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.
RM speaks as Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum and other members of South Korean Kpop boy band BTS stand on a balcony of the National Palace ahead of a series of concerts on the BTS World Tour "Arirang" in Mexico City, May 6. Reuters-Yonhap
The World Taekwondo Headquarters, also known as Kukkiwon, has launched the organizing committee for the 2026 World Taekwondo Hanmadang, marking a key step in the preparations for the global event set for August. The committee held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday, with fewer than 80 days remaining before the competition. The event will run Aug. 1-5 at Kukkiwon in Seoul in cooperation with the Gangnam District Office. Organizers expect about 5,000 participants from 55 countries to compete in 15 disciplines across 143 divisions. Kukkiwon President Yoon Woong-seok and organizing officials attended the meeting, where the event’s master plan was unveiled under the slogan, “Kukkiwon, A New Dawn for the World Taekwondo Hanmadang.” The plan focuses on redefining the event’s identity, restoring its authority, improving budget efficiency and compensation systems, expanding participation, staging a landmark opening ceremony and securing corporate sponsorships. Han Hye-jin, a former Kukkiwon board member and CEO of Mookas PlayOn, will serve as acting chair of the organizing committee and s
A worker cleans windows on the exterior of an office building in Mexico City, March 23. Reuters-Yonhap
Maestro Chung Myung-whun acknowledges the audience with the KBS Symphony Orchestra during The Korea Times Spring Concert at Lotte Concert Hall in Sopa District, Seoul, April 17, which presented Bizet’s opera “Carmen” in concert format. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — The Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships wraps up tonight after six days of competition showcasing the talent, discipline and sportsmanship of nearly 1,000 young athletes from 115 nations. Held at the Olympic City Martial Arts Sports Complex, the event marks the 30th anniversary of the championships and is the first international tournament hosted at Uzbekistan’s newly built Olympic City. The competition blends high performance with cultural exchange, creating a memorable milestone for the sport and the host nation. Throughout the week, World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won has called Uzbekistan “a reliable partner” and noted its growing impact on the global sports landscape. Matches during the championships reflect the spirit of fair play, with athletes showing mutual respect on and off the mats. Competitors bow before and after each bout, and many exchange warm handshakes and friendly smiles — some promising to meet again in future championships. Technical updates introduced this year, including revised scoring that awards six points f
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won received Uzbekistan’s Order of Friendship, a high state honor that highlights his close ties with the Central Asian nation, in a ceremony presided over by the country's president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Wednesday. Choue received the honor during a courtesy visit to Mirziyoyev at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace, where the Uzbek leader recognized his role in promoting taekwondo in the country and using sport to strengthen international friendship. The meeting took place during the Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships, which saw a record number of participants and was the first international championships to be held at Olympic City, a new multi-sport complex in the capital. Choue noted that World Taekwondo is proud to bring a major junior event to Tashkent and has pointed to Olympic City as a venue capable of hosting future large-scale competitions. He also welcomed Uzbekistan’s investment in youth sport, highlighting that the number of taekwondo practitioners has more than doubled since 2022 to about 35,00
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — World Taekwondo held the second Olympism and Peace Forum at the National University of Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Monday, coinciding with the 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships. A total of 462 undergraduate and graduate students from the National University of Uzbekistan and the Uzbekistan State University of Physical Education and Sport took part in the forum, which carried the theme “Sport, Sustainability, and Economy.” The attendees represented a range of fields, including sport management, law and economics. Speakers included Dr. Husniddin Hojamkulov of Renaissance University of Education, World Taekwondo Deputy Secretary General Jerry Ling and Adidas Foundation Program Manager Marisa Schlenker. They discussed the role of sports in promoting peace, supporting economic innovation and aligning international events with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won delivered the keynote address, highlighting sports’ potential to strengthen humanitarian work and inclusive education. Choue referenced hi
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — The athletes arrived from refugee camps in Jordan, hoping to test their skills against the world’s best young taekwondo competitors. At the Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships, four athletes representing the World Taekwondo Refugee Team found themselves at the center of quiet attention — a reminder of how sports continue to reach across boundaries. World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won met with the athletes — Essa Mousa Alkhalaf (men’s under-55 kilograms), Mahmoud Qasim Abukhshet (men’s under-51 kilograms), Kafa Al Mubarak (women’s under-55 kilograms) and Aya Morad Alahmad (women’s under-68 kilograms) — and their coach, Ahmad Faisal Okaidat. Choue commended their progress and encouraged them to stay focused on their goals, emphasizing that discipline and persistence are what ultimately lead to success. He referred to Yahya Al Ghotani, a refugee athlete from the Azraq camp in Jordan who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, as an example of how dedication can turn opportunity into achievement. World Taekwondo Council Member
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — The Tashkent 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships kicked off Sunday at the Olympic City complex with a ceremony featuring Uzbek cultural performances, the raising of the World Taekwondo flag and a parade of participating teams. World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won attended with Uzbekistan’s sports officials, including Sports Minister Adkham Ikramov, National Olympic Committee First Vice President Otabek Umarov and National Paralympic Committee First Deputy Chair Shakhnoza Miziyoyeva, along with International Olympic Committee members Nenad Lalovic and Dagmawit Girmay Berhane. In his remarks, Choue noted that this 30th edition of the junior championships is the first World Taekwondo event held in the new Olympic City, with 986 athletes having registered, the most in the competition’s history. He pointed to Uzbekistan’s recent Olympic and Paralympic results and its record of staging international events, and acknowledged the work of the Uzbekistan Taekwondo Association and its president, Sherzod Tashmatov, in preparing the tournament. Representativ
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won received an honorary doctorate in physical education on Sunday from the Uzbekistan State University of Physical Education and Sport, recognizing his role in promoting taekwondo worldwide and advancing sports diplomacy. The ceremony, held on the opening day of the 2026 World Taekwondo Junior Championships, brought together World Taekwondo Council members, university leaders, faculty and students. Uzbekistan State University of Physical Education and Sport President Rashid Matkarimov cited Choue’s long tenure at the helm of World Taekwondo and his humanitarian work through the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, which supports refugees and displaced communities through sport. Choue thanked the university and noted the significance of receiving the degree at an institution that helped formalize taekwondo education in Uzbekistan, calling the country a fast-rising power in the sport with “a bright future” driven by young athletes. Founded in 1955, the university has become a major training center for coaches and athletes