my timesThe Korea Times
wschoi

Choi Won-suk

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.

Go to EmailGo to URL

Read more

News

Japan upping military spending

Japan is set to increase military spending over the next five years to deter threats from China and RussiaTokyo plans to purchase 45 F-35B advanced stealth fighter jets, Reuters reports.This aircraft can perform short take-offs and vertical landings.These Japanese navy has two helicopter carriers called Izumo and Kaga.These are set to be modified with reinforced decks and may also be fitted with ramps for the new stealth fighter.The country also plans to purchase Aegis Ashore air defense radars, Boeing KC-46 Pegasus refueling planes as well as the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye early-warning planes and other equipment.Additionally, Japan also plans to buy longer-range Raytheon SM-3 interceptor missiles to defend against North Korea if necessary. (Next Animation via Reuters)F-35 Lightning II hovering against the sky. GettyimagesBankAn  E-2C Hawkeye launches from aboard USS Enterprise. GettyimagesBank

Dec 20, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Japan upping military spending
News

Men's cosmetics boom in socially-conservative South Korea

An increasing number of young South Korean men are using make-up, an accepted trend in the usually conservative society as cosmetic brands bid to bring their men's products mainstream.Twenty-three-year-old postgraduate student, Kim Min-gi, who has been uploading make-up tutorial videos on YouTube, is one of them. Kim said make-up helps him gain some level of confidence, adding that he was influenced by K-pop celebrities' flawless skin.In the eight months leading to August, South Korea's biggest online shopping site Gmarket recorded a 130 percent jump from a year earlier in the sale of cosmetics to male customers, including mascara and lip tint.Chanel, known for the No. 5 perfume and its fashion range, brought out a men's make-up line called "Boy" in September, which includes matt lip balms and eyebrow pencils in shades of grey. They launched the "Boy" products in South Korea where the company said demand was the strongest, and where competitors see interest too.A local Chanel shop has already attracted some interest but during a recent visit male customers were di

Dec 20, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Men's cosmetics boom in socially-conservative South Korea
News

South Korean FM, Indian counterpart vow to work closely to completely denuclearize Korean peninsula

South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha met with her Indian counterpart on Wednesday (December 19) and said they would work closely to ensure complete denuclearization in North Korea.Speaking at a joint news conference in New Dehli alongside Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Kyung-wha added that the two countries will work together to achieve peace on the Korean peninsula. (Reuters)

Dec 20, 2018By Choi Won-suk
South Korean FM, Indian counterpart vow to work closely to completely denuclearize Korean peninsula
News

Vietnam clinch AFF Cup with win over Malaysia

Vietnam won the AFF Cup title for the second time in 10 years after defeating Malaysia 1-0 at the My Dinh National Stadium in the final's second leg on Saturday (December 15) to win 3-2 on aggregate.Nguyen Anh Duc scored the only goal of the game only after six minutes. The 1-0 win was enough for Vietnam to grab the Cup as both sides shared a 2-2 draw in last Tuesday's first leg in Kuala Lumpur.Vietnam's South Korean manager Park Hang Seo thanked the fans for their support of his side throughout the tournament.Thousands of fans flocked to the street of Hanoi to celebrate the title, their first since 2008.Crowds lit flares, waved flags and honked car horns in a party atmosphere, a rare sight in the country.Vietnam now have two titles to their name, one ahead of Malaysia, but still behind Thailand and Singapore on five and four titles respectively. (Reuters)

Dec 16, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Vietnam clinch AFF Cup with win over Malaysia
News

US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait water down key climate change report at COP24

The US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait rejected the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report during discussions held at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Katowice, Poland.In October, a climate change report by the U.N's IPCC warned governments of the imminent consequences of climate change, urging them to take action.According to a report IPCC report, Earth's temperature risks crossing the 1.5 Celsius threshold by 2030, which would bring about droughts, floods, and extreme heat.The report states that pollution caused by greenhouse gases needs to be cut by 45 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050 in order to prevent a rise in temperature.This report is being discussed as part of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Katowice, Poland.According to Reuters, the main goal is for world leaders to develop a rulebook detailing regulations to decelerate climate change in order to meet the Paris agreement goals.However, during discussions held at t

Dec 12, 2018By Choi Won-suk
US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait water down key climate change report at COP24
  • Poland's air as smoggy as ever
Darkroom

Santa is everywhere

Santa Claus dances in Myeongdong, a shopping district in central Seoul, on Sunday to promote a shopping event. Korea Times photos by Choi Won-suk A runner wears a yellow costume during a Santa run with 1000 people in Michendorf, eastern Germany, Sunday, Dec.9, 2018.  AP Santa Claus dances in Myeongdong, a shopping district in central Seoul, on Sunday to promote a shopping event. Korea Times photos by Choi Won-suk Participants dress themselves in Santa Claus costumes to take part in a morning run in Madrid, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. Thousands of people ran in the annual Santa race through the streets of the Spanish capital. AP A man waits to cross a street in New York dressed in Santa clothes as they participate in SantaCon, a free annual convention of different groups of men and women who like to dress up as Santa Claus in New York, New York, USA, 08 December 2018. EPA Children travel aboard a Santa Claus-themed tram in downtown Debrecen, 226 kms east of Budapest, Hungary, 05 December 2018. EPA Driver and councilman Edilson Santos, 50, who is known as "

Dec 11, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Santa is everywhere
News

Drone delivery service to begin in Finland by 2019

Drone delivery company, Wing, projects to begin services in Helsinki, Finland in spring 2019. Drones developed by the Alphabet subsidiary company provide pick-up and delivery services.The company started testing their services in Australia since 2014 and are now ready to start another trial in Finland in spring of 2019.According to the company, the drones are designed in-house. Their current model features fixed wings similar to an airplane, helicopter-like rotors and a wingspan less than 1.5 metersEach drone weighs about 5 kilograms and is able to carry packages weighing up to 1.5 kilograms. The drones are able to fly roughly 20 kilometers round trip.The company uses a special Unmanned Traffic Management platform which is an automated system that manages the drone's flight paths.During their tests in Australia the company delivered, food, bottled water and batteries to farmers in Queensland. (Next Animation via Reuters)

Dec 11, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Drone delivery service to begin in Finland by 2019
  • Marine Corps embraces drones as key combat platform
News

Young activists challenge South Korea's national security law

South Korea's strict national security law is being challenged by a wave of activists showing open support for the upcoming visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Public rallies and exhibits praising Kim would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But that's now changing thanks to president Moon Jae-in's campaign to improve relations with Pyongyang.These young South Koreans are over the moon North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is planning a trip to Seoul.And to show their enthusiasm they're installing a public photo exhibition on the streets of the capital to welcome Kim to the South. But what they're doing here is actually illegal under South Korea's national security law.LEADER OF STUDENT GROUP, KIM HAN-SEONG, SAYING:"All the South Korean officials who recently visited Pyongyang are now praising Chairman Kim Jong Un. In this current situation, I think the law is meaningless."Since the National Security Act was passed in 1948 thousands of people have been jailed and even executed, most accused of spying for Pyongyang or even just having the wrong sympathies.Right

Dec 9, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Young activists challenge South Korea's national security law
News

Thales Alenia Space to build radar satellites for South Korea

A European satellite manufacturer has announced that it will be developing high performance satellites for South Korea.Thales Alenia Space announced in a press release that it had signed contracts with Korean Aerospace Industries and Hanwha Systems Corp. to build four high-resolution radar satellites for the Agency of Defense Development in South Korea.The company will provide the synthetic aperture radar payloads for the remote sensing satellites, which will allow all-day imaging of the Earth, even through cloud cover.The SAR satellites will be fitted with a specialized 5-meter antenna, which will be folded as 24 "petals" and open once in space.Korean authorities will reportedly be using the constellation of satellites for "surveillance, intelligence and control of specific areas of interest."The collaboration, known as the 425 project, is the latest venture between Thales Alenia Space and South Korea. The company has previously worked on a number of space programs, including KOMPSAT-5 and KASS. (Next Animation via Reuters)

Dec 9, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Thales Alenia Space to build radar satellites for South Korea
Darkroom

Sports pictures of the year

Alexey Romashov, an Olympic athlete from Russia in action during the Men's Large Hill Individual Trial Round Ski Jumping at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre, Pyeongchang, South Korea, February 17, 2018. Reuters Driver Won Yunjong and Seo Youngwoo of South Korea take a curve during the two-man bobsled competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Xu Mengtao of China crashes during Freestyle Skiing, Women's Aerials Finals at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, Phoenix Snow Park, Pyeongchang, South Korea, February 16, 2018. Reuters A hostess looks at medalists as they jump, during a medal ceremony at the Medal Plaza in Pyeongchang, South Korea, February 20, 2018. Reuters Sara Hurtado and Kirill Khaliavinesp of Spain in action at the Figure Skating ISU Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup 2018, Exhibition Program in Moscow, Russia, November 18, 2018. Reuters Chloe Kim of the U.S. competes during the Women's Halfpipe Final at Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olym

Dec 9, 2018By Choi Won-suk
Sports pictures of the year
previous page
4142434445
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.