Korean Dream by Filippo Venturi

Between 1905 and 1945 Korea was dominated by the Japanese, thus becoming a colony of the Empire. In 1945, after Japan's defeat, Korea was involved in the Cold War and became an object of interest for the USA, the URSS and lately for China as well.
A moment during the show organized for the visitors of the Children Palace "Mangyongdae", near Pyongyang. This place is dedicated to children from 6 to 17 years old, about 5.000 children come here after school to learn how to use a computer, how to dance, sing, play an instrument, practice sport etc.

Magazine

Our printed editions, circulating throughout various galleries, festivals and agencies are dipped in creativity.

The spirit of DODHO’s printed edition is first and foremost an opportunity to connect with a photographic audience that values the beauty of print and those photographers exhibited within the pages of this magazine.

We invite professional and amateur photographers from all around the world to share their work in our printed edition.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ban25e32.jpg

Between 1905 and 1945 Korea was dominated by the Japanese, thus becoming a colony of the Empire. In 1945, after Japan’s defeat, Korea was involved in the Cold War and became an object of interest for the USA, the URSS and lately for China as well.

This brought to the division of the country in two along the 38th parallel and to the Korean War between 1950 and 1953. On the 27th of July of 1953, an armistice was signed but a declaration of peace never followed, leaving the country in a permanent state of conflict. 

North Korea is officially a socialist State with formal elections but in fact, it is a totalitarian dictatorship based on the cult of the Kim dynasty, practically an absolute monarchy. Since 1948 the country was ruled by Kim Il-Sung, the “Great Leader”; in 1994 his son, Kim Jong-II the “Dear Leader” succeeded him and until in 2011 Kim Jong-Un, his son, the “Brilliant Comrade” became Supreme Leader.

North Korea is one of the most secluded countries in the world, we know little about it and the citizens’ rights are subdued to the country’s needs. Citizens have no freedom of speech, media are strictly controlled, you can travel only with authorization and it is not allowed to leave the country. The few foreign travellers who get the visa can travel the country only with authorized Korean guides, who have also the task of controlling, censoring and finding spies.Pyongyang, the capital, is the centre of all the resources and the country’s ambition to boast a strong and modern façade (the rest of North Korea is composed of countryside, rice-fields and villages usually with no water, electricity or gas).

The continuous and incessant propaganda against the USA portraits the South Korean population as a victim of the American invasion; young generations live in a constant alert state as if the USA could attack any day. At the same time, the propaganda aims at instilling a great sense of pride for the country’s technical progression, fueled by the Supreme Leader and culminating in the atomic bomb and the subsequent tests.Pyongyang youngsters have been educated to be learned and knowledgeable people, especially in the scientific field, to foster the development of armaments and technology, chasing the dream of reuniting Korea in a whole and free state. 

ABOUT FILIPPO VENTURI 

Filippo Venturi (Cesena, 1980) is an Italian documentary photographer.He works as a multi-disciplinary photographic artist specialising in conceptual documentary and reportage Photography. I look at identity, displacement and the human condition.He also pursues many personal stories and projects on stories that he finds interesting.His works have been published in different newspapers and magazines such as The Washington Post, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, Internazionale, La Stampa, Geo, Marie Claire, Die Zeit, Gente, D di Repubblica, Io Donna/Corriere della Sera.

In 2016 his work, “Made in Korea” about South Korea, has been hosted at the Italian Center for Fine Art Photography in Bibbiena, at Modena’s Foro Boario as New Talent selected by the Modena Foundation Photography, at Rome’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MACRO) as selected Emerging Talent and at Somerset House in London by the Sony World Photography Awards.In 2017 he was the photographer sent by Vanity Fair in North Korea.In 2018 he is Testimonial Photographer for Fujifilm for the project “The Family in Italy”. [Official Website]

A photographer in charge of following, checking and censoring journalists, while he takes a picture of me in Pyongyang’s metro

Study Hall in the Science and Technology Building, in Pyongyang.

Kim Hyang, 22 years old, works at the “Meari Shooting Range” of Pyongyang.

4D cinema theatre inside the Science and Technology Building, in Pyongyang.

A child in the week-playschool “Chang Gwang”, in which Koreans can leave their children there on Monday and take them back home on Saturday.

Children Palace “Mangyongdae”, near Pyongyang. This place is dedicated to children from 6 to 17 years old, about 5.000 children come here after school to learn how to use a computer, how to dance, sing, play an instrument, practice sport etc.
In the centre a reproduction of the satellite Kwangmyongsong-4, put into orbit in 2016 and a great national pride.

A child in the week-playschool “Chang Gwang”, in which Koreans can leave their children there on Monday and take them back home on Saturday.

Koreans playing billiard inside “Munsu” aquatic park, in Pyongyang.

Children Palace “Mangyongdae”, near Pyongyang. This place is dedicated to children from 6 to 17 years old, about 5.000 children come here after school to learn how to use a computer, how to dance, sing, play an instrument, practice sport etc.

Koreans playing volleyball near the Pyongyang Arch of Triumph, built to celebrate Kim Il-sung as guide of the country and hero of the Korean resistance during the Japanese occupation. With its 60 metres in height is the biggest arch in the world.

Young girl Kim (she did not tell her whole name), 12 years old, attends and is a guide inside the Children Palace “Mangyongdae”, near Pyongyang. This place is dedicated to children from 6 to 17 years old, about 5.000 children come here after school to learn how to use a computer, how to dance, sing, play an instrument, practice sport etc.

Korean students while studying in the Pyongyang Circus Square, as they wait for the show to begin.

“Mangyongdae” amusement park, near Pyongyang.

 

 

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Do you have an idea or something you'd like to share? Please use the form provided, or contact us at contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.