Others
The Darkroom
1/160; f/8; ISO 800Upside downFlowers hanging from the ceilingGlowing mysticly in the dark
Mar 4, 2015
Shim Hyun-chul
Korea Times Photo Reporter
Shim Hyun-chul has been a photojournalist for The Korea Times since 2006, covering news events throughout the country. He is committed to strict journalism ethics, and it has never changed since his first day in the newsroom. He has covered four presidential elections, two Olympic Games and countless daily assignments around the world. When he is not at work, he plays tennis. Shim is also a certified lifeguard by YMCA International, which means he can actually save lives.
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Darkroom
Korean Masters - Lee Jung-dae
Lee Jung-dae, a "daegeum" or traditional transverse bamboo flute maker
Jan 28, 2015
Others
The Darkroom
1/500 sec; f/10; ISO 800Good bye, Mr. Horse!The year of the horse has passed and the year of the sheep has arrived.At the end of every year, photo journalists are busy coming up with a front page photo for the New Year’s Day publication.New Year’s photos are usually planned ahead to impart special meaning about the upcoming year. It probably goes hand in hand with the belief held by members of the newsroom that if the front page photo comes out well, that year will go smoothly for the newspaper as well.In Korea, one of most common themes for the New Year’s edition is the representative animal of that year from the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac.Having published a photo of a sheep in our regular newspaper for the New Year’s edition, I also wanted to share the photo with our magazine readers for the first edition of W this year.Wishing the best of the year to everyone!Daegwallyeong, Gangwon Province. Photo by Shim Hyun-chul (shim@koreatimes.co.kr)
Jan 21, 2015
Photo News
From Paengmok port
A person passes behind a large drape covered with handwritten messages of hope on Jindo, Monday night. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Shim Hyun-chul PAENGMOK PORT ― Being here for six days was an exhausting experience.Few outside the family members of passengers missing or recovered from the sunken ferry Sewol felt entitled to complain, knowing the weight of their sorrow. A respite was provided by the countryside scenery seen during trips back and forth to a gym on Jindo Island and Paengmok Port, both of which have been crowded with people in extreme distress. Blossoms were on display, but few could afford to appreciate them. Late Monday night, bodies were pulled out of the water and placed in ambulances heading for a mortuary. The process has become a ritual. The night sky took on the hue of coal.
Apr 22, 2014
Photo News
Quenching more than thirst
By Shim Hyun-chulFrom FISHING BOAT, Jindo ― It was about 7 a.m. Monday.Four photographers including this reporter rented a boat to get near the site where the ferry Sewol sank.An armada of ships, small boats and dinghies were scattered throughout the area.The sea was calm, making one wonder if it was the same sea that had engulfed hundreds of students.Still, the job comes first.With the help of a telescopic lens, a search of a different sort got under way. It didn’t take long to spot one man among six on board one of the rubber boats. The man in a wetsuit was pouring water from a 1.5 liter PET bottle of mineral water into his mouth. The boat had a Coast Guard sign on its side. He is among hundreds of divers who are diving for 20 minutes at a time into the bowels of the sunken ferry to look for survivors. Their effort so far has ended up in recovering the remains of the passengers. Some may say they have less than a 1 percent chance of finding survivors. Perhaps, the diver was drinking water to make up for the remaining 99 percent so that he could find just one su
Apr 21, 2014
Photo News
Jangsaengpo Memory of Whale
A gray whale is drawn on a fishery inspection boat at Jangsaengpo port in southeastern city of Ulsan. Gray whales are on the wanted list — 5 million won reward for a photo of a gray whale and 10 million won for incidental catch or report of stranded whales. / Korea Times photos by Shim Hyun-chul By Shim Hyun-chul “You don’t see any whales because we don’t go whale hunting anymore. It’s been more than 30 years since a harpooner has caught a whale. There used to be some star harpooners here,” said Kim Young-hak, 63, recalling the heyday on board the Myeongsin-ho. He was a first seaman on the whaler when whale hunting was in season in Jangsaengpo, off the coast of Ulsan in southeastern Korea. Whale hunting was banned in 1986, so where did all whales of Jangsaengpo go? To revive the memory of whales in Jangsaengpo in an ecological way, Ulsan City is hosting the "2012 Ulsan Whale Festival," the only whale-themed festival in Korea, from April 26 to 29. The history of whale hunting in Jangsaengpo dates back to p
Apr 12, 2012
Photo News
Yeonmi Pavillion
By Shim Hyun-chul Ganghwa Island ― Ganghwa Island, the nation’s fourth largest island situated at the mouth of the Han River, used to be a heavily contested area between rival kingdoms. It was where Goryeo battled against a Mongolian invasion and where the Joseon Kingdom encountered Western imperial powers. Its rich and tumultuous history has left behind numerous cultural properties. And because the island sits between North and South Korea, its beautiful nature wears the story of Korean division with its barbed wire fences. One of the 10 top cultural properties the island boasts of is the Yeonmi Pavillion. Small in stature, about 40 square meters, it sits elegantly with its 10 pillars surrounded by stone walls and a towering zelkova serrata tree. The name Yeonmi, meaning swallow’s tail, comes from the shape of its nearby terrain carved like a bird’s tail as the waters from the Imjin and Han Rivers meet. Designated as Tangible Cultural Property No. 24, it’s not clear when the pavilion was built, but it underwent reconstruction in the 18th and 19th centuries. There
Mar 15, 2012
Photo News
Exploration into ’Ocean world’
By Shim Hyun-chul, Park Si-soo YEOSU ― This southern port city is undergoing a last-minute makeover to host an international expo, whose opening is only five months away. The transformation, set to be finished by February, will turn the largely rural and tranquil fishing hamlet into a global arena where more than 100 countries and international organizations will share their state-of-the-art technologies for the eco-friendly use of oceans and coastal areas. The Yeosu Expo will run between May 12 and Aug. 12 next year under the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast.” The 93-day event will promote Korea’s ability to efficiently use the ocean and coastal areas for sustainable growth and, at the same time, serve as a “major multinational dialogue” to come up with best practices for the preservation and sensible development of oceans, coastal areas and maritime resources, according to the expo’s organizing committee. The committee aims to attract 8 million people, including 550,000 foreigners. The railroad for the KTX bullet train was extended to the venue late last yea
Jan 5, 2012
Photo News
Seogwipo Olle Market on Jeju Island
By Shim Hyun-chul Autumn is the season of high skies and plump horses. For those who want to enjoy the clear autumn weather and delectable items, Seogwipo Olle Market on Jeju Island awaits. A whole mackerel pike rolled in rice and seaweed; "omegi" rice cake made with red bean, millet and glutinous rice; a combination of seaweed rolled rice, dumplings and fried pancakes in "tteobokki" sauce; and "bingtteok," white radish strips rolled in buckwheat pancake ― all these unique foodstuffs are available there. Formerly named the Seogwipo Maeil Traditional Market, the market is situated along the sixth Jeju Olle course. The market is not only popular among locals but a must visit place for tourists visiting Jeju Island. Going to a market might sound weird for a traveler’s itinerary, but it is an interesting way to take a step into the local life, fully relishing the charm of the region. The sixth walking course starts from the Soesokkak estuary, passes through downtown Seogwipo and finishes at Oedolgae rock. The course takes around four to five hours and the market comes int
Nov 3, 2011
Photo News
Happy Chuseok for married immigrants
By Shim Hyun-chul "Where can I get gardenia seeds?" Married immigrants are learning how to make food for Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, at a cookery school in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. They are still relatively new to Korean dishes for the holiday that also varies by family. The Yeongdeungpo District Office invited some 60 multicultural families to the school to explain the origin of holiday dishes such as “songpeyon” (half-moon shaped rice cake). Eyes concentrated on the hands of the instructor the students busily wrote down ingredients, occasionally looking up words in electronic dictionaries. Kamaloba Nodira, a married immigrant from Uzbekistan who came to Korea five years ago, said it was the first attempt to make holiday food. "I usually make daily dishes like 'doenjang jjigae' and 'bulgogi,' but I am new to such special cookery. I want to make songpyeon for my mother-in-law this Chuseok," Nodira said.
Sep 8, 2011