By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Yun Hyun-soo, the chairman of Korea Savings Bank and an amateur photographer, is holding a photography exhibition at the Real Sociedad Fotografica (RSF) in Madrid, Spain, up until May 5.
The photos are part of Yun's collection ``Fighting Bull, Hanmyung,'' which were already shown to local fans in an exhibition last year.
Photos of ``Hanmyung,'' a bull born in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province of Korea, and fellow fighting bulls, shows the savage beauty of Korean bullfighting, which is very different from Spain's version. While Spanish bullfighting features a contest between man and bull, eventually leading to the bull's death, Korean bullfighting pitches bull against bull. It's more of a festival and also represents a special friendship between the bull and the owner.
In an essay for his exhibition last year in Korea, Yun explained that ``before the bulls learn to hate, they learn to stare down each other and to charge with their horns.''
Yun managed to capture the essence and festivity of bull fighting.
While some of his works show bulls huffing and puffing during a fight, others offer the animals in their more peaceful state, such as when they are grazing, hiding behind trees and being trained by their owners.
Visitors will get to experience Yun's distinctive eye for bullfighting ― the strength, the anger and even peace ― through his stark black and white photos.
Yun currently runs eight financial institutions in Korea, including the Korea Savings Bank and Gyeonggi Savings Bank. He has held three photography exhibitions so far and this event is the first to be held overseas.
For more information about the exhibition, call (02) 2122-7881 or the Korean Embassy in Madrid at 34-91-353-2000.