Aju Press - Asia News Hub

Journalist

Han Jun-gu한준구

PhotographerGeopolitics, Culture, History, People & Photo Journalist

Photojournalist, AJU PRESS (AJP)
Covering Asia's defining stories — from pressing issues and politics to culture and society — through a distinctly Asian lens. "I point the camera at what's there. That's the job."

Latest by Han Jun-gu

81st UN Day ceremony held in Seoul Foreign Minister Cho Hyun delivers a commemorative address at the 81st United Nations Day ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno-gu, Seoul, October 23, 2026. 2026-10-23 14:13:48
81st UN Day ceremony held in Seoul Lee Joong-keun, president of the United Nations Association of Korea, delivers opening remarks at the 81st United Nations Day ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno-gu, Seoul, October 23, 2026. 2026-10-23 14:12:52
81st UN Day ceremony held in Seoul Türkiye’s Ambassador to South Korea Fatih Yildiz delivers congratulatory remarks at the 81st United Nations Day ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno-gu, Seoul, October 23, 2026. 2026-10-23 14:11:58
81st UN Day ceremony held in Seoul Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (left) and Lee Joong-keun, president of the United Nations Association of Korea, pose for a photo at the 81st United Nations Day ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno-gu, Seoul, October 23, 2026. 2026-10-23 14:10:56
Gyeongbokgung filled with hanbok during Hanbok culture week On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 21, during Hanbok Culture Week, Gyeongbokgung Palace was filled with colorful hanbok. In front of Geunjeongmun Gate, visitors dressed in traditional jeogori jackets and skirts came and went without pause, and under the corridor lined with red pillars, people could be seen taking photos of one another. Foreign tourists in hanbok were also conspicuously numerous. Inside the corridor, three women stood side by side to pose for a photo, while elsewhere a group in pink skirts laughed as they looked at a phone screen together. Children sat on the steps unfolding a guide map. When a visitor in a blue official robe embroidered with dragon patterns passed through the crowd, people nearby raised their cameras. Hanbok encompasses not only the way clothing is made and worn, but also the culture of dressing properly for rituals and customs. “Hanbok life” was designated a national intangible cultural heritage in 2022, as a communal tradition passed down by the public without any single designated holder. Visitors who wear hanbok can enter Gyeongbokgung and other major palaces for free, which has made the palaces a favored setting for strolling in traditional dress. Hanbok Culture Week, now in its ninth year, runs from Oct. 19 to 25. Centered on Hanbok Day on Oct. 21 each year, the event aims to promote the value of hanbok and spread the culture of wearing it in everyday life. More than 410 venues at home and abroad are offering experience programs, discounted admission and free entry. To mark the start of the week, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a launch ceremony for its “Wear Hanbok Properly” campaign at Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbokgung, together with 24 hanbok rental shops and 17 hanbok content creators, introducing the form of traditional hanbok and how to wear it correctly. As more people walk slowly through the palace grounds in hanbok, it is coming to feel less like clothing displayed in a museum and more like something to be worn and lived in. The crowds of hanbok-clad visitors at Gyeongbokgung that day showed that change at work. 2026-10-22 13:34:55
Festival fills with the smell of freshly cooked rice ICHEON, Gyeonggi Province — The 25th Icheon Rice Culture Festival, which opened Oct. 14, ran for five days through Oct. 18 at Bokhacheon Waterfront Park. The city said the festival drew 345,000 visitors, up 48 percent from last year, while on-site sales of rice and local produce reached about 20 billion won, up 35 percent. At the heart of the festival, once again, was a giant cauldron. The event “2,000 Servings for 2,000 Won” serves freshly cooked new rice from a 320-kilogram cauldron heated over a wood fire to 2,000 people at 2,000 won per bowl. Long lines formed even before it began. Visitors topped their rice with kimchi and gochujang to make bibimbap. The event was held daily at noon and 2 p.m., alongside the “600-meter Rainbow Garaetteok Pulling,” in which visitors took part. On opening day, a “King’s Tribute Procession” reenacted the Joseon-era delivery of Icheon rice to the royal court. The Icheon Rice Master Competition, in which participants compete in rice-cooking skills, and an opening performance praying for a good harvest followed. Programs for families included a harvest sports day, grasshopper tag and a rice fortune-telling event, along with the Icheon Advanced Drone Competition and a drone show. The change of venue was another new feature this year. The city moved the festival to Bokhacheon Waterfront Park, closer to downtown, and expanded parking and transportation options. As the new-rice experience led visitors to the direct-sales market, some booths ran out of stock earlier than expected. 2026-10-20 18:31:47
Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors stroll through a field of silver grass at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. 2026-10-20 18:17:18
Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors stroll through a field of silver grass at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. 2026-10-20 18:16:37
Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors enjoy their time among red kochia and silver grass at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. 2026-10-20 18:15:36
Citizens visit Seoul silver grass festival Visitors line up to ride an electric shuttle at the Seoul Silver Grass Festival held at Haneul Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, October 20, 2026. 2026-10-20 18:12:44