SAFE CONDUCT PASS , 2012
Safe passage permits (propaganda leaflets) printed on tracing paper , participatory project

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Although the war began because the two sides pursued different goals, the content of the safe passages (propaganda leaflets) from both sides found on overseas Korean War veteran memorial sites was surprisingly similar . There is a fundamental contradiction in war in that it attempts to resolve differences in thinking using the same means (artillery shells and propaganda) .   In this context, civilians become refugees fleeing to survive the aftermath of the contradictions, and as the war ends, they become one of two nations depending on whether the land they stand on is north or south based on the line dividing the border.

The reason I initially planned a treasure hunt using safe passages from the UN Allied Command and the Communist side was to recreate the aforementioned situation while simultaneously questioning whether the right to freedom of choice is guaranteed regarding the nationality that constitutes an individual's identity. The method of the work involved printing 50 copies of each side's safe passages, hiding them in the forest, and conducting a treasure hunt with the participants. Participants who found the treasure were photographed holding the safe passages they had discovered on-site to document the event.

The project was conducted once each in Korea and France in 2012 and 2014.