My photographic work focuses on the revelation of inner identity in the far corners of the society. My first work, Hea-seng-won: Psycho Prison, included such works as ‘Photographic violence: alienated elders from German society’, ‘Voices of earth: Korean farmer’ and ‘The Western sea: mud flat at the Yellow Sea, Korea’, and the most recent one also is called A Pleasant Day: people around nuclear power plants. All these works show my interest in the universal theme of life. A Pleasant Day is shown for the Discovery Award and especially the work about people living around nuclear power plants. Through frequent vis- its around the four nuclear power plants in Korea, I focused on ‘blinded fear’ existing in this district. Innate fear caused by nuclear development doesn’t have a strong influence on ordinary men. People naturally adapt themselves influenced by the optimistic advertisement of nuclear development the nation broadcasts. I tried to express the fear in a simple, calm and quite manner. Although no one speaks of this well- known fear, alienation and indifference are embedded in it. People try to become optimistic in spite of their huge anxiety. This uncritical optimism is another name for a ‘given fear.’ A peaceful daily life was created by their government. This is what I meant to describe and the reason for the title of my work, that evokes a peaceful daily life.

Chu Ha Chung