Park Jongwoo

Park Jongwoo (박종우)
Park Jongwoo in 2010
Born1958 (age 67–68)
Seoul, South Korea
OccupationsPhotographer, Documentary Filmmaker
Known forDocumentary photography and video of the Korean Demilitarized Zone
Websitehttps://parkjongwoo.com/

Park Jongwoo (박종우; born 1958) is a South Korean photographer and documentary filmmaker best known for documentary work on the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).[1][2][3][4] He has also produced extensive documentary work in the Himalayas.[5]

In 2009, Park received official permission from the South Korean Ministry of National Defense to photograph inside the DMZ, reportedly becoming the first civilian granted such access.[6][7]

His photographs were exhibited in the Allied Museum in 2023.[8][9] His DMZ photographs were published in DMZ: Demilitarized Zone of Korea (Steidl, 2017).[10][11]

Career

From 1983 to 1995, Park worked as a photojournalist for The Korea Times.[12][10] After 1995, he worked as a stringer photographer for publications including The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.[12][10]

From 1995 onward, his independent projects focused on documenting vanishing cultures and minority communities, including a multi-decade body of work in the Himalayan region.[12][13]

Himalayan work

Park’s Himalayan work began in the late 1980s and developed into a sustained documentary investigation of high-altitude communities and historic trade routes. In 1987, he participated in the production of the television documentary Trans-Himalaya, filmed across Pakistan, India, Nepal, and the Tibetan Plateau.[13]

In the early 1990s, Park identified and documented sections of the Tea–Horse Road (Chamagodo), leading to a three-year project photographing and filming Tibetan and Kham regions. This work culminated in the television documentary Tibet Salt Valley’s Last Caravan, later released internationally as The Last Salt Caravan.[13][14]

He has also worked on television productions including Mongolian Route (KBS-TV, 2001), The Last Capitalism (SBS-TV, 2012), and The Last Power (SBS-TV, 2013).[12]

In 2009, Park published the photo book Himalaya: Twenty Year’s Odyssey and presented related exhibitions, including Himalayan Monograph at the Goeun Museum of Photography in Busan.[13][15]

DMZ and military landscapes

In 2009, Park was commissioned by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense to document the DMZ in connection with commemorations of the sixtieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. His later work has also examined military landscapes and fortifications, including anti-tank obstacles commonly known as “dragon’s teeth,” photographed in Korea and parts of Europe.[12]

Exhibitions

His solo exhibitions include:

  • Himalayan Monograph – Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan, Korea (2009).[13][15]
  • The Tea-Horse Road – Tokyo Canon Salon, Tokyo, Japan (2011).[12]
  • Asian Portraiture – Asian Cultural Centre, Gwangju, Korea (2016).[12]
  • On the Border – Yeongwol Museum of Photography, Yeongwol, Korea (2019).[12][16]
  • DMZ – Goeun Museum of Photography, Busan, Korea (2020).[12]
  • In the Shadow of the DMZ – Allied Museum, Berlin, Germany (2023).[17][1][8]

Awards

Park has received awards including the Korea Press Award (1994), the Steidl Book Award Asia (2017), and the 18th Donggang International Photo Award (2019).[12]

Publications

Park’s publications include:

  • Himalayan Odyssey (Edition Zero Publishing, 2009).[12]
  • Imjin River (Noonbit Publishing, 2017).[12]
  • DMZ: Demilitarized Zone of Korea (Steidl, 2017).[10][4][12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Fotograf Park Jongwoo: Das Alliiertenmuseum zeigt Bilder von der Grenze zwischen Nord- und Südkorea". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  2. ^ Yu, Wen (2024-01-02). "From Military Facility to Cultural Heritage: The Goseong GP in Park Jongwoo's DMZ Photography After the Korean War". Photography & Culture. 17 (1): 101–104. doi:10.1080/17514517.2024.2370693. ISSN 1751-4517.
  3. ^ Siddons, Edward (2019-07-25). "Park Jongwoo's best photograph: unearthing bodies in Korea's DMZ". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  4. ^ a b "DMZ by Park Jongwoo (Steidl)". Capture magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  5. ^ "World view: Mystic rivers of the Himalayas". The Guardian. 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  6. ^ Kozma, Leila. "The Korean Demilitarised Zone". Tank Magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  7. ^ Kirkham, Matthew (2018-02-20). "Korean Demilitarized Zone: New photos reveal beauty from inside 'sc..." Express. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  8. ^ a b Borowczyk, Ulrike (2023-08-01). "AlliiertenMuseum: Wo der Kalte Krieg heute noch andauert". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  9. ^ Szola, Ricarda (2023-07-24). "In der demilitarisierten Zone des Korea-Krieges". fotoMAGAZIN (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  10. ^ a b c d "Park Jongwoo". Steidl Verlag. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  11. ^ "Book Review: DMZ: Demilitarized Zone of Korea by Park Jongwoo". Musée Magazine. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Park Jongwoo: Zones of Denial". Talking Pictures. 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  13. ^ a b c d e "'차마고도'를 세상에 처음 알린 다큐멘터리스트 박종우". 인터뷰365 (in Korean). 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  14. ^ "The Last Salt Caravan [Blu-ray]". Amazon. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  15. ^ a b "Himalayan Monograph". Goeun Museum of Photography (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  16. ^ "2019DIPF". DIPF2024 (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  17. ^ "DMZ – Die letzte Grenze des Kalten Krieges". AlliiertenMuseum (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
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