Korean Photographers Capture Traces of War
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Even in today's modern Korea, there are still visible scars from Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) and the Korean War (1950-53). Often, these ``traces of war'' are often overlooked, if not ignored, by many.
Five Korean photographers have captured these ``traces of war'' in everyday Korean life. Photographs by Kim Gyoo-sik, Noh Suntag, Back Seung-woo, Lee Young-hoon and Jeon Jae-hong are part of the ``39 (2)'' Korean contemporary photo exhibition at the Artsonje Center.
Curated by Paradigm Shift's Han Keum-hyun, the exhibit's title 39 (2) refers to Article 39, Clause 2 of the Korean Constitution, which states: ``No citizen shall be treated unfavorably on account of the fulfillment of his obligation of military service.''
``The images of war and military culture face diverse circumstances in ordinary life, which clash with individual and collective situations in current Korean society. Those images exist in the middle of ordinary life such as magazines, toys, buildings and commercial events, connected with capitalist structure and indifference to violence,'' the curator said, in the exhibition statement.
The exhibition does have visually stimulating photographs, but the more interesting part is relating the images to the current social and political situation in Korea.
``The objects in their photographs are contextually transformed inside a structure of photography as well as outside elements of images such as culture and commodity which dominate Korean society,'' the curator said.
Kim's photographs are of military weapons, like missiles, and parts of jets, like fuel tanks and fuselages. ``Night Hawk'' shows a stark black image of a fighter jet, displaying the fierce beauty of its design.
Noh has always been collecting images of war, and the division of the Korean Peninsula. ``reallyGood, murder'' is a series of photographs during a festival at one of the military bases. There are images of children playing with real machine guns, families having picnics next to military vehicles and people watching fighter jets fly.
``He carefully observes not only the traces of the Korean War but also the current events and conditions derived from the war, in order to expose the way in which various forms of social violence in contemporary Korea are linked to the war of half a century ago,'' the curator said.
On the other hand, Back's ``Utopia'' series ``approaches socio-cultural issues relating to the identity in multi-cultural situations in Korea, contrasting real and unreal space.''
Jae's black-and-white photographs are always involved with architecture, and relate it with history and social science. He takes photographs of rundown buildings and ramshackle structures, which turn out to be former offices of financial unions or irrigation associations.
Most interesting are the photographs of structures built during the Japanese colonial rule in the southern part of Korea, and showing how most of these have been left to deteriorate. For example, a photograph shows a ``jinja'' or Japanese Shinto shrine in Sorok island, Goheung, South Jeolla province. It is the only existing shrine in Korea, but it has turned into a resting place for hikers and tourists.
``Paradise'' is a series of photographs by Lee, capturing moments at the reserve army training ground when soldiers are slacking off. The photographs convey the fleeting mood relaxation among the soldiers, who are usually very disciplined.
The exhibition runs through Feb. 15. Admission is 3,000 won. To get there, get off Anguk Station Subway Line 3, Exit 1. Walking towards Gwanghwamun, turn right at the corner of Poongmun Girl's High School. Walk straight towards the direction of the Jungdok public library. Visit www.artsonje.org or call (02) 739-7098.