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A birds-eye-view of the former North Korean Worker¡¯s Party building that has stood in a wilderness for over 50 years near the DMZ. Bullet and bomb scars inflicted during the Korean War are still visible in the building, which has become a popular tourist site.
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The Peace Festival 2005 will see an exhibition entitled ¡°DMZ from Above¡± by the world-renowned French aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, who became the first person to take pictures of the symbol of Korea¡¯s division from the air. The exhibition, sponsored by the Chosun Ilbo, will last from Aug. 10 to Sept. 11 at Imjingak, a tourist site near the Military Demarcation Line in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. It will feature pictures Arthus-Bertrand took while crossing Korea from west to east -- 155 miles from Ganghwa Island to Goseong-gun in Gangwon Province. It will be open 24 hours and admission is free.
Arthus-Bertrand started taking pictures professionally while studying lions in a protected zone in Masai Mara, Kenya in 1976. He has since published some 70 books showing the beauty of the planet from the air.
Since civilians are prohibited from flying over the DMZ, preparations were extremely difficult. Hong Mi-ok, the director of the exhibition who was on the helicopter with Arthus-Bertrand, recalls, ¡°Everyone said we were crazy when we requested permission from the Ministry of Defense in November 2004.¡± But the quality of the photographer¡¯s work persuaded the ministry, the Military Armistice Commission, Gyeonggi Province and the Korea Forest Service to give their active support to the project, he said.
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Rows of Ginseng surround a tomb in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, near the DMZ.
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On two expeditions to the DMZ in March and June, Arthus-Bertrand took over 1,000 pictures. The photographer chose 30 to be printed in large format to be shown to the public. However, visitors cannot take pictures.
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The Freedom Bridge over the Imjin River in the northern DMZ. The bridge now symbolizes friendship and cooperation between North and South Korea and has been transformed for the restoration of the Gyeongui Railway. But the old pontoons on the left still show the scars of the Korean War. Imjingak is visible across the river in the south.
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The series is part of a larger project titled ¡°Earth from Above,¡± a free worldwide exhibition series sponsored by UNESCO that has been touring cities all around the world since 2000. More than 60 of Arthus-Bertrand¡¯s earlier works will be displayed as well.
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The rice paddies and fields, deserted by humans for half a century, are now a paradise for wild animals. However, the iron fence silently tells of the violence that lies behind the tranquil scenery. / Photo provided by Saemulgyeol
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¡°Because this is a place that will disappear when North and South are reunited, I wanted to keep a record,¡± Arthus-Bertrand says. ¡°I had a strong sense that I should convey the historical meaning of this place, so I was keyed up at every moment.¡± The photographer also plans a separate exhibition of pictures of Korea as a whole. He will come back this fall when the scenery on the Korean Peninsula is at its most breathtaking.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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