Choi Sang-mok - South Korea's acting President for the WSJ
On Tuesday, I had the unique opportunity to photograph Acting President Choi Sang-mok for The Wall Street Journal. Assuming office on December 27, 2024, following the impeachments of President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Choi faces the formidable task of steering South Korea through a period of significant political upheaval.
One of the pressing challenges confronting Acting President Choi is managing the nation's foreign relations amid escalating global trade tensions. Despite President Trump's escalating tariffs on various countries, Choi is striving to maintain strong ties with the U.S. With South Korea running a significant trade surplus with the U.S., concerns arise that Trump may target it next with tariffs. Choi seeks to negotiate directly with Trump but faces challenges due to his temporary status. As Trump accuses South Korea of having unfair trade practices, Choi aims to assure the U.S. of the surplus's temporary nature and offer collaboration in shipbuilding. South Korea's significant investments in the U.S. reflect its commitment to strengthening economic ties, but the uncertainty of Choi's tenure and impending decisions from South Korea's Constitutional Court add to the urgency of stabilizing the U.S.-South Korea relationship.
Domestically, Choi's administration is on high alert as the Constitutional Court prepares to deliver its verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol. The court's decision, expected in the coming days, could either reinstate Yoon or permanently remove him from office, potentially triggering further political polarization and public unrest. In anticipation, the government has vowed strict measures against any illegal protests to maintain public order.
Navigating these complex issues, Acting President Choi Sang-mok remains committed to upholding South Korea's democratic processes and ensuring stability during this transitional period.
Lee Jae-Myung for the Wall Street Journal
A few days after the martial law declaration in South Korea, I was assigned by the Wall Street Journal to take the portrait of Lee Jae-Myung, the leader of the Democratic Party and main opponent to the conservative party. Not only has he is led the movement to impeach President Yoon Seok-Yeol, but he is the most likely candidate to take over the presidency in the next elections. We came to the National Assembly which still had signs of the recent attempted coup with broken doors and windows. I only had a few minutes for that portrait in the main debate room of the democratic party which had a giant poster calling for the impeachment.
Tim Franco is available for portraits and editorial assignments all over Asia
Ulan Bator | A new Democracy in Mongolia
More photos from a story I have worked on a few month ago about the new democracy in Mongolia. During my time there, I had the chance to visit local herders and resident from the Capital city Ulan Bator as well as prominent politician & Journalists. Here is a few photos taken in the Mongolian Capital city
The smog arriving from the Ger city into the downtown area
The full story is available here
Tim Franco is a documentary and commercial photographer available for assignment all over asia.