nostalgia for the yesteryears

SOUTH KOREA | Monday, 1 July 2013 | Views [872] | View Smaller Image

Squatters and elderly women with slouched backs are a historically common sight in Korea. Korean beggars, then and now, sit in the position of a "kimchi squat" all day with their gaze averted from potential benefactors. Juxtaposed with the vagrant is an elderly woman with a slouched back. A slouched back, in conjunction with a dark and wrinkled complexion, is a sure sign of strength for the elderly - it confirms the endurance with which they endured the toils and hardships of their youth.

The Modern and Contemporary History of Korea Museum started out as one man's private collection of trinkets from the 1950s-1960s. For over 30 years, Chol Bong-kwon collected everything from candy wrappers to rusty bus stands that made him nostalgic for the yesteryears of the newly formed Republic of Korea. Mr. Chol's stubborn obsession has resulted in the creation of a precious space that reminds all visitors of the rubble from which South Korea emerged to become a success story of today.

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In times of poverty, people become resourceful out of necessity. Bags of food aid from the international community not only helped stave off the hunger of a war-torn nation, but the bags themselves were used for a variety of purposes. After each use, these bags, like clothes, were washed by hand and hung to dry.

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nostalgia for the yesteryears

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