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.
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim for Le Monde
A couple weeks ago, I was assigned to take a portrait of Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, the South Korean coming book artist who explores the themes of war, trauma, North Korea etc… I met her at her home on the Ganghwa island where I photographed her in her studio house. Here are some the photos.
I am a portrait and commercial photographer based out of Seoul - South Korea
Creative Portraits in Seoul
I finally took the time to book a studio session here in Seoul to go over some new lighting techniques that I wanted to try for portraits. I have always wanted to extend my commercial portfolio but I end up trying very creative technique that tends to be too artsy for any kind of commercial photoshoot. Two young South Korean actresses were kind enough to spend the day in front of my camera and here are some of the result!
Tim Franco is a Seoul - South Korea based portrait photographer who takes assignment all over east Asia ( China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and others). He specializes in creative portrait commercial photography.
Dior Retail | South Korea Photographer
For the past year, Dior has been working in partnership with me to photograph their new store in South Korea. I have been shooting architecture, interior and retail photography professionally for the past 10 years and I was glad to work with one of the best name in the luxury industry. Here are some of the photos.
Tim Franco is a Seoul based architecture photographer who specialises in high end luxury retail photography. He is available in South Korea and greater Asia ( China / Japan / Taiwan & Hong Kong ) for retail and architecture assignments.
Floods in Seoul | Heavy Rain in South Korea
The rain has been insane for the past month in South Korea. While there is serious damage and casualties in the South, the capital has only seen his main river, the Han river, raised by more than 8 meters and the different parks and roads on its banks have been completely flooded. I went down and documented a few of those strange new landscapes formed by this downpour.
Tim Franco is available for editorial and commercial photography assignment in Seoul and South Korea.
Gangwon | South Korea Photographer
A couple weeks back, I felt stuck in the city. I usually travel all over Asia every month for commercial and personal shoots and since the beginning of the pandemic I am stuck at home in Seoul. I packed my large format camera in my car and drove the South Korean east coast. I traveled there a few times in the past on assignment and personal trips and slowly felt in love with the vintage look of the coastal cities with their motels and beaches. I started to document those without any particular project in my mind. On the first trip I shot only one evening and 3 frames - here they are:
Tim Franco is a photographer currently based in South Korea and available for assignment all over the country. Please get in touch : timfranco@gmail.com
Covid 19 - Dispatch from Seoul | Exams
Exams during a global pandemic in South Korea
At a time of a global pandemic, South Korea is taking all kind of mesures to avoid the spread of the disease despite continuing to run businesses - and that includes exams. For this particular process, people are lining up before with social distancing before being tested for body temperature. Then they are allowed to enter an outdoor field with strong social distance between each desks . On the 25th of April, it was time for the General Insurance Association of Korea at Seokyeong University and I was there to document it.
Please get in touch at timfranco@gmail.com if you are interested for publiction
Covid 19 - Dispatch from Seoul | Testing
Beyond the general usage of the masks, one of the big reasons why South Korea managed to get ahead of the Coronavirus is because of its intensive testing from the get-go.
Beyond the general usage of the masks, one of the big reasons why South Korea managed to get ahead of the Coronavirus ( 8 new cases today ) is because of its intensive testing from the get-go. South Korean laboratories were amongst the first to create an efficient test for the Covid 19. Then they deployed the test all around the country through free testing sites. All the hospitals became sealed off the general visitors and testing centers were constructed in container buildings in front of them. That allowed the hospitals to stay safe of contaminations. On top of that, a lot of testing centers were deployed in sensitive areas or in front of official government buildings. Then to ensure even more safety, South Korea installed drive through and walk through testing site were people did not have to get out of their car to be tested. All tests are free for locals and foreign nationals and results are available within hours by text message. Here are some of the photos of those testing sites and the people operating them.
A nurse posing in front of a drive through testing center in Downtown Seoul
The drive through testing for Coronavirus is divided in 4 stages and takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
As cases are decreasing, the nurses are often waiting in their suits cars to come through.
The nurses & doctors are in full protective gears during the test.
A test center on the parking lot of the main hospital of the Hanam district of downtown Seoul
An old woman waiting to be tested in front of an hospital in downtown Seoul.
A selective clinic testing center in front of the Yongsan government building
A queue for people waiting to be tested in front of the makeshift testing center of the Yongsan Government building.
All photos by Tim Franco | Available for publication, please get in touch: timfranco@gmail.com
Covid 19 - Dispatch from Seoul | Elections
The parliamentary elections took place yesterday in South Korea. The government took multiple mesures to allow electors to cast their votes in the safest way.
The parliamentary elections took place yesterday in South Korea. The government took multiple mesures to allow electors to cast their votes in the safest way. Each elector had to queue 1 meter from each other and wear a mask. Upon arrival at the door, a first temperature check was processed, then, voters had to wash their hands with sanitizer before picking a pair of disposable gloves. Only then, they were allowed inside to cast their vote.
South Korea was among the first countries to hold a national vote since the pandemic began. The party of President Moon Jae-in has won a decisive victory in those elections, with voters backing the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
A candidate campaigning from a truck in Downtown Seoul
Voters queuing with a safety distance on election day in the Yongsan district of Seoul
Voter being checked for body temperature before being allowed to cast his vote.
Disposable gloves are being distributed to each voters
Gloves are then being disposed after the casting process
Volunteers from the ruling party are campaigning on a street of downtown Seoul.
A member of the conservative party finishing a campaign speech from a truck in Downtown Seoul
A conservative candidate visiting a local cafe during his campaign.
Fever checks are not only applied during this electoral process. They are also mandatory for the entrance of most major public and office building in the city.
all images by Tim Franco - get in touch at timfranco@gmail.com for publications.
Covid 19 - Dispatch from Seoul | Cherry Blossom
The cherry blossom season and rising temperatures in Seoul have pushed a lot of people outside of their homes. How Korea is dealing with spring crowds under the COVID 19.
This week signals the coming of springs -with temperature finally rising and most importantly, cherry trees blossoming, it is the big come back of the beautiful days. The local government is advising strong social distancing policies but it is impossible to keep people, especially young ones, away from the beautiful white trees and the relaxing banks of the Han river. For this occasion, a big number of volunteer are walking around the crowds with panels reminding to wear masks and to keep a safety distance of 2 meters between groups of people. As most of of people are doing their best to respect those rules, younger people don’t hesitate to take off the mask for a quick selfie or while enjoying the sun on the grass.
For the past two month, most of the urban population of the peninsula is following the regulations of masks. But with numbers of cases falling down again in Seoul, the population is starting to relax without worrying much about the so called second or third wave. Here are some images around the “officially canceled” cherry blossom festival.
A couple enjoy the Cherry Trees in Yeouido, downtown Seoul. Part of the street has been closed to the public but people are still free to stroll around. In between trees, numerous signs are reminding visitors to keep wearing masks and observe a safety distance between groups.
At every entrance of the Hangang park , hand sanitizers and volunteers are here to remind the visitors of the dangers of the Covid 19
A volunteer with a sign reminding visitor to wear masks stroll up and down the main alley in between the cherry trees.
A group of young people playing in the the Hangang park. Young people have less tendencies to wear masks at all time.
The park is crowded but groups are sitting spaced from each others. Young people take off their masks for selfies and snacks.
A group of young people posing for a photo in front of one of the many cherry tree of Yeouido.
A volunteer offers some hand sanitizer to visitors arriving at the park/
All photos by Tim Franco | get in touch : timfranco@gmail.com
Abandonned Ski Resort near the South Korean Olympics
The 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics opened on February 9th. As South Korea just spent 600 million euros on a brand new winter resort, we need only travel one hour North of the new site to find the previous Alps Resort, brutally abandoned 12 years ago. An eerie place that lets one wonder about the fleeting legacy of the Olympic games.
Here is a selection of large format photograph taken in this site as well as a drone video footage of the resort
Those image and a wilder selection of digital ones are available for editorial usage upon request, please get in touch with timfranco@gmail.com. All drone footages are also available.
Tim Franco is a documentary photographer and drone pilot available for assignment in Asia
Shanghai Skaters Story for HUCK Magazine
Here is a feature I work on with some of the Local and International skaters cruising and enjoying Shanghai Urban Areas. Was an interesting gig to photograph especially with my old rolleiflex
I am a photographer based in Shanghai & Seoul working on editorial and commercial assignments
Luxury Brand & Exhibition photographer for Louis Vuitton in Asia
In the past few weeks I was commissioned through Actu Asia & Propaganda Studio to document & Photograph the Louis Vuitton Series 2 in Beijing China & Seoul, South Korea. It was a really good experience working in those great cities on the same project. On top of photographing the spaces, I ve documented the visit from celebrities such as Jennifer Connely, Fang Bing Bing, Tang Yan in China, Doona Bae or Clauda Kim in South Korea.
Kim Soo-hyun
Tang Yan
Tang Yan
Soo Young Choi of Girl's Generation
Tang Yan
Fan BingBing
Vip Guest
Jennifer Connely
Tim Franco is a Seoul & China based photographer available for commercial assignment
Seoul urban study and cityscape
Itaewon at dawn
Gangnam offices at dusk
Central Seoul at dusk
Gangnam main shopping area
Itaewon
Seoul is connected & wired through the latest and fastest online technologies. It is also a new city, mostly reconstructed after the Korean War, its large avenues and modern buildings seems endless in the center and spreading through beautiful mountains surrounding the city. It gives this megapolis a unique energy. While modern & tall buildings can be found in various part of the city, they always surround smaller and more intimate districts made of small alleys , traditional houses and business. Christianity is also an important part of modern Korean culture. In any district, the neon litted crosses can be seen from afar.
This urban study made with a traditional 4x5 large format wooden field camera in film aims to document the urban enviornement of the South Korean Capital.