OVERVIEW

THE POPULATION OF SOUTH KOREA WAS AT ONE TIME DISTRIBUTED RELATIVELY EVENLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. TODAY ONE FOURTH OF THE POPULATION LIVES IN THE CENTRALISED CAPITAL, SEOUL. THIS HAS LEFT MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE PRACTICALLY EMPTY WITH ELDERLY PEOPLE OFTEN THE ONLY ONES LEFT BEHIND. THERE IS THEREFORE A SHORTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, AND IN PARTICULAR A SHORTAGE OF YOUNG WOMEN WHO LEAVE TO FIND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITIES. WITH ANY KIND OF SHORTAGE THERE IS ALWAYS A DEMAND. BUT BUSINESS IS USUALLY MOTIVATED BY MONEY AND ETHICS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE MAIN CONCERN. JOURNALIST KHUE PHAM TRAVELLED TO VIETNAM AND SOUTH KOREA FOR GERMAN NEWSPAPER DIE ZEIT TO FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF YOUNG VIETNAMESE WOMEN WHO MOVE TO KOREA TO MARRY KOREAN MEN. THESE MARRIAGES ARE ARRANGED BY AGENCIES AND BUSINESS IS THRIVING. I WAS COMMISSIONED BY GERMAN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER “DIE ZEIT” AS A PHOTOGRAPHER AND VISITED A SMALL KOREAN TOWN CALLED BONGDONG TO DOCUMENT A KOREAN-VIETNAMESE FAMILY.

FURTHER INFO ON

PHOTOGRAPHER

NILS CLAUSS

CLIENT

DIE ZEIT