TITLE: The Independence Movement: Layered Gazes

The recent martial law crisis that unfolded in December profoundly shook me. Until then, I believed that external forces—superpowers like China, the United States, or Russia—posed the greatest threat to Korea’s stability. Yet it was not an outside power, but internal corruption and chaos that endangered the nation. This realization prompted a deeper reflection on the roots of the Republic of Korea—its essence and identity.

I found my starting point in the March 1st Movement of 1919 and the Korean independence movement. That moment in history, when the Korean people boldly declared their desire for self-determination, marked the spiritual birth of the modern Korean state. The Provisional Government in Shanghai, grounded in the ideals of democratic republicanism and national sovereignty, planted the seeds of the Korea we know today.

This work reinterprets historical sites of the independence struggle through a contemporary lens. The young girl depicted in the traditional uniform of Ewha School may evoke Yu Gwan-sun, but she also stands as a visual metaphor for the countless unnamed independence fighters lost in history. Her floating form, suspended in midair, blurs the line between past and present, reality and transcendence—embodying the ever-present spirit of resistance.

She gazes upon places marked by sacrifice and yearning—from prisons like Seodaemun to symbolic sites of struggle. Through these scenes, I ask: if those who fought for Korea’s freedom could see us now, what would they think?

This project aspires not only to honor the past but to quietly question our present and inspire reflection on the future. I intend to continue documenting the traces of the independence movement across Korea and beyond—seeking to transform “independence” from a historical term into a living, breathing question for today.

AUTHOR: Hakbong Kwon (Korea, Republic of)

Hakbong Kwon
was born in Sangju, Korea in 1977. Graduate from Dankook University visual communication design and worked graphic designer to be photographer. Contributor of Alamy, Getty Images. Photographers in Korea community ‘Strobist Korea’ administrator. Now based Korea and Thailand work in photographic book writer and contributor many way.