A further look into South and North Korea with Mark Edward Harris

▲South Korea cover

Pacific Asia Museum celebrates the 60th year of the Armistice Treaty between South Korea and North Korea through the book signing of Mark Edward Harris’ “South Korea” and “North Korea” on Sunday, July 28th at 2pm. Mark Edward Harris, well renown photographer, writer, traveler, and wine enthusiast, brings an
outside perspective on the recent state of being on South Korea and North Korea by capturing the true essence of both countries. “I am not trying to state anything political,” said Harris.

These books are not an answer to the question whether or not the unification of Korea is feasible. Instead, his photos are all compiled from his visits to South Korea and North Korea in the past two decades. From 1997 to present, Harris has had the opportunity to visit and explore each country eight different times, totaling to 16 visitations to the Peninsula of Korea. Each photo, ranging from normal civilians to celebrities, from historical landmarks, statues, to the DMZ and even events, have all embodied both nations and their people in their true daily forms. “Having traveled to both sides in South Korea and North Korea, people don’t want a war. They just want to live their own life.”

Mark Edward Harris:
Ahn-young-ha-sae-yo (hello). Man-na-suh-ban-gap-seup-ni-da (I am glad to meet you).

K-Herald: Ahn-youngha-sae-yo (hello). You know Korean?

MEH: Only a little. I have been officially taking Korean at the KCC (Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles) for two weeks now.

KH: When was the first time you visited South Korea?

MEH: “The first time I visited South Korea was in 1997 through an all around Asia tour. I have been always fascinated by the geopolitical issue between North Korea and South Korea and had wanted to go to the DMZ.”

KH: When did you go to South Korea again and how many times have you been to South Korea?

MEH: I have been to South Korea 8 times. Actually, I have been to both North and South Korea 8 different times. After my first visit to South Korea in 1997, I pitched a story to the Los Angeles Times Magazine called “Life Along the DMZ”.

KH: What was the response of the general public to your story?

MEH: People appreciated it. People were curious on the daily life and what could be the horrific life in the middle of two countries that was at war with each other close to 60 years. Instead, people were interested that life was not as bad as they assumed and that each side was allowed to have one village within the DMZ: Taesongdong (South Korea) and Kichongdong (North Korea).

KH: When was the first time you went to North Korea and how was the experience?

MEH: The first time I went to North Korea was in 2005. I entered North Korea through China, and was able to discover PyongYang. But the most memorable visit to North Korea was in 2008 when I went as the journalist for the New York Philharmonic.

▲North Korea cover

KH: Why was it the most memorable and how were you able to get access into North Korea?

MEH: The Korea Society in New York was the instrument in getting me into North Korea in 2008. They connected me to the New York Philharmonic when they heard my interest for both North and South Korea. The best part was that New York Philharmonic had a rule: They were allowed to bringone journalist that they wanted and that journalist could not be stopped from taking any photography they wanted. This was a breakthrough.

KH: What is your favorite photo from each book?

MEH: My favorite photo from South Korea book, even though he is not my favorite, is the photo I took of Psy. It was a fun shoot and I love Kpop- my favorite is TVXQ! My favorite photo from North Korea is the traffic officer, and she is also the cover of that book. It was the hardest photo to take. Every day, I had asked the bus driver to stop so that I could take a photo of the traffic officer but he wouldn’t stop. So one day during rehearsal when the New York Philharmonic had a really long song, I stepped out of the building, snuck my camera underneath my heavy coat and took a picture of the traffic officer while standing in the middle of the road with her.

KH: And she just let you take a picture of her?

MEH: No. I kept saying ‘Gam-sa-hap-ni-da (Thank you)’ as she kept saying something to me. I know if I understood her, it would not have been nice words. But she had no choice, she had to guide the traffic and I was already in the middle of the road with her. If you look at the photo, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Not only did it give an idea of what people wore in North Korea, but the bus in the back happened to be there. The blue in the bus and the traffic officer’s uniform matched.

KH: What kind of insights do you want people to gain from these two books?

MEH: Although the general public in North Korea will not be able to see both books, I wanted to give the world a unique perspective of North Korea as well as South Korea. This is not a book apologizing or justifying for the recent political tensions from North Korea, but a further look into the people of North Korea, that not everyone is an escapee from North Korea or wanting to do that. Also, that South Korea, although a small countries, great people are coming out of it like Yuna Kim (World
Champion Ice Figure Skater), KJ Choi (Professional Golfer), Chan Ho Park (Former LA Dodgers Pitcher) and Hyun Jin Ryu (Current LA Dodgers Pitcher).

KH: I know that you don’t have the answer to whether or not Korea will unify, but what do you think needs to happen for it to happen?

MEH: More bridges the better. In the past there has been talk about a train between North and South Korea to be created in Taesongdong, but it hasn’t happened yet.

For more information on author and photographer, Mark Edward Harris, visit his website: www.MarkEdwardHarris.com.

You can purchase both his books, “South Korea” and “North Korea” from Amazon.com by typing in keywords, “South Korea (English and Korean Edition)” and “Mark Edward Harris”.

His editorial work has appeared in numerous publications such as Life, GEO, Conde Nast Traveler, AFAR, The Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, The London Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Playboy. His commercial clients range from The Gap to Coca-Cola to Mexicana Airlines. His books include Faces of the Twentieth Century: Master Photographers and Their Work, The Way of the Japanese Bath, Wanderlust, Inside North Korea, and Inside Iran. He is the recipient of numerous awards including a CLIO, ACE, Aurora Gold, IPA and Photographer of the Year at the Black & White Spider Awards.