Journalist
Yoo Na-hyun유나현
shooting@ajupress.com
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
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Firefighters flex for burn victims in Seoul charity bodybuilding contest SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - Muscles, rescue gear and stage lights filled a Seoul fire academy on Thursday as firefighters stepped briefly away from emergency calls to compete for a place in one of the city’s most unusual charity campaigns. The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters held its 15th annual “Bodybuilder Firefighter Contest” at the Seoul Fire Academy in northwestern Seoul, where 29 firefighters — including 25 men and four women — competed in mandatory posing and freestyle performance rounds. The competition serves a purpose beyond fitness and trophies. Winners are selected as models for the annual “Bodybuilder Firefighter Hope Sharing Calendar,” a charity project that raises funds for severely burned patients struggling with medical expenses. Contestants were judged on muscular balance, conditioning and stage presentation, while freestyle performances incorporated firefighting helmets, hoses and rescue equipment to reflect the realities of emergency work. Lee Sung-woo of the Special Rescue Team won the grand prize and received the Seoul mayor’s award, while Park Sung-hyuk of Jongno Fire Station took the top excellence award. Twelve firefighters in total were selected for this year’s calendar project. The chosen participants will take part in an official photo shoot on May 15, ahead of the calendar’s release on Nov. 9. Proceeds from sales and donations will go toward treatment costs for burn victims. According to Seoul fire authorities, the charity calendar campaign has continued since 2015 and has become one of the department’s signature public outreach projects. Over the past 12 years, it has raised about 1.25 billion won ($900,000) and helped support 302 severely burned patients facing financial hardship. 2026-05-14 19:08:50 -
Annual rose festival set to open in Seoul this week SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - A flower festival featuring roses in full bloom is set to open in Seoul's northeastern district of Jungnang this week. According to district officials, the annual rose festival, famous for its 5.45-kilometer flower tunnel, will begin with a walking event on Friday taking a strool along riverside trails and run through May 23. This year's event, now in its 18th year, features some 320,000 roses across 232 varieties, lining walking trails along the Jungnangcheon Stream, one of Seoul's most popular seasonal photo spots. The festival also offers a parade, street performances, flea markets, food booths, and hands-on activities for all ages, with newly-added programs for this year specially tailored to children, youngsters, and older visitors. Rose trails and paths lit up at night are also expected to draw visitors with stunning evening scenery. 2026-05-14 18:36:49 -
Campaign season kicks off ahead of June local elections SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Ahead of South Korea’s ninth nationwide local elections on June 3, the country’s election authority rolled out a public voting campaign installation in central Seoul on Wednesday, turning a busy downtown plaza into a civic awareness site. The sculpture, installed by the National Election Commission in front of the Korea Press Center in Seoul’s Jung District, features the commission’s mascot character “Cham Cham” alongside the slogan: “We create the region we want to live in through voting.” South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC) installed a public voting campaign sculpture in central Seoul on Wednesday ahead of the country’s 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3. The promotional installation, unveiled at the plaza in front of the Korea Press Center in Seoul’s Jung District, features the NEC’s mascot character “Cham Cham” alongside the slogan, “We create the region we want to live in through voting.” The campaign comes as South Korea prepares for local elections that will select mayors, governors, local council members and education superintendents across the country. Election authorities are also promoting early voting schedules and procedures through outdoor displays and public messaging campaigns concentrated in high-traffic urban areas. Under South Korean election law, voting on June 3 will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at designated polling stations nationwide. Citizens aged 18 or older as of election day — including those born on or before June 4, 2008 — are eligible to vote. Early voting is scheduled for May 29-30. 2026-05-13 17:54:07 -
Gyeongbokgung Palace opens historic royal library to public through fall SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - Seoul's historic Gyeongbokgung Palace has opened its doors to a hidden gem, Jibokjae, a former royal library that was once off-limits to the public. Starting Wednesday, visitors can explore the storied space as part of a special program running through the end of October. Used by King Gojong as his study and office, Jibokjae also served as a reception space for foreign envoys during the Joseon Dynasty. Since 2016, Jibokjae has opened seasonally as a small library, where visitors can browse historical records and books in a peaceful setting. Its distinctive architecture also sets it apart from the other palace buildings. Visitors can also take a stroll around its adjoining pavilions. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. excluding Mondays and Tuesdays as well as certain public holidays. It will also be closed during the hot summer months from June to August. 2026-05-13 17:34:14 -
A rollercoaster day for KOSPI before testing new 8,000 peak SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) -South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI swung violently on May 12 after briefly nearing the symbolic 8,000-point threshold before tumbling into its first decline in six sessions, underscoring the heightened volatility gripping one of the world’s hottest equity rallies. The KOSPI opened at a record 7,953.41, up 1.68 percent from the previous session, and climbed as high as 7,999.67 in early trading — just shy of the historic 8,000 level — before abruptly reversing course. Selling pressure intensified through the session, dragging the index to an intraday low of 7,421.71 before it closed at 7,643.15, down 2.29 percent on the day. The reversal came less than a week after the KOSPI first broke above the 7,000-point mark on May 6, extending a blistering rally fueled by semiconductor and AI-related stocks. 2026-05-12 17:41:06 -
Another round of cash vouchers for lower-income households to begin next week SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - Another round of cash handouts to help ease the burden on households hit hardest by soaring fuel prices is set to be available to those in the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket starting next week. Those eligible can sign up for cash vouchers from May 18 to July 3 through mobile apps or by visiting banks or local community centers, and will receive between 100,000 won (US$70) and 250,000 won, with larger households and those in certain rural and provincial areas entitled to higher support. During its first round, which was completed last month, some 2.94 million people signed up and received a combined total of 1.67 trillion won. Single-parent families and other vulnerable groups who missed the initial sign-up period will also be able to apply this time. The vouchers will be valid through the end of August and should be spent locally to help support small businesses. 2026-05-12 17:34:24 -
Seoul opens Korean War memorial garden honoring wartime support from allies SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - A memorial garden dedicated to soldiers who died in the Korean War was unveiled at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul at a ceremony on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by war veterans and ambassadors from 22 countries that sent troops and provided support during the 1950–53 Korean War. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the "Garden of Gratitude" consists of a ground-level space with rifle-shaped installations symbolizing the sacrifices made during the war to defend freedom and peace, along with an underground exhibition hall called "Freedom Hall," where visitors can learn about the history of the war through videos and other historical records. They can also interact with multimedia displays. 2026-05-12 17:00:53 -
Following the tracks, following the taste: Jeonju in cinematic experience *Editors’ Note: This is part of AJP’s photo essay series exploring railway journeys across South Korea in search of local food and regional culture. This installment travels to Jeonju during the Jeonju International Film Festival, where cinema, traditional streets and local cuisine came together beneath the spring sky. SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - The 27th edition of the Jeonju International Film Festival transformed Jeonju into more than a destination for cinema. Under the slogan “Beyond the Frame,” the city itself became part of the festival experience, where audiences moved naturally between movie theaters, narrow alleys, cafes and traditional neighborhoods. Held from April 29 to May 8, the festival filled the streets around Jeonju Film Street and the Gaeksa district with visitors carrying tickets and festival badges as they moved between screenings. Local restaurants and cafes welcomed festivalgoers with special discounts, while announcements for upcoming films echoed through the busy streets alongside the steady footsteps of audiences heading toward their next screenings. About two hours from Seoul by train, Jeonju revealed itself not only as a city of film, but also as a place where traces of tradition remain woven into everyday life. Beneath clear spring skies, the tiled rooftops of Jeonju Hanok Village stretched across the cityscape. Small workshops, cafes and souvenir shops lined the narrow alleyways beneath traditional hanok eaves, while stone walls and wooden storefronts gave the village a slower rhythm distinct from the busy festival streets nearby. Foreign visitors blended naturally into the scenery. Travelers dressed in hanbok paused to take photographs along the alleys, while others browsed shops selling handmade crafts and local souvenirs. English, Japanese and Chinese voices drifted through the streets as banners for the film festival hung between rows of traditional rooftops, quietly merging contemporary culture with the city’s historic atmosphere. Jeonju also revealed itself through food. Restaurants near Nambu Market filled with visitors searching for local specialties including Kongnamul-gukbap and blood sausage soup. Served in the traditional “toryeom” style — where hot broth is repeatedly poured over rice and bean sprouts — kongnamul-gukbap offered a warm and comforting meal after hours spent walking between theaters and alleyways. Mul-jjajang, prepared with seafood and vegetables in a thick red sauce, presented a distinctly different style from the more familiar black bean noodles commonly found elsewhere in Korea. The dish, known for its spicy and savory flavor, reflected another layer of Jeonju’s local food culture. Visitors also sampled Moju, a sweet local drink simmered with herbs, alongside blood sausage filled with seasoned pork blood, reflecting Jeonju’s long-standing culinary traditions. People may arrive in Jeonju for cinema, but what often remains afterward are the quiet landscapes beyond the screen — the alleys, rooftops and meals remembered slowly, one step at a time. 2026-05-12 16:42:54 -
Rain brings relief to Seoul after weeks of early summer heat SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - Rain began to fall in Seoul on Monday afternoon, bringing some relief from the early summer heat of recent weeks. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), rain that began earlier in the day in central regions has spread nationwide and is expected to continue through Tuesday. Up to 20 mm of rainfall is forecast for Seoul, while up to 40 mm is expected in Gyeonggi Province and other southern regions. The KMA warned of strong gusts, thunderstorms, and lightning in some areas, urging the public to be cautious on slippery roads. 2026-05-11 18:07:37 -
Seoul prepares for Buddha's birthday celebrations SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - Colorful lanterns light up along Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul on Monday as Buddha's birthday approaches, with preparations underway for the annual lotus lantern festival, known as Yeondeunghoe. Large traditional installations and rows of glowing lotus lanterns have been set up around the stream and nearby walking paths, drawing attention from both locals and foreign tourists. Large traditional decorations and glowing lotus installations have been set up along the stream and nearby walking paths, attracting attention from both locals and foreign tourists. Yeondeunghoe is the country's traditional Buddhist festival with a history spanning more than 1,000 years. Recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020, it symbolizes peace, hope, and enlightenment through lantern-lighting ceremonies and public celebrations. Beginning with an annual parade of lotus-shaped lanterns scheduled for this weekend, this year's festival will feature various celebratory programs for Buddha's birthday across downtown Seoul through late this month. 2026-05-11 17:49:24