489 Years

To Hayoun Kwon, a southern- born Korean, the DMZ has always represented a forbidden space. She had often imagined the day the border would finally open, and to access it in her own way and to understand its meaning, she searched extensively to interview soldiers who worked there. 489 Years is transcribed according to the testimony of a former South Korean soldier. The video gives the viewers access to the DMZ, and immerses them in the personal memories of the soldier. In the piece, the soldier tells us his experiences in a research mission and the amazing discovery he made in the field full of mines (mines laid by South Korea with no record of where they were placed). He speaks of a place where people were forbidden, a place where nature has totally reclaimed its hold. This project is an invitation to encounter the memory of a former soldier. The approach, although less objective, gives us more than just a grasp of the DMZ in human terms.