No More Children in My Motherland

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project © iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project © iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project View all images ↓
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  • Dates
    2023 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Location South Korea, South Korea
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The project No More Children in My Motherland addresses the concerning disappearance of children in South Korea, amidst declining birth rates and societal challenges.

In my country, South Korea, a pressing crisis is unfolding: the disappearance of children. The elementary school I attended is now on the brink of closure due to a drastic decline in student enrollment, which has halved since my time there. Our birth rate is falling more rapidly than in other OECD countries, making it a critical issue. It's alarming how our government and society are not addressing this problem with the urgency it deserves. Amid rampant inflation, soaring housing prices, and increasing marital breakdowns, this issue only becomes more dire.

Walking through the streets, I encounter numerous playgrounds, mere minutes apart, in my city near Seoul. Yet, these spaces are eerily void of children. This stark reality inspired my project, No More Children in My Motherland. Capturing images of deserted playgrounds was hauntingly effortless; devoid of their intended users, these vibrant structures stood like functionless sculptures. What were once symbols of hope have become visual representations of a dystopian reality, a sorrowful landscape alarmingly close to my reality.

The creative process of this project mirrored a game of hide-and-seek: myself, the photographer, in search of the elusive subjects - the children. This quest began at a playground just 200 feet from my home and expanded to an 18-mile journey to an abandoned amusement park, closed due to financial struggles. Over the course of several months, from late summer to winter and through 25 rolls of film, encounters with children were a rarity. If no effective solutions are implemented, South Korea faces a risk of fading into obscurity. My project represents a personal crusade to report on and halt this impending disaster.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of aged spring horses without children. The photo was taken on Oct. 31, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of fallen leaves (instead of children) in a slide. The photo was taken on Nov. 7, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of an empty playground without children. The photo was taken on Nov. 14, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of a painting on the empty playground wall. The photo was taken on Nov. 26, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of a frozen play ground without children. The photo was taken on Dec. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of an artificial, bright, and colorful structure, shortly a playground, which becames a functionless sculpture as there are no actual users(children) anymore. The photo was taken on Nov. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of an empty elephant ride in a shut down amusement park. Everything in the amusement park just stopped as there are no children. The photo was taken on Dec. 1, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of dumped bicycles around a tree. The photographer found hundreds of abandoned bicycles in every apartments because there are no mroe children who will use the bicycles. The photo was taken on Nov. 18, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of hide-and-seek in a shut-down amusement park. The subject of the photograph is missing children. The photo was taken on Dec. 1, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of a lost soccerball in a frozen playground(Untitled#35). The photo was taken on Dec. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of dumped bicycles. The photographer found hundreds of abandoned bicycles in every apartments because there are no mroe children who will use the bicycles. The photo was taken on Nov. 22, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of hampered environment in South Korea. Living lives (e.g. the root of a tree) are obstacled by unliving problems(e.g. rocks) just like the circumstance that children in this country lost environment to grow up. The photo was taken on Nov. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of an abandoned scooter. The photo was taken on Nov. 24, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of a basketball stand where no one comes. There are no children who will use the basketball stand, so the stand lost its net and broken. The photo was taken on Nov. 22, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of a deserted control room for amusement ride. The photo was taken on Dec. 1, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of a public daycare center on the first floor of an apartment. The photo was taken on Nov. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of a broken horse from merry-go-round in a shut-down amusement park. The photo was taken on Dec. 1, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
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It is a photograph of a red slide with fallen leaves (instead of children). The photo was taken on Nov. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of an empty playground. The photo was taken on Nov. 21, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

© iamhay - Image from the No More Children in My Motherland photography project
i

It is a photograph of a liminal space at a public kindergarten. The slide looks too dangerous to operate properly for children. It well displays one of the reasons why young couples don't want their babies in South Korea. Like this slide, there are no hopes that our society will treat younger generation better. The photo was taken on Dec. 30, 2023.50 x 50 cm, digital archival print, diasec frame.

No More Children in My Motherland by iamhay

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