Seoul, where nearly one-fifth of Korea’s population resides,
is the nation’s social, economic, and cultural center—a city that grows and changes relentlessly.
Working at the heart of that center, I eventually chose to resign, questioning the meaning of my life amid its constant acceleration.
The two years I later spent in Gangneung, a city where I had no prior connections, became the starting point of this project.
〈궤도, Orbita〉 documents young people who have stepped out of the Seoul-centered orbit of life and chosen alternative paths.
Over the course of a year, I traveled across the country and met more than twenty young “escape-from-Seoul” migrants.
They were individuals who moved in search of freedom, the sea, the environment, and their own beliefs and rhythm of living.
Nietzsche’s words—“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”—served as the philosophical foundation of this work.
This project was recorded in a documentary format combining photographs and text.
To understand each subject’s values and way of life, I devoted more time to conversation than to shooting.During photography,
I intentionally kept a certain distance, focusing on their living spaces and the places that shaped their personal orbit.
Post-production was kept minimal to preserve the reality of each moment.
This project is not merely a story of “escaping Seoul.
”Through the new trajectories of those rebuilding their lives in regions facing demographic decline,
the work invites viewers to experience how different speeds
and different centers of living are possible even within a competition-driven society.
It will continue to expand to new regions and new stories, exploring emerging possibilities between the center and the periphery.