party for the U.S. midterm elections this November. Having effectively restored a political alliance with President Donald Trump, with whom he once publicly clashed, he appears to be returning as the GOP’s biggest ‘big spender’.
13 dead·90,000 evacuated… Human and industrial losses spread despite the swift government response
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in western Kyushu, Japan, has increased the death toll to 13, with casualties mounting. As aftershocks continue, the highest-level evacuation alert has been issued to some 90,000 residents, and key industrial facilitiesincluding semiconductor·automobile plantsand transportation networks have also suffered heavy damage.
First overland link between North Korea and Russia imminent···Could it become a military corridor for the war in Ukraine that ‘evades satellite surveillance’?
As the first overland bridge linking Russia and North Korea nears opening, analysis suggests it could become a key pillar of a new military logistics network for the Russia-Ukraine war. The Guardian in the United Kingdom reported on the 28th (local time), citing the findings of the Ukrainian human rights group ‘Truth Hounds’, that the road bridge connecting Russia and North Korea is highly likely to become strategic infrastructure that strengthens military cooperation between the two countries.
Trump “Allow mail-in voting to be restricted”···Emergency request to the Supreme Court
The U.S. Ministry of Justice has urgently asked the Supreme Court to allow mail-in voting overhaul measures, pushed by President Donald Trump but halted by a court order, to take effect starting with the midterm elections in November. According to the AP and CNN, the Ministry of Justice on the 27th (local time) filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court requesting that the stay issued by the lower court be rendered ineffective until the midterm elections.
“Additional tariffs on 60 countries will not affect U.S. inflation or interest rates,” says U.S. Trade Representative, now hints at ‘second-round tariffs’
Jamieson Greer, head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), argued that additional tariffs recently imposed on 60 trading partners will not fuel inflation in the United States or affect interest rate decisions by the Federal Reserve (Fed). He also hinted at the possibility of further tariffs, saying he will soon announce the results of an investigation into excess production capacity among major trading partners.
Despite record-low approval ratings, Takaichi says “I do not know the cause”···81% support a female emperor
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said of the approval rating that has fallen to the lowest level since taking office that she “does not really know the cause of the decline.” As criticism grows over the forced passage of key bills, public opinion on allowing a female emperor also appears to differ greatly from the government position.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Baek
Contact Baek, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack