Newly-released photo book features Korean women

June Kang, left, the wife of actor Choi Min-soo, and Dana Kapelian, a Jewish-French photo artist, pose for a photo at the French Institute in Seoul last Thursday before Kapelian had a news conference for her newly-released photo book, “My Korean Women.” Kang is one of the 60 women Kapelian interviewed for the project. / Courtesy of the French Institut

By Kang Hyun-kyung

A Jewish-French photographer observed that Korean women are living in a society in transition where patriarchal and modern values coexist and this gives them a myriad of challenges both at home and in the workplace.

This is what Dana Kapelian found after she interviewed nearly 60 Korean and foreign women living here for her newly-released photo book, titled “My Korean Women.” The book has photographs of her interviewees and information about them she obtained through her conversations with them.

Kapelian, who has lived in Seoul for the past five years, said that she felt a lot of love from the Korean women and that they were open-minded.

“In France, we don’t have word that can translate jeong into French. But I clearly feel that I know what it is. I had such a feeling when I met those Korean women,” she said through an interpreter during a news conference held at the French Institute in Seoul last week on the occasion of the publication of her book.

Jeong is a Korean word that even foreigners, who have lived here for a long time and have a deep understanding of Korean culture, struggle to understand exactly.

Kapelian cited one of her interviewees as an exemplary case showing the demanding circumstances Korean women face in their daily lives.

“She was in her 60s and worked as an assistant at a dentist’s. During the daytime, she cleans the dental clinic. After work she helps her husband who owns a small pub-like restaurant selling fried chicken and beer,” the Jewish-French photo artist said. “The restaurant closes at midnight and there is still work that she has to do at home. She does home chores and helps her children. Because of her demanding schedule, my interviewee said she only sleeps four or five hours.”

Kapelian said most of her interviewees faced a demanding work and family environment.

The photo artist said that when she first arrived in Korea five years ago, she was intrigued by the alarmingly challenging circumstances facing Korean women.

This motivated her to interview many Korean women for her book. Her interviewees are from all walks of life, including June Kang, the Canadian wife of actor Choi Min-soo; a young judge; a doctor; a farmer; a fortuneteller; and a diver.

In Kapelian’s photo book, Kang, who was born and raised in Canada until she married to Choi 21 years ago, posed in a black motorcycle suit on a motor cycle.

The former beauty pageant contestant told The Korea Times that she intended to send the message that she is as strong as a man.

“When I first got married, my husband put me on the back of a motor cycle. I rode with him. I felt that it was hurting my pride... If I ride, I would like to ride on my own,” she said.

“(The photo image) is very symbolic. I wanted to prove that I can do what men are doing.”

Kang said she accepted Kapelian’s offer to pose for the photo book with pleasure because she is very focused on women in Korea through her activities with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

“As women, we have so many more diverse experiences.”