Inseparable: How Koreans View Life and Death

“Death is not an ending, but another journey where love and memory continue.”

Although difficult to think about for many people, death is a path none of us can avoid. For centuries, Koreans have understood death not as a separation but as a journey to another world. Life and death touch each other. Those who have passed still share stories with those who remain, while this world and the next remain connected by an invisible bridge.
This book explores Korean thoughts and feelings about death through local customs and culture. Written in gentle, emotional prose—like stories shared by an old friend—it reveals the poignant, eye-opening Korean perspective on death. Through this approach, readers will gain a fresh understanding of the universal themes of life and death as seen through the Korean experience.

Do Jeongyoon
Do Jeong-yoon started out writing poetry before becoming a copywriter. Advertising captivated her so much that she spent the bulk of her early career pouring her time into being a copywriter and creative director, completely oblivious to her youth passing. She now teaches copywriting at the university level. In the future, she is determined to write for herself, not for others, shifting her focus and life goals to writing books and screenplays.

Son Kuki Heeyeon
Hee-yeon (aka Kuki)’s love of writing led her to become a copywriter, while her fascination with design led her to become a designer. As someone who lives for pursuing her passions, she is constantly exploring and learning new things. In the future, she plans to narrate audiobooks and write screenplays. Today, she works in copywriting and project planning at an advertising and events company promoting Korean culture in North America.

Photographer: Park Chanho
Park Chanho is a visual artist who has delved deeply into Korea’s ritual traditions and the profound question of death. The loss of his mother in boyhood sparked an intimate and profound reflection that, over time, expanded into a universal human inquiry, expressed through photography, short films, and media art. His artistic journey extends into the realms of mythology, divine manifestations, and shamanism, leading to exhibitions across the globe. Internationally recognized, he was featured in The New York Times Lens in 2018 and received a grant from the Gwaertler Stiftung Foundation in Switzerland in 2023.