ZEN FOTO GALLERY

“Over the past few decades, South Korea has become a more competitive society, with the current times overlapping against its cultural and ethnic background. As a result, South Korea has the highest youth suicide rate among developed countries and the lowest birth rate in the world. Some young people jokingly refer to their country as ‘Hell Korea.’”

In "TFW Korea" Yang Seung-Woo portrays several young people from South Korea. Like Yang himself, they do not conform to the ideals imposed by South Korean society, either in the way they look, think, or what they want out of life. In a series of photographs and interview snippets, Yang captures and celebrates their unique approach to life. At the same time, his series questions the current state of South Korean society, where young people are suffocating under the weight of expectations and self-expression has become an act of courage.

“[I]f you don’t give up on life, someone might come along and support you, and they might tell you that you’re exactly what they need. If you think it wouldn’t be that easy, just tell yourself what you want to hear, and back yourself up with some unfounded confidence. I recommend this approach because it has always served me well.”
― both quotes from Yang Seung-Woo’s afterword