South Korea according to Ali
How about all this unexpected geometry, these colors? They are what Ali sees when he walks through the country that has been his home for some time. There, this Iranian raised in England teaches English, plays in a band and organizes both concerts and cultural festivals. Thanks to this, he is in an eternal road trip that allows you to explore the contrasts of the thirteenth most important economic power in the world, and he documents it on Instagram to keep the friends he has left behind up to date on impressions of him.
"I don't think there is a constant theme in the photos I upload, but I try to capture images that give a kind of epic feeling. Korea is a wonderful place for that, whether through evocative architectural landscapes or spectacular natural scenes," says Ali.
However, and despite being in love with the country, he does not like everything that this professor sees through his lens: "Right now, Korea is on the brink of massive urban regeneration and gentrification so overwhelming that it is necessary to document the places that those in charge want to see "fixed". For example, two of Seoul's most photogenic modern landscapes, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Cheonggyecheon Stream, have Terrible back stories involving hired thugs, violent evictions, blackmail and broken promises. It's sad that the Korea that a lot of people want to see is the one they're making disappear," he explains.
However, it is still possible to see the most traditional side of a country that has been fleeing forward since 1950 , after the division of its territory. "The Taehwa River in Ulsan and the regenerated neighborhood of Seongnam-dong, with its wonderful cafes and art galleries, are places that everyone who travels to Korea should visit," Ali tells us. "In Busan it is also worth going to Taejongdae Park, and if you want good views, go up to the sky garden of the Lotte shopping center in Nampo-dong. In Daegu I like to hang out in the mountains behind my house, hiking and eating delicious kimbab (a kind of sushi).”
Ok, we already know where we have to go, but what soundtrack do we put on a country that maintains ancestral temples while holding the title of the third State with the most internet users in the world ? Ali **passes over world blockbuster phenomena like Super Junior and Exo** and suggests fellow Koreans Say Sue Me , Tengger and Illap. They are the ones he listens to as he takes the exquisite pictures of him.
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