Winter of Changdeokgung
2014 2015 2016 2018 2019
It has become difficult to see a palace covered with snow due to the lack of snowfall in Seoul. Among the winter photos of Changdeokgung Palace, the pictures with a lot of snow were taken in February 2014, and now that I think about it, I can only explain that it was a beginner's luck.
At that time, I didn't know about Changdeokgung Palace well enough because I was taking pictures without setting a working theme. When I woke up in the morning that day and saw the snow piled up outside the window, I suddenly thought, "If I went to the palace now, I could see something wonderful!" So I just went to Changdeokgung Palace with a camera. If it were now, I would have worked hard to capture the scenes I had always dreamt of in my mind without a break, but at that time, I was busy wandering and pressing the shutters because I didn't know where to go or what to shoot first. When I first entered the Huwon and saw the snowy scenery of Buyongji pond, I asked a stranger next to me, "Isn't it beautiful?" But the snow didn't wait very long. The snow piled up in Changdeokgung Palace quickly disappeared as if the time with the loved one passed by like an instant. By the time I passed Yeongyeongdang House, the snow had almost melted away, and I felt like I had returned to reality after traveling to Snow Country in my dream for a while.
Surprisingly, I won the National Award at the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards for my pictures of snow scenes taken on the same day. The utterly unexpected incident motivated me to set the theme of my work and become more immersed. Looking back, I think it was a significant turning point in my life.
143. Donhwamun Gate illuminated by the rising morning sun | 2016 
153. Snow-covered scene of Eosumun Gate | 2014 
156. Snow-covered scene of the Buyongjeong Pavilion over Buyongji Pond | 2014 
159. Winter scenery around Buyongji Pond | 2014 
165. The zelkova tree near the women's quarters of Yeongyeongdang House | 2014 