Korea Times Photo Reporter
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.
Ruben Dias of Manchester City FC enters the field for the 2026 Coupang Play Series match against Team K League at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, Aug. 5. Manchester City FC won 3-1. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
![[PHOTOS] Man City takes down Team K League 3-1](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
The 2026 World Taekwondo Hanmadang, widely regarded as the premier festival for the global taekwondo community, opened Saturday at Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters. The five-day event, which runs through Wednesday, brings together 4,261 participants from 61 countries. Athletes will compete in 15 events across 170 categories. Hosted annually, the festival operates under the theme of a "world united through taekwondo." The competition is open to anyone holding a Kukkiwon "poom" or "dan" certification, cementing its reputation as the largest celebration for taekwondo practitioners worldwide.
A photograph of the ancient Gaya Tumuli has taken the top honors in the “Discover Korea’s World Heritage Photo Contest,” an international competition organized to celebrate Korea’s hosting of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan from July 19 to 29. Tim Schilstra of Canada won the grand prize with his image of the Songhak-dong Tumuli in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province. The site is one of seven burial areas comprising the Gaya Tumuli, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. Organized jointly by The Korea Times and the Korea Heritage Service, the contest aimed to promote the value and beauty of Korea’s newly designated and existing UNESCO World Heritage sites through user-generated digital content. Organizers reported a highly successful global response, receiving 576 entries from 66 countries during the 50-day submission period that ran from April 20 to June 9. Four first-prize winners were selected: Kavecz Edina of Hungary, Emmanuela Steffe of Italy, Hallie Bradley of the United States and Annelien Hermans of Belgium. Five second-pr
Brazilian performers from Lotte World Adventure stage a samba performance to promote the opening of Lotte World's summer festival season at the Myeong-dong Theater intersection in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
An aerial view shows people cooling themselves in a pool amid a heatwave in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday. Reuters-Yonhap
Teams South Africa and South Korea before the start of their World Cup Group A soccer match in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, June 24 (local time). AP-Yonhap
Crowds of fans gather at Gwanghwamun Square to watch South korea's third group stage match of the 2026 World Cup against South Africa on a large screen in Seoul, June 25. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Korean fans cheer for their team outside Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and Korea, June 18. AFP-Yonhap
Virtual taekwondo is officially heading to the Asian Games, marking a major milestone for the digital discipline just days after a high-profile showcase in Italy. World Taekwondo announced Monday that virtual taekwondo has been added to the official program for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The inclusion was ratified by the Asian Games Organizing Committee Board and approved by the Olympic Council of Asia. The Asian Games competition is scheduled for Oct. 2 at the Toyohashi City General Gymnasium in Japan. It will feature a 16-player, single-elimination bracket open to male and female athletes between the ages of 17 and 35. Unlike traditional taekwondo, the technology-driven format is designed to remove traditional barriers such as weight class, age and gender. By focusing on technique and speed rather than raw physical force, it creates a structure that allows diverse athletes to compete on even terms. Competitors face off in a 4-by-4-meter physical space wearing VR headsets and five motion sensors on their upper bodies, knees and lower legs. Real-time motion-tracking technology t