"Into Nostalgic Rural Scenes from 60 Years Ago"... Yecheon County Exhibits 45 Photos from the 1960s

Photographs by the American Raik Couple
Capturing Rice Planting, Weddings, and Scenery

Yecheon County (Governor Kim Hakdong) will hold a nostalgic photo exhibition titled "A portrait of the past" at the first-floor gallery of Yecheon County Office from March 28 to April 23, showcasing scenes from Yecheon in the 1960s.

Rice planting scene in Saengcheon-ri, Yecheon-eup, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk Province in the 1960s.

This exhibition features 45 photographs taken by Jerry and Berrie Raik, a married couple who served as U.S. Peace Corps volunteers and taught English conversation at Yecheon Middle School, Yecheon Girls' Middle School, and Yecheon Girls' High School from 1967 to 1969. The photos capture the nature, scenery, agriculture, education, and traditional ceremonies of Yecheon from half a century ago.

The exhibition was organized at the request of alumni from the 19th graduating class of Yecheon Middle School and the 23rd graduating class of Yecheon Girls' Middle School, who were students of the Raiks at the time. Despite being taken in an era dominated by black-and-white photography, the images were shot on Ektachrome slide film, so the quality has been preserved over the decades, allowing visitors to vividly see Yecheon as it was in the 1960s.

In the 1960s, a bride wearing a jokduri at a wedding in Gwasangol village, Eunpung-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk, is seen bowing with assistance, creating a striking scene.

The couple, who willingly provided the photos in response to their now seventy-something former students' requests, said, "We are delighted that our records of Korea, which had been sleeping in a drawer, are now being recognized for their value, and we are excited at the prospect of reconnecting with the people of Yecheon from half a century ago."

Kim Hakdong, Governor of Yecheon County, stated, "As we entered a period of rapid industrialization and the information age, we were too busy adapting to change to pay much attention to our past. I am grateful that the Raiks documented these moments, and I hope this exhibition will give many people the chance to see and reminisce about those times."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.