[INTERVIEW] Photographer spends 13 years documenting Korean War veterans worldwide

RAMI, photographer and founder of the nonprofit organization Project Soldier / Courtesy of Project Solider

For photographer RAMI, what began as a simple portrait session with Korean soldiers has evolved into a decadelong mission to document those who dedicate their lives to protecting others and preserve their sacrifices for generations to come.

The founder of the nonprofit Project Soldier has spent the past 13 years photographing active-duty service members, military families and 1950-53 Korean War veterans from around the world. Along the way, the project has evolved from an artistic endeavor into what he now describes as a form of historical preservation and, increasingly, healing.

"I wanted to tell them, 'You are a great soldier. You have lived an honorable life,'" RAMI said in an interview with The Korea Times. "That was how everything started."

The ongoing exhibition “Freedom Is Not Free” features portraits, personal stories and video testimonies of 1950-53 Korean War veterans at the Project Soldier Gallery in Vienna, Va. Courtesy of Project Soldier

His interest in the military was not rooted in patriotism at first. After growing up in Korea and completing his military service, RAMI moved to San Francisco in the early 2000s to study documentary and editorial photography. Drawn to extreme subjects, he originally dreamed of becoming a war photographer, documenting military units, law enforcement agencies and high-risk environments.

After returning to Korea in 2010, he worked in commercial photography before being commissioned to produce a documentary-style promotional film for the Republic of Korea Army's 1st Infantry Division. To bring authenticity to the film, he interviewed dozens of soldiers. One conversation, however, would ultimately change the course of his life.

The interviewee, a military officer who had served for 28 years, said that while he had fulfilled his duty to the nation, he regretted not being a better husband and father because military service had always taken precedence over family. Asked about his greatest wish, he told the photographer he simply wanted to take his family on their first trip together after retiring.

"I realized these people weren't only sacrificing themselves," RAMI said. "Their families were making sacrifices alongside them."

Entrance to the exhibition "Photographic Tribute to Korean War Veterans," held at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul from June 19 to July 26. Courtesy of Project Soldier

That encounter gave rise to "I'm Soldier," a portrait series celebrating the dignity of individual service members. As the project grew, RAMI also began documenting Korea's diverse military uniforms, eventually photographing about 150 different uniforms across branches and specialized units. A 2016 exhibition of the collection drew widespread attention and encouraged more soldiers to share their own stories.

Those stories gradually expanded the project beyond individual portraits. It evolved into "We Are Soldiers," featuring military units, and "We Are Soldiers' Family," documenting soldiers with their families at their workplaces. Together, the series came to be known as Project Soldier.

The project took another turning point, when RAMI met a Korean War veteran at a defense exhibition. Despite fighting in a war far from home more than six decades earlier, the veteran carried unmistakable pride.

"I wanted to know why," he said. "Why would someone still be so proud of a war that wasn't even fought for their own country?"

An installation view of the "Photographic Tribute to Korean War Veterans" exhibition at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, which ran from June 19 to July 26. Courtesy of Project Soldier

That question led him overseas. Beginning in Britain in 2017, he started traveling to meet Korean War veterans from United Nations member states, photographing them while recording their stories. What struck him most was not only their enduring sense of purpose but also the warmth with which they welcomed complete strangers.

"They didn't look at me like I was a stranger," he said. "They looked at me like I was their neighbor."

The project has since expanded beyond Korea to countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. To date, RAMI has photographed more than 2,500 Korean War veterans and over 8,000 active-duty service members.

His work eventually gained nationwide attention after appearing on the popular television program You Quiz on the Block in 2021. The exposure helped Project Soldier obtain nonprofit status and begin receiving donations, allowing the initiative to continue despite years of financial uncertainty.

Yet RAMI believes the project's future extends beyond Korea. He plans to expand Project Soldier in the United States through partnerships with veterans' organizations and hospitals, using photography as a healing tool for veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"They may think I'm making art," he said. "But from their perspective, this is healing."

Looking ahead, he hopes to broaden the initiative beyond the military to include firefighters, police officers and other public servants under a new umbrella, "Guardians of Freedom."

"We still have time," he said. "If you see a veteran wearing a Korean War cap, don't just walk past. Simply say, 'Thank you for your service.' That one sentence can mean more than people realize."

InterviewPhotographer spends 13 years documenting Korean War veterans worldwide