Businessperson reflects on life, humanity through photography in first solo exhibition in Seoul
An aged man and woman sit separated on a bench. In the space created between them, a younger couple appears in the background, standing close and embracing. The photograph, brining two generations of couples into a shared frame, triggers thoughts on intimacy, time and life.
"When I observe couples with a camera in hand, especially young ones close to each other, I immediately think, 'They will end up embracing,'" said Park Yong-maan, a former chairman of Doosan Group, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Jan. 21 at Piknic, a cultural complex in central Seoul.
"I can tell very quickly as I have seen a lot of young couples."
Photography has been a lifelong passion for Park, but he chose not to show his works publicly while at the head of a chaebol as a second-generation business leader, witnessing Korea's rapid industrial growth firsthand.
After withdrawing from all group roles in 2021, Park unveiled his photographs to the public for the first time — some 70 selected images taken over the past five decades at Piknic in central Seoul.
"I kept putting it off because I wasn't confident," Park said. "But I thought it might be better to have my work evaluated before it's too late."
Known for being outspoken and straightforward while leading one of Korea's largest conglomerates and serving as president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry for nearly eight years, Park now appeared cautious and restrained.
"I'm not known for waiting," he said. "But when I take photographs, that's the only time I do. It could be minutes, or even hours."
Many of the photographs were taken during business trips abroad. Park recalled spending nearly 500 hours a year in the air at the height of his career, camera always at hand.
He first picked up a camera as a child, after being handed one by his father.
Though Park admits he struggles in feelings of loneliness, he finds himself drawn to solitary moments — a contradiction he believes led him naturally to photography. One photograph showing a nun taken during his stay in Germany was captured after a long wait, evoking a sense of calm and solitude.
"I remember it was in the midst of an Oktoberfest — very crowded and hectic — but I noticed a nun standing quietly behind it all," Park recalled. "My eyes just kept following her for almost two hours. Her fingers moved as if she were turning rosary beads."
At the core of his photography, Park said, is an enduring interest in humanity.
"Even when there's no person in the frame, I want the photograph to make people think about human presence," he said. "I'm drawn to warm and peaceful scenes of human and family life."
Family members frequently appear in his work. His wife — whom he describes as "everything" to him after falling in love at first sight — and their two sons are recurring subjects.
"Family is who I am, and I am my family," Park said.
Park's identity as a businessperson is one he has long carried, and that image is probably still remembered to the public. At the beginning of the exhibition is a subtle shift that gives a glimpse of Park as a mischievous photographer.
The image shows him pressing the shutter inside an elevator, capturing a reflection of himself.
"I placed this work at the beginning of the exhibition to encourage people to think about my identity," Park said.
The exhibition's final section takes on a noticeably different tone, addressing social issues such as polarization and poverty. Park is currently chair of the board at Path With You, a foundation supporting marginalized communities.
"Because I'm involved in social work now, I wanted visitors to think a bit more deeply about their surroundings by the time they reach the end of the exhibition," he said.
The exhibition "Human Moment" runs through Feb. 15 at Piknic in Seoul.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
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