Junghong Min, better known as Jason, is a freelance photographer in Korea. His K League photography is the most profound and powerful I have seen. Who is the man behind the lens?
I have been searching for diverse, one-of-a-kind, and inspiring football photography for many years. Especially here in Korea. Not the photo accompanying a match report. Or of friends after a match.
Something different.
As a lover of photography, my areas of interest at a K League stadium are of the floodlights, the beautiful summer skies above cheering fans, the giant mountains behind the waving flags, and even the Hangeul on the backs of jerseys.
Then I saw the Instagram account @photo.de.jason
Jason doesn’t upload photos of a player winning a header from a corner. Or the team manager encouraging his men from the dugout. Or the referee brandishing a yellow card.
He looks for themes. Stories. Motifs.
“Before each game,” Jason explains, “I think about the club’s recent form, the atmosphere around the team, and the supporters’ narrative to decide on the mood I want to express.
However, the match result usually has the biggest influence on the final story.”
Jason mainly covers Gwangju FC. The city where he grew up, where he spent his teenage years, and where he graduated from university.
Gwangju are 12th in K League 1. Rooted to the bottom of the league, and without a victory in 150 days.
But as Jason notes below, even for Gwangju FC, the subject doesn’t have to be about sadness, grief, or despair.
Jason is a freelance photographer but his ties to Gwangju FC are getting stronger. He has walked an unfamiliar path from “the construction industry” to standing on the pitch with Gwangju’s players before their pre-match huddle.
“Photography started as my favorite hobby, but eventually it became my profession.”
Jason has only been documenting the K League though his lens for the past 18 months. The journey to arrive here, down that unfamiliar path, began in Budapest.
“I worked in Budapest, Hungary, from October 2021 to December 2024. During that time, I traveled to different cities to watch football matches, and I started thinking that I could photograph football clubs as well.”
This culminated in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work pitchside at Ferencváros’ UEFA Europa League match against OGC Nice. It was October 2024.
Jason did something most aspiring journalists or photographers wouldn’t have the courage to do.
“I simply applied for media accreditation through the club’s website, and later received an email from the club’s public relations manager asking a few questions about me, such as who I was and my Instagram account.”
That email was the moment a hobby began to feel like a career.
With that experience in his pocket, Jason returned to Korea looking for opportunities to photograph football. He started bringing his camera into the stands. Now it was time to add meaning to the pictures.
“I’m always trying to find a single narrative that defines the entire match. Things like the floodlights, the sky, or even empty seats can become important elements in telling that story.”
As Jason perfectly demonstrates, K League clubs’ Instagram accounts “are filled with announcements and match graphics.” Club photos show a goalkeeper shouting, a defender pointing, a striker focused on making good contact with the ball.
“I’m more interested in showing why a match felt the way it did—not just what happened. I want my photographs to include the supporters, the atmosphere, and everything around the game that gives football its meaning.”
And that focus is paying dividends. “Since round 20 of this season, my photos have been appearing on Gwangju’s official social media channels.” The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
On Sunday night, Jason traveled to Daejeon to see Gwangju lose again. I’ve seen videos and images of disgruntled fans in the stands. Jason could have let more disappointment steer his post-match narrative.
But there was a more compelling and emotional angle. 35-year-old midfielder Ju Se-jong made his 300th K League appearance. Under the headline “A Milestone Built Over Time”, Jason’s photos of Ju are on the club’s official Instagram account.
“I mainly use Fujifilm cameras, such as the X-H2, X-H2S, X-T4, and X100F. However, I’ve also been experimenting with Meta glasses to create behind the scenes footage from a perspective people don’t usually get to see.”
An artist conjuring up magic with his camera. You don’t have to visit Buenos Aires or Cairo to be captivated by football photography. Sometimes it is right on your doorstep. Sometimes in Gwangju. Let his photographs take you to a place you never thought possible.
Leave a Reply