Headquarters 1606
Portraits of Korean Young Policemen
Portraits of Korean Young Policemen
You might have heard of South Korean men's mandatory military service.
On average, Korean men between 18 and 27 mandatorily serve in one of various types of military forces such as Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Police for about two years.
It's once and only time when Korean men with different backgrounds, likes and dislikes, religions, and values live together during their term of service in forms of company, platoon, and squad.
I have served in Police force where I guarded foreign embassies and Ambassadors' residence and patrolled nearby area. My company, 1606, had no vacations for our duty. I, along with my fellow officiers, took shifts of six to twelve hours per day including overnights to cover '24/7 no holidays rule.'
These men in photographs are also officiers of 1606 but with different responsibilities. These HQ officiers serve in three different teams: Cook, Transportation, and Administrations. 1606 Company's '24/7 no holidays rule' also applies to these men. I personally called HQ officiers "The Heart of the Company," where they organize and run a whole system of 1606 Company.
I lived and served with these men for more than a year. And I was fortunate to photograph these proud young Korean police officiers during my service.
These images are for my personal memories, but, at the same time, they serve to speak for the country's young soldiers during their time of mandatory military service.
On average, Korean men between 18 and 27 mandatorily serve in one of various types of military forces such as Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Police for about two years.
It's once and only time when Korean men with different backgrounds, likes and dislikes, religions, and values live together during their term of service in forms of company, platoon, and squad.
I have served in Police force where I guarded foreign embassies and Ambassadors' residence and patrolled nearby area. My company, 1606, had no vacations for our duty. I, along with my fellow officiers, took shifts of six to twelve hours per day including overnights to cover '24/7 no holidays rule.'
These men in photographs are also officiers of 1606 but with different responsibilities. These HQ officiers serve in three different teams: Cook, Transportation, and Administrations. 1606 Company's '24/7 no holidays rule' also applies to these men. I personally called HQ officiers "The Heart of the Company," where they organize and run a whole system of 1606 Company.
I lived and served with these men for more than a year. And I was fortunate to photograph these proud young Korean police officiers during my service.
These images are for my personal memories, but, at the same time, they serve to speak for the country's young soldiers during their time of mandatory military service.
Sgt. Lim Heonjoon; Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do
Cpl. Kim, Taeyoung; Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do
Pfc. Lim, Hyojin; Anyang, Gyeonggi-do
Pfc. Lee, Changsoo; Cheonan, Chuncheongnam-do
