Choi Won-suk is a photojournalist at The Korea Times. Before joining the newspaper, he also worked as a photojournalist with AFP and St. Joseph News-Press in Missouri. He spent 13 years in the United States, graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism degree (Cum Laude) from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a Master of Arts in Photography from Ohio University - Athens. Over the past 11 years, Choi covered various news events such as presidential elections, the 2019 North Korea-United States Hanoi Summit and 2022 Qatar World Cup. But above all, Choi believes in local journalism and finds a lot of joy telling life stories of ordinary citizens in small neighborhoods.
North Korean leader criticizes sanctions at a resort construction site
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un condemned international sanctions on the country's nuclear program while he visited a resort construction site, North Korean state media reported on Thursday (November 1).
The North's state-run television KRT released several still photographs of Kim inspecting a large construction project at a tourism resort in Wonsan along with high-ranking officials. During the inspection, Kim told workers that such economic projects are a new "decisive battle" for supporting the ruling party, pushing back against international sanctions over the nuclear program, KRT said. He also blamed the 'hostile forces' and sanctions by them and emphatized to build the nation's strenth on its own, according to KRT.
American officials have been skeptical of Kim's commitment to giving up nuclear weapons, but the North's pledge at the summit with the South drew an enthusiastic response from President Donald Trump, who met Kim in an unprecedented summit in June and has been keen on a second meeting.
Washington has demanded steps such as a full disclosure of the North's nuclear and missile facilities, before agreeing to Pyongyang's key goals. The State Department declined to provide details, but a working-level meeting with the North is expected to take place in New York. (Reuters)