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.
South Koreans fight smog their own way: with pork
Whenever dust particles hang thick in the air in South Korea, sales of pork rise due to an old belief.
Has urban pollution got you down?
South Koreans say they have a unique solution for dusty days: a sizzling plate of pork barbeque.
15-YEAR-OLD SOUTH KOREAN, HAN DONG-JAE, SAYING:
"My mom told me that pork helps - and pork belly is my favorite food - so I eat more pork when it's smoggy like today."
An old belief in South Korea goes - that pork is good for smog.
Coal miners thought all the oil would help the dust slide down their throat.
Though health experts say there's no scientific rationale behind that belief.
A Seoul doctor told Reuters you should, instead, wear a face mask or to just avoid going outside altogether.
But still, on especially hazy days this year pork sales in the country have seen big spikes.
Gettyimagesbank
By Choi Won-suk
49-YEAR-OLD SOUTH KOREAN, KIM DONG-WOOK, SAYING:
"It feels like oil from the meat washes away the dust in my throat."
South Korea faces a battle against unhealthy air.
A lot of it's from cars and coal-fired power plants but it's not just a domestic problem: smog has been blowing across the border from NorthKorea and China too.
Along with pork air purifiers and masks are seeing a sales boom as well, but not just masks for people.
36-YEAR-OLD SOUTH KOREAN, CHO EUN-HYE, SAYING:
"His breed requires regular walking, so I have no choice but to make him put on this mask. It's inconvenient but I think we'll have to keep living with that."
Sales of pet masks increased more than 5 times than usual last month, according to Korean pet products maker 'Dear Dog.'
This month new legislation designated South Korea's pollution plague as a 'social disaster' which could potentially unlock emergency funds.
The World Health Organization has warned, air pollution can cause cancer, asthma, pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases. (Reuters)