The Korean Cultural Centre SA will present a comprehensive photography exhibition titled "100 Years of Change in Korean Life" from August 16 to September 12, 2025, offering visitors a visual journey through a century of Korea's dramatic transformation. The exhibition, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, will be open daily from 9 AM to 4 PM at the center's location on 267 Waterkloof Road in Brooklyn, Pretoria.
The exhibition serves as a photographic journey through memory, emotion, and transformation, allowing visitors to witness Korea's turbulent century through powerful moments captured on film. From the quiet dignity of agrarian life in the early 1900s to Korea's dynamic global presence today, the display offers a sweeping visual narrative of a people who endured colonization, fought for independence, and rebuilt their nation through war, industrialization, democratization, and innovation.
Featuring color-restored archival photographs, the exhibition captures everyday moments of ordinary individuals at work, at home, and in protest, with each frame serving as testimony to Korea's living history. The once black-and-white images have been carefully brought to life in color, inviting viewers to rediscover forgotten faces and reawaken shared memories of Korea's past.
The exhibition is organized into eight distinct chapters that guide visitors through a century of change, covering the communal traditions of the Joseon Dynasty, the struggles under Japanese colonial rule, the Korean War period, rapid urbanization, and the vibrant Korean Wave that now reaches across continents. These carefully curated sections tell the story of how Korea evolved from a traditional agrarian society into a modern global powerhouse.
The lives, tears, hopes, and dreams captured in these photographs represent not just remnants of the past, but the very foundation of Korea's present-day achievements. The exhibition emphasizes how the experiences of ordinary citizens during these transformative decades shaped the nation's character and contributed to its remarkable development.
Admission to the exhibition is free, though the center will be closed on weekends and public holidays during the exhibition period. The Korean Cultural Centre SA encourages visitors to join in commemorating 80 years of freedom while reflecting on the lives, hopes, and stories that built today's Korea. For additional information and inquiries about the exhibition, interested parties can contact the center at 012 001 9204 or reach out via email at kccs@korea.kr.
