Five photographers shaping K-pop today

Kim Tae Kyun, also known as LESS since 2004, studied photography at Chung-Ang University and built a career in fashion, commercial assignments and visual arts. He started using the name LESS because he wanted to blur the boundary between youth and adulthood through his images. The moments he captures often feel unfinished (less). This vulnerability can be found in all of his work, among which are fashion editorials for Korean Vogue, Dazed and GQ; photoshoots for K-pop artists such as BoA, f(x), SHINee, Brown Eyed Girls and IU; and a photography exhibition titled: LESS: RAWTEENSTAR, in which he displays a vision on youth and vitality that sits in between reality and idealism. His personal work has recently taken a turn into still life images, predominantly photography of fruit. 

Cho Gi-seok has a background in graphic design and art direction, which he studied at Kookmin University. From there on out, he kickstarted his career in photography. Besides being a photographer, he is also the owner of a streetwear brand called KUSIKOHC. His photo style is recognizable and surrealist; he plays around with color and light and often uses props. He himself describes the core component of his work as ‘co-existence’: he creates harmony with opposites, like tradition and modernity, or human and nature. His commercial work has a strong focus on luxury fashion. He has worked with magazines like Elle, Vogue, Numéro and Esquire, but also with luxury fashion brands such as Gucci, Cartier and Prada. He’s even active in music: he has photographed Billie Eilish, and K-pop girlgroups such as Red Velvet and (G)-idle. Aside from his photography, he has also worked as a director for K-pop music videos in recent years, where he has also managed to apply his surrealist style. For these projects, he has collaborated with famous idols like XG, CL of 2NE1 and Jennie of Blackpink. 

Kim Sun Hye is a portrait and fashion photographer based in Seoul, where she studied photography at the Seoul Institute of Arts and graduated with honors. She’s not only known for her photography techniques, but people she works with have described her as warm. She radiates a warm, cordial energy during shoots, which is reflected in her photographs. It is her conviction that a photograph isn’t beautiful unless it contains emotion and sincerity. This can be seen in her work: her photos have a soft, warm style, almost dreamy, which she creates by using natural light. Her work can be recognized from the soft colors and subtle details that invoke a feeling of nostalgia. She has worked with magazines like Elle Korea, Harper’s Bazaar, Glass Magazine and Cosmopolitan, which makes for an impressive portfolio. 

Kim Hee June is one of the most influential and productive photographers in South Korea. She is the driving force behind Korean fashion photography. If you’ve leafed through any Korean fashion magazine in the last ten years, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen some of her work without realizing it. She regularly shoots covers and editorials for fashion magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire. Some of the biggest names in K-pop are in her portfolio, such as G-Dragon, Blackpink and BTS. Her less commercial, more personal work focuses on daily life: scenes that are often overlooked but can tell a vulnerable story. Her work has been featured in exhibits in large museums worldwide. 

To conclude, we will take a look at the world of fashion and music from a different perspective. Ji Yeo built her reputation by capturing this popular culture through a different lens. She grew up in Gangnam, perhaps most well-known from PSY’s hit ‘Gangnam Style’; the most expensive neighborhood in Seoul, which doubles as the country’s fashion district. Living here, she felt such high pressure to have a certain look that she spent years consulting plastic surgeons and visiting clinics. Eventually, after countless meetings with doctors and patients, she decided not to have any procedures done. From this experience, she built her project ‘Beauty Recovery Room’, which went on for years, in which she photographed Korean women in the hours right after cosmetic surgery. Instead of showing everyone only the perfect results like people usually do, she captured these women with bruises and stitches. She focuses on the price of beauty and with that, reveals an uncomfortable but honest image. After this series, she proceeded using the same concept in other, similar projects.

Marlon van Leeuwarden is a Korean Studies scholar and K-pop fan. In 2023 she interned at the Wereldmuseum library and helped to organise the K-pop: A Snapshot exhibition.