An Interview with Photographer Jinseok Kim
- Harin Yang
- Jun 28, 2024
- 4 min read
"I wanted to capture both the sadness and joy of Koryo Saram."
Jinseok Kim is a South Korean photographer, who, from 2017 to 2018, worked as an administrator in the Presidential Secretariat and was in charge of exclusive photos of the President. Nicknamed the "photographer on the road," Kim began traveling across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia in 2019 to capture the lives of Koryo Saram. His recently published photo book "고려인, 카레이츠" (Koryoin, Kareitsu) (Kareitsu meaning "Korean" in Russian) contains the lives of those he encountered.
Q. What motivated you to start documenting the lives of Koryo Saram?
A. I first received a request from a Korean cultural center in Astana, Kazakhstan to take photographs of the scenery and people's lives in 2016. While staying in Kazakhstan for two months to do that, I met many Kazakhs who resembled me, and they turned out to be Koryo Saram. Although I had heard of Koryo Saram through the media before, being there in person and gaining a closer insight into their lives intrigued me to delve deeper into their culture. This inspired me to change the project's theme to "Koryo Saram" and document their lives.
Q. How did the book "Koryoin, Kareitsu" come about?
A. In 2016, I spent the rest of my time traveling to cities in Kazakhstan such as Ushtobe, Kyzylorda, Almaty, Astana, and Karaganda, capturing the lives of Koryo Saram. Back then, I was still working as a photographer in the Presidential Secretariat. But once I had finished that work, I was interested in doing more research about Koryo Saram. So, in 2019, I began to look into the history of Koryo Saram more, and following the paths of their forced migration, I traveled to Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic States, documenting the lives of Koryo Saram in each place. With the photographs I took on that excursion, I created the photo book "Koryoin, Kareitsu," which was published in 2022.
Q. For our audience who may not be familiar, could you explain who the Koryo Saram are and their historical background?
A. From what I've seen, Koryo Saram in the Commonwealth of Independent States can be distinguished into two groups. One group is the people who were forcefully conscripted to places like the Philippines, Japan, and Sakhalin to work in coal mines from the early 1930s to the mid-1940s during the Japanese Occupation of Korea and were not able to return to Korea after liberation. These types of Koryo Saram are commonly referred to as Sakhalin Koreans. The second group comprises approximately 172,000 Koryo Saram who were forcibly relocated from Vladivostok to Central Asia in 1937.
Q. Is there any particular moment from this project that stands out to you that you would like to cherish?
A. Absolutely; there were many memorable moments that were both happy and sad. For example, I remember having a good time with the members of Koryo Saram cultural centers in Almaty, especially a Koryo Saram veteran group. I got invited to their houses for vodka. However, one thing that stood out was the fact that there are still many Koryo Saram living their lives as stateless people. It's very unfortunate that statelessness is common among these people, especially near Uzbekistan and Russia.
"The greatest obstacle is language."
Q. Have you also seen the lives of Koryo Saram in Korea?
A. Yes, there is a Koryo Saram community in Gwangju consisting of approximately 3000-4000 individuals who migrated from Central Asia. However, many of them face challenges adapting to life in South Korea due to language barriers. Even those with good education find it difficult to secure employment in Korea, leading many to work in factories and farms, which is unfortunate. Despite these difficulties, many Koryo Saram continue to immigrate to Korea, likely motivated by economic factors rather than ethnic and cultural reasons. The average salary in Korea is higher than in Central Asian countries, prompting some to work in Korea to support their families back home.
Q. Do Koryo Saram immigrants receive any government support in Korea?
A. Legally speaking, Koryo Saram are classified as "compatriots," making it easier for them to acquire visas compared to foreigners. However, from a social standpoint, there is a lack of government support in assisting them with their relocation, although there are a number of Koryo Saram communities and non-profit organizations that offer help locally. The majority of government aid is directed towards physical support, such as constructing apartments or providing hardware, whereas I believe there should be a shift towards prioritizing language education by expanding programs to younger generations of Koryo Saram who wish to learn the language.
Q. What is the main difference between mainstream South Korean culture and that of Koryo Saram?
A. The key distinction lies in the social structure. Mainstream South Korean society is founded on capitalism, whereas society in Central Asian countries and Russia is rooted in socialism. These differing social paradigms can pose challenges for Koryo Saram when adjusting to life in Korea. For example, due to capitalism's emphasis on innovation, competition, and individualism, South Korea embraces a somewhat "tight" work environment where efficiency and productivity are essential. What may appear normal in a capitalist context could appear entirely foreign in a socialist context. Regarding customs, I've noticed that Koryo Saram often place greater importance on celebrating 60th birthdays (a traditional Korean ceremony known as 환갑잔치 in Korean) compared to modern South Koreans.
Q. Among Koryo Saram traditions, is there anything that you believe must be preserved?
A. In my opinion, attempting to preserve something that doesn't belong to us, from an external perspective, may come across as somewhat selfish, particularly when we struggle to maintain our own cultural heritage. I believe that aspects like culture should be allowed to evolve naturally over time. Rather than working to preserving their traditions, what we can do to show our support is to spread awareness about their unique identity and historical background. Overall, I think that modern South Koreans and Koryo Saram must work together to reach a certain common point. It's wrong for us to say that we are one nation just because of our historical roots, and it's also misguided for them to feel obligated to embrace Korea due to their ethnicity.
Reach Kim Online: @photo_kim_jinseok
Kim's Photo book: 고려인, 카레이츠
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