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PHOTOGRAPHY: Korean Reflections

Sean Gallagher is one of the few numbers of photographers to have photographed in both North and South Korea.

Having visited North Korea in August of 2009 and travelled to South Korea in spring and summer of 2010, he began to collect images from both sides of the border and lay them together in an effort to represent the subtle similarities and harsh differences between the two nations.

In November of 2010, tensions between the two countries reacherd their highest since the end of the Korean War. As the international community watches and as tensions mount, this collection of images aims to serve as a reminder of the underlying commonalities between the people of these seperated nations.

(Left) A CNN Newscast in a hotel room in Seoul, South Korea.(Right) An image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appears on a television in a hotel in Pyongyang.
   
(Left) Two South Korean gentleman visit the DMZ on the South Korean side of the border. The DMZ serperates the two nations.(Right) On the opposite side of the DMZ, two North Korean soldiers.
   
(Left) Two men waiting at a bus stop in Seoul, South Korea.(Right) People waiting at a bus stop in Pyongyang, North Korea.
     
  
(Left) Cars on the street of Seoul, South Korea.(Right) Cars on the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea.
   
(Left) A statue of King Sejong the Great (1397-1450), one of Korea’s most respected ancient rulers in Seoul, South Korea.(Right) A statue of Kim il Sung, (1912 - 1994), North Korea's 'spiritual leader', in Sinujiu.
   
(Left) A handgun from the Korean War in a museum on the South Korean side of the DMZ.(Right) A handgun is depicted during a dispaly at the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea.
     
  
(Left) An advertising hoarding on the streets of Seoul, South Korea.(Right) On the streets of Pyongyang, no advertising can be seen, however paintings and depictions of 'spiritual leader' Kim il Sung can be seen everywhere.
   
(Left) A couple walk down a flight of stairs near the South Korean side of the DMZ.(Right) A street scene from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
   
(Left) A young South Korean couple on the streets of the capital, Seoul.(Right) A young North Korean couple in the North Korean town of Kaesong.
     
  
(Left) A picture of King Sejong the Great (1397-1450), one of Korea’s most respected ancient rulers in Seoul, South Korea.(Right) A depiction of Kim il Sung, (1912 - 1994), North Korea's 'spiritual leader', in Pyongyang.
   
(Left) A man walks past a tree in central Seoul, South Korea.(Right) A man walks past a tree in the North Korean town of Kaesong.