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REPUBLIC KOREA

WHAT IS THE REPUBLIC KOREA? IN AN ARTICLE ON KOREAN SOCIETY IN STADTBAUWELT MAGAZINE (36.08), THE ARCHITECT AND WRITER KONG CHUL DESCRIBES THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AS A “QUICK QUICK” CULTURE. HE LOOKS AT THE TWO SIDES OF THIS MINDSET. ON ONE SIDE, HE SEES ENERGY AND DYNAMISM. ON THE OTHER, HE SEES IMPATIENCE AND A FAST PACE THAT SOMETIMES OVERLOOKS IMPORTANT DETAILS.

THIS “QUICK QUICK” TEMPERAMENT LEADS TO BOTH PRAISE AND CRITICISM. FOR EXAMPLE, KOREA’S TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS, SUCH AS ITS EXTREMELY FAST INTERNET, OFTEN IMPRESS VISITORS. HOWEVER, THE RAPID LOSS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURE CAN BE HARDER TO UNDERSTAND. KONG NOTES THAT THIS ATTITUDE DEVELOPED DURING THE ERA OF JAPANESE COLONIZATION AND LATER THE KOREAN WAR. DURING THOSE PERIODS, QUICK ACTION WAS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL. TODAY, HE BELIEVES THAT MANY MODERN SOCIETIES SHARE A SIMILAR MINDSET, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT FOCUS ON FAST ECONOMIC GROWTH.

KONG CONCLUDES WITH THE IDEA THAT WE LIVE IN A TIME OF CONSTANT CHANGE, AND THAT “SPEEDY PROGRESS WILL BE REWARDED.” HIS STATEMENT SUGGESTS A VIEW THAT GOES BEYOND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES AND REFLECTS A GLOBAL APPROACH TO MODERN LIFE.

PART OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS I TOOK AS A PHOTOGRAPHER IN AND AROUND SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, WERE PUBLISHED ALONGSIDE KONG CHUL’S ARTICLE IN THE SEOUL ISSUE OF THE GERMAN MAGAZINE STADTBAUWELT (36.08).

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STADTBAUWELT (36.08)

PHOTOS

A Seoul yogurt delivery lady with a vibrant striped garage backdrop, hands on her cart
A Korean man sits on his fully loaded delivery bike at a busy road's stoplight, ready to drive off
An elderly Korean man in a narrow Seoul alley, wearing trainers and a light hiking jacket, gazes directly at the camera
A Korean woman in a narrow Dongdaemun alley, carrying a large tray on her head to deliver food from the restaurant where she works
A man dressed in a space-like costume poses in front of the camera in front of a colorful striped garage in the Hongdae district of Seoul, South Korea
A male Korean teenager at a Seoul street corner, sporting a hair ribbon and flashing a heart pose at the camera
A Korean man hikes one of the surrounding mountains of Seoul, South Korea, on a hot summer afternoon
A portrait of a cafe owner in Seoul, South Korea, standing at the coffee counter and looking into the camera
A Korean man at work, focusing on computer chips in a workspace near Dongdaemun, Seoul, South Korea
A young Korean man at a food stall in Seoul, South Korea, wearing a head cloth with printed Korean flags
An elderly Korean woman stands outside her apartment in a high-rise building in Seoul, South Korea, holding her small dog in her arms and facing the camera
A young Korean lady stands in front of a cosmetics store in Seoul, South Korea, holding a microphone and cosmetic samples to attract passersby
A Korean man in an oversized suit sits in an armchair in an office meeting area in Seoul, South Korea
A Korean man enjoying his Korean lunch outside a restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
A Korean man sits on the street during a protest in Gwanghwamun area, Seoul, with a bottle of water and a Coke beside him
A Korean woman in her late 20s wearing glasses sits by a window with curtains, captured in a portrait
A male Korean primary student standing in front of a traditional Korean palace, holding a bag with a drawing of a monkey face
A young Korean boy sits on a bench in the ice rink's changing area, dressed in warm winter clothes and ice skates
A funky-dressed vegetable and fruit vendor outside his store in Seoul, South Korea, using a microphone and small speaker to attract customers
A portrait of an elderly Korean street vendor selling sweet baked goods at a corner intersection in Seoul, South Korea