Chained Dogs in the Korean Countryside
Albert Retief noticed a phenomenon that was foreign to him, being from South Africa, where pets are mostly treated differently, when he moved to Ganghwa Island, northwestern Korea, in 2010. All the dogs were tied up or in cages. “I started to explore more of the island while documenting chained dogs,” said Retief. “I returned in 2012 and...
At the Baseball in Korea
It is Friday evening and Jamsil Stadium is host to Seoul’s hometown rivalry: the Doosan Bears versus LG Twins. Sold out, the stadium is packed with everyone from Gangnam’s elite to ajusshi’s who spend their days selling Korean pears from the trunk of blue Hyundai trucks. While on the green bus to the stadium I passed...
The Natural Beauty Project
Artist and photographer Aoife Casey recently embarked upon a project, an upcoming exhibition, to celebrate natural beauty in Korea, a country known as the plastic surgery capital of the world. In Casey’s words: “The Natural Beauty Project is a body of work consisting of black and white portraits of Korean women, specifically those who have not...
Color Me Rad Korea 2013
Color Me Rad runners warming up to Zumba outside Jamsil Olympic Stadium. Parts of Seoul were literally covered in color on Saturday, July 20, 2013, thanks to the Color Me Rad 5K held at Jamsil Sports Complex. The rain took a break long enough to allow a beautiful, hot morning to host and toast participants. Thousands...
On Seoul’s Guryong Slum and Pushing Poverty Under the Carpet
After the 1960s, a rapid increase in Seoul’s urban population led to inflated prices and a shortage of affordable housing in the city. A large number of slum settlements developed and in 1988 Guryong panjachon (a wooden board house) was created by residents who had been pushed out of their inner-city slums by the government...
Before I Die _______
Community artist Candy Chang lost a loved one and was inspired to think about capturing life’s moments. With the help of her friends, she covered an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighbourhood with chalkboard paint and left the start of a sentence, “Before I die I want to ______” By the next morning, the...
Rural Korea: Exploring Waymook Beach
On the west coast of Korea, hidden by the countryside rice paddies, lies a local beach called Waymook. Famous for its gorgeous sunsets, the small town boasts fresh seafood restaurants and beachside walkways, overlooking a few small islands. While young couples and families tromp around in the sand, shells and sticks, the local residents earn...
Boriam Temple at Namhae Island
I hate planning events or organising my folders at my work desk. Planning my birthday is no exception, hence text messages flooding in on the eve of my 23rd, nagging me as to what the plan was or to remind me that I am one inch closer to being officially an ajushi. I was lucky to...
