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Korean Image Archive

@koreanimage

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Collecting, preserving, and providing access to historic Korean images.
한국어 계정 @koreanimage.kr
Founder @bkh_nojoke

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How my grandparents met.#koreanhistory #incheon #bupyeong #koreaincolor by @koreanimage

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2 years ago

This is Korea 60 years ago.#koreanhistory #incheonkorea by @koreanimage

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2 years ago

“We are Korea’s best kept secret. Help make our treasures known!”- @koreanimage 💾Save for later💙Share to spread the wordAs I’ve continued throughout this journey, I’ve discovered that connecting with Korean roots looks different for everyone. Oftentimes, I see food and music as a common thread, and art as another. Eventually, I stumbled across the Korean Image Archives. Blair is doing something that is so unique and has unfortunately faced discrimination in this project. Being a quarter Korean, his features may appear more diluted than others and because of that people have challenged him and estranged him from feeling as if he was safe to carry out this project. An important component of my own project was to find others who are seeking to have similar experiences in various mediums. There are those who may be on the fringe within our own community or in our own diaspora, so we must ensure we include them all because our experiences are more similar than we realize. It’s time to connect the missing pieces. For those who have any records of your history within your current heritage, this is a CALL TO ACTION to help to contribute to this really special project.P.S. There is a short film trailer that I will be sharing in an upcoming post to expand more on this. .......... #koreanimages #koreanhistory #koreandiaspora #koreanamerican #mixedkoreans #koreanancestors #kcommunity #collaborations by @koreanimage

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3 years ago

In the 42 years between Korea’s liberation from Japan and Farmer’s first visit to Korea, the nation had already seen the rise of three dictators: Rhee Syngman (1948-1960), Park Chung Hee (1961-1979), and Chun Doo Hwan (1980-1988). The democratization movement had been a growing force through these years; and by the 1980s, with the Gwangju massacre that marked the beginning of Chun’s military rule, the fight for democracy was on more minds than ever before. The June Democratic Struggle was a continuation of these issues, exacerbated by Chun declaring Roh Tae Woo as his successor as well as the killing of student-activist Lee Han Yeol during a protest. Lee’s death drew much national attention, and his funeral was attended by over one million people from all parts of the country. The first photos in Farmer’s “Democracy Protest” series capture a protest at the Seoul City Hall directly after Lee Han Yeol’s funeral on July 9, 1987. Notable here in the sea of protestors are the writings on their banners. Some signs martyrize Lee, like the following reference to protest song “벗이여 해방이 온다” (“Friend, Liberation is Coming”) written in honor of the fallen Kim Se Jin and Lee Jae Ho: “벗이어! 고이 가소서! 투쟁으로 함께 하리니!! 동국대학교” (“Friend! Go in peace! For we will be together in solidarity!! Dongguk University”). Others include sentiments like “허울뿐인 민주화 국민은 안속는다” (“Democratization only in words, the People will not be fooled”) that condemn the Chun regime and Roh Tae Woo’s unreliable promises that democracy will be granted. The second half of the “Democracy Protest” photos follows the opposing riot police waiting to quell violence on nearby streets. In stark contrast with the civilian protestors equipped with nothing but the clothes on their backs, these policemen are armored from head to toe, wearing helmets, camo-green uniforms, combat boots, and most importantly, guns and metal shields. The photo entitled “Civilians Watching Soldiers through Gate” best highlights the tensions between pro-democracy civilians and the pro-Chun police. Photos by Tom Farmer @one_body_of_christ_korea Research by @uthpak by @koreanimage

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The interiors of Farmer’s “restaurant” photos show a growing tension between traditional Korean culture and a trend towards globalization. For example, some featured locations are characteristic of local Korean restaurants, serving dishes like tteokbokki and bulgogi with countless banchan bowls accompanying the table. Others, however, are more Westernized restaurants where the tables are ornamented with checkered cloths and set with forks instead of chopsticks as the main utensil [01262]. These photos, complimented by the photos of fast food restaurants like Lotteria, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Burger Jack’s, highlight the growing influence of American culture in Korea.The “Markets” photo series also shows this growing trend of globalization through its juxtaposition of the Namdaemun Market and Itaewon nightlife. The photos from the Namdaemun Market document its famous open-air stalls and bustling crowds. The main focus here is on agricultural products, showing carts filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables as well as pigs’ heads and fish put on display. The Itaewon photos also show a bustling scene with people and cars filling the roads, however, the focus now lies in the city’s neon lights. Here, slogans like “DISCO” and “HEAVY METAL” and “GIGOLO” glow in the night sky. Contrasted with the previous daytime photos from the Market, this drastic change in environment signals a changing economy growing from the tension between preserving Korean authenticity and embracing Western novelties.Photos by Tom Farmer @one_body_of_christ_korea Research by @uthpak by @koreanimage

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“Home Hangouts” and Daily Living Farmer’s “home hangout” series documents Farmer’s time visiting church members at their residences. Although we cannot attribute a specific address to these photos, Farmer is welcomed into a polished version of Korean homes decorated with luxurious pottery and fruit. Looking closer at the photos, however, we also see that between the homemade meals and hwatu cards lie mismatched furniture at the dining table, decorations interspersed with children’s toys, and hair curlers on the floor. In other words, though seemingly pristine at first, the interior of these homes show us an authentic version of Korean upper-middle class life during this time.Photos by Tom Farmer @one_body_of_christ_korea Research by @uthpak by @koreanimage

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Changing settings and landscapes drives the 1987 album. Although all range throughout the northern part of South Korea, from rural Paju to Mt. Seoraksan and Seoul, these environments and their respective subseries provide insight into various aspects of late 80s Korean culture such as daily living, globalization, and the fight for democracy.Photos by @one_body_of_christ_korea Research by @uthpak by @koreanimage

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9 days ago

Tom Farmer Collection - Part 1 of 6Originally from Michigan, Tom Farmer’s initial ties to Korea began in college when he befriended Korean students through University Christian Outreach. He first visited Korea in July 1987 to follow up with these relationships and discern whether future plans would involve the country. Two years later, he returned for a second independent trip to revisit friends with his wife in 1989. Farmer spent several decades in the US after these visits, but in 2025 he and his wife made the decision to permanently return to Korea. The Tom Farmer Collection comprises 372 total images, to date the largest collection in our Archive, and divides into two sections: photographs from Farmer’s first trip to Korea in 1987 and those from his returning trip in 1989.Research and collection description by @uthpak Photos by Tom Farmer (@one_body_of_christ_korea ) by @koreanimage

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10 days ago

Happy to announce we’ve digitized, researched, and published the Tom Farmer Collection. Tom generously donated his set of 372 slides photographed in both 1987 and 89 to share these images of Korea with our audience. The entire series is available to view on our website (KoreanImage.com —> Browse by Collection), and we’ll share a selection here over the next couple weeks. Subjects include- Home Hangouts and Daily Living- Restaurants, Markets, and Globalization - Democracy Protest and the June Democratic Struggle - 1989 RevisitsThank you again Tom for donating these photos that help us remember and better understand the past. He can be contacted at @one_body_of_christ_koreaAdditional thanks goes to @uthpak for her collection research and @chaeyeonnhong for her Korean translation. by @koreanimage

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11 days ago

Well back to work on the archive. If you’ve been waiting for an email reply, DM, or something I was supposed to do, sorry for the constant delays. I could say “we’ve been working behind the scenes on something awesome,” which is partly true. But it’s also true that sometimes I’m not in a good place mentally and it takes so much to get by. I’ve been making changes though since spring, including attending trade school this summer in order to switch careers. It’s wild how much our jobs impact the type of life we’re able to live. Maybe this will take me closer to the life I hope for. That also means we gotta get back to posting photos and publishing collections because despite my breaks I find working on this archive meaningful, so keep watch. We’ll share two new collections this month. Here’s a couple previews. by @koreanimage

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17 days ago

It’s hot out so it’s time to eat some 참외 chamoe melon! by @koreanimage

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2 months ago

It’s been a long week, so rest up because the weekend’s almost here.1978Sejongno, Jongno District, Seoul by @koreanimage

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2 months ago