The Room on Fire
2023~Ongoing
2023~Ongoing
This project documents South Korea’s Gen Z, confined by societal pressure. Through portraits of rooms and bodies, it captures their silent struggles, resistance, and desire to escape, giving visibility to the unseen.
This project visualizes the social oppression and silence endured by South Korea’s younger generation—particularly Gen Z—through photography. Gen Z is often portrayed by older generations as rude, selfish, and addicted to their phones and tech. But I wanted to look beyond that superficial narrative.
I view contemporary Korean society as deeply collectivist, characterized by a subtle yet pervasive totalitarianism. Individuals are pressured to conform to a singular ideal; any hesitation or deviation results in being labeled as "unfit" and subsequently marginalized. This social landscape has given rise to the phenomenon of "은둔 청년(Eundun Cheongnyeon)"—socially withdrawn youth, often referred to as Hikikomori. It refers to young people who socially withdraw and isolate themselves from the outside world for extended periods. They often remain confined in their rooms or homes, avoiding school, work, and social interactions.
This withdrawal is not an act of laziness but a desperate response to systemic pressures: hyper-competitive job markets, academic exhaustion, and the fear of social judgment. My project asks: Who truly locked these doors? The answer is not simple—it’s the older generation, but also peers, families, rigid institutions, and sometimes the individuals themselves.
In this project, I met those who felt suffocated by unspoken pressures and the invisible coercion that defines Korean life. Some were preparing to escape abroad. Others couldn’t withstand the pressure and had withdrawn into their rooms. I wanted to witness the unseen to listen to those living in silence.
Each room became a landscape; each body, a map of resistance or retreat. Some rooms held the desire to escape; others, the quiet strength to endure. This work serves as both a portrait and a testimony for those who remain invisible in the shadows of a fast-paced society.
I view contemporary Korean society as deeply collectivist, characterized by a subtle yet pervasive totalitarianism. Individuals are pressured to conform to a singular ideal; any hesitation or deviation results in being labeled as "unfit" and subsequently marginalized. This social landscape has given rise to the phenomenon of "은둔 청년(Eundun Cheongnyeon)"—socially withdrawn youth, often referred to as Hikikomori. It refers to young people who socially withdraw and isolate themselves from the outside world for extended periods. They often remain confined in their rooms or homes, avoiding school, work, and social interactions.
This withdrawal is not an act of laziness but a desperate response to systemic pressures: hyper-competitive job markets, academic exhaustion, and the fear of social judgment. My project asks: Who truly locked these doors? The answer is not simple—it’s the older generation, but also peers, families, rigid institutions, and sometimes the individuals themselves.
In this project, I met those who felt suffocated by unspoken pressures and the invisible coercion that defines Korean life. Some were preparing to escape abroad. Others couldn’t withstand the pressure and had withdrawn into their rooms. I wanted to witness the unseen to listen to those living in silence.
Each room became a landscape; each body, a map of resistance or retreat. Some rooms held the desire to escape; others, the quiet strength to endure. This work serves as both a portrait and a testimony for those who remain invisible in the shadows of a fast-paced society.
