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.
The men's basketball final game between South Korea and Japan takes place during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Aichi International Arena in Japan, Sept. 20. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
![[PHOTOS] South Korean men's basketball team beats Japan at Asian Games final](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
South Korea’s Lee Jun-suk reacts after winning the men's singles teqball gold medal match against Iraq’s Al Jalil Mexer Alelayawi at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center during the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, Sept. 20. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The 20th Asian Games officially kick off with an opening ceremony at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, Saturday, Sept. 19. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The men's basketball semifinal game between South Korea and Iran takes place at the Aichi International Arena during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, Teruel, Spain, Aug. 12. Reuters-Yonhap
A participant plays in a mud pool during the Boryeong Mud Festival near a beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, July 25. AP-Yonhap
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
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