Although Japan and South Korea marked the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations on Dec. 18, a symbolic "wedding," their gap on historical recognition has yet to be reconciled.
Currently, a South Korean man is doing his best to improve relations between the two nations by offering "photo weddings" for Japanese to experience his country's culture.
"If they experience daily life in South Korea through eating delicious food and taking wonderful photos of themselves, it will become a good way for them to know the country's culture," thought Kim Jong-soo, 38, who started the Ajarena photo studio in Seoul in 2012.
As Kim's business was expanding, he opened an overseas office in Osaka in November this year.
In October, a couple in their 20s from Aichi Prefecture visited Seoul for three days. Kim took photos of them in a park and other places in the city for their album and wedding ceremony. The couple also sampled Korean dishes, such as dakhanmari, in which a whole chicken is boiled.
"People are very friendly. I had a positive impression," said the groom, who was visiting South Korea for the first time.
Kim, a third-generation ethnic Korean resident in Japan, grew up in Chiba Prefecture. He also served as chairman of the Tokyo-based Korean Youth Association.
In 2010, he moved to South Korea wanting to "learn my mother country's language and culture deeply." Now, he resides in Seoul.
Kim became acquainted with Zhou Jie, 29, who had come to South Korea from Guangzhou, China, to study Korean, and they married. The two thought about starting a business that could improve relations among Japan, South Korea and China, and hit upon photo weddings.
In South Korea, many couples have professional photographers take photos of themselves before their wedding ceremonies and make commemorative albums. In Seoul, many photo studios are competing in that market.
Kim set up Ajarena to offer high-quality services, including photographing and lighting technologies, at low rates.
Kim was in charge of attracting customers from Japan while Zhou from China. The number of customers from China grew smoothly.
However, the number from Japan did not apparently due to the deteriorated bilateral relations. Some people asked in their inquiries about whether it was safe for Japanese to travel to South Korea.
Kim did not give up and kept trying to attract customers through the Internet and his personal network.
As a result of his efforts, the number of couples who took photos of themselves at Kim's studio is likely to double this year from about 90 of last year.
Kim opened an overseas office in Tokyo in January 2014, followed by the Osaka office.
"I want to serve as a bridge for valuable experiences (of my customers)," said Kim Hwa-ryeong, 29, who is in charge of the Osaka office.
Source: South Korean man snaps 'photo weddings' to improve ties with Japan
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