AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

Yoo Na-hyun
Yoo Na-hyun유나현
PhotographerGeopolitics, Culture, History, People & Photo Journalist
Photojournalist, AJU PRESS (AJP) Covering news, culture and society in South Korea through an Asian perspective. "Every moment is worth documenting."
Latest by Yoo Na-hyun
  • TWICEs NAYEON celebrates Kombucha pop-up
    TWICE's NAYEON celebrates Kombucha pop-up SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - NAYEON of K-pop girl group TWICE poses for a photo at the opening event of TEEZEN x TWICE Kombucha Lab, an experiential kombucha-themed pop-up, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on June 18, 2026. 2026-06-18 16:52:34
  • KOSPI leaps to new four-digit milestone
    KOSPI leaps to new four-digit milestone SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) -South Korea's benchmark KOSPI crossed another four-digit threshold on Thursday, racing from 7,000 to 9,000 in less than two months in one of the fastest equity rallies in its history. The index closed 2.4 percent higher at 9,072.86, up nearly 50 percent from 6,191.92 just two months ago. The latest milestone arrived in 22 trading sessions after KOSPI first broke above 8,000 on May 15. The pace itself has become the story. The benchmark has climbed a thousand points almost every few weeks — from 4,000 in October last year to 5,000 in January, 6,000 in February, and then vaulting through 7,000 and 8,000 in May before touching 9,000 on Thursday. At the current speed, market landmarks that once took years to conquer now vanish in a matter of days. As of Wednesday, the KOSPI had surged 110.34 percent since the start of the year, making it the world's best-performing major equity market. Each new thousand-point milestone now arrives with less celebration and more anticipation of the next as the market has stayed unfazed by external shocks. 2026-06-18 16:07:13
  • Seoul demonstration highlights election issues
    Seoul demonstration highlights election issues SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - A protester wearing a military-style helmet holds a South Korean flag outside the Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park during an ongoing demonstration protesting ballot shortages reported in the June 3 local elections, June 18, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-18 15:09:09
  • Seoul demonstrators demand election fairness
    Seoul demonstrators demand election fairness SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - Handmade protest signs cover a wall near the Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park during an ongoing demonstration protesting ballot shortages reported in the June 3 local elections, June 18, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-18 15:05:07
  • Citizens rally against election irregularities
    Citizens rally against election irregularities SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - Citizens make protest placards near the Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park during an ongoing demonstration protesting ballot shortages reported in the June 3 local elections, June 18, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-18 15:02:47
  • South korean flag waved in election protest
    South korean flag waved in election protest SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - A protester waves a South Korean flag during a blockade demonstration outside the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park on June 17 over ballot shortages reported during South Korea's June 3 local elections. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-18 10:04:35
  • Ruling party members shooed away as Jamsil rally takes a far-right turn
    Ruling party members shooed away as Jamsil rally takes a far-right turn SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - The political tide appeared to shift Wednesday at Gate 2-1 of Seoul Olympic Park's Handball Gymnasium, where a protest initially fueled by younger voters' concerns over ballot shortages increasingly showed signs of becoming dominated by older, far-right activists. Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea visited the site of an ongoing rally over the June 3 local election ballot shortage, urging demonstrators not to disrupt public access and sports activities at the venue. Lawmakers Chun Jun-ho, Jeon Yong-gi and Lim O-kyeong visited the Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul, where protesters have maintained a blockade around a vote-counting center established for the local elections. While acknowledging citizens' right to raise concerns over possible infringements on voting rights, the lawmakers called on participants to avoid obstructing pedestrian traffic and interfering with the operations of sports organizations housed inside the building. The lawmakers were met with hostility from demonstrators, who chanted slogans such as "Election fraud," "Hold a new election" and "Manual vote counting on election day." Some protesters shouted insults and attempted to block their movements. The lawmakers left after about 10 minutes as the atmosphere grew increasingly confrontational. The scene contrasted sharply with the early days of the protest, when much of the crowd consisted of people in their 20s and 30s who described themselves as politically unaffiliated and focused primarily on protecting voting rights after ballot shortages were reported during the June 3 local elections. On Wednesday, older demonstrators and overtly partisan messages appeared more prominent. Protesters waved South Korean and U.S. flags while continuing to call for a rerun of the election and the adoption of manual ballot counting. The number of American flags has increased alongside the growing presence of far-right activists calling for U.S. involvement in the probe into the ballot shortage incident. The protest began after ballot shortages disrupted parts of the June 3 local elections and has continued for more than a week outside the Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park. On Tuesday, opposition People Power Party lawmaker Jang Dong-hyeok received a warmer reception and briefly brokered an arrangement that allowed tenants of the gymnasium — home to multiple sports associations — to retrieve belongings needed for overseas competitions. The entrance was nearly reopened before a woman in her 20s blocked access by clinging to a gate secured with tape, halting the effort. 2026-06-17 15:47:00
  • Handmade placards highlight election concerns
    Handmade placards highlight election concerns SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - Handmade placards created by protesters line the roadside outside the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park on June 17 during an ongoing blockade protest over ballot shortages reported during South Korea's June 3 local elections. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-17 15:27:13
  • Seoul protester stands firm under flag umbrella
    Seoul protester stands firm under flag umbrella SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - A protester stands beneath an umbrella decorated with the South Korean and U.S. flags outside the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park on June 17 during an ongoing blockade protest over ballot shortages reported during South Korea's June 3 local elections. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-17 15:23:01
  • Ballot shortage sparks Olympic Park protest
    Ballot shortage sparks Olympic Park protest SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - A protester prepares a handmade sign outside the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park on June 17 during a blockade demonstration over ballot shortages reported during South Korea's June 3 local elections. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2026-06-17 15:15:13