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Documentary photographer and former journalist Jinwoo Moon has generously donated over 1,000 of his photographic works to the Beomeosa Seongbo Museum.

The donated works are photographs capturing the landscapes of Geumjeongsan Mountain, where Beomeosa Temple is located, as well as scenes from the temple itself. The donation ceremony was held at 2 p.m. on the 27th at the Beomeosa Seongbo Museum.

Jeong Oh, the head monk of Beomeosa Temple, is explaining the donated artwork. The model in the photo is Jeong Oh. The person on the far left is artist Moon Jinwoo. Photo by Moon Jinwoo

Venerable Jeongo, head monk of Geumjeong Chongnim Beomeosa, welcomed the donation, stating, "More than 1,000 photographs depicting the scenery and history of Beomeosa and Geumjeongsan have been donated to the Seongbo Museum, which is fostering a culture of giving."

The donor, Jinwoo Moon, is a renowned documentary photographer representing Busan. He previously worked as a photojournalist for the Busan Maeil Newspaper and served as the official photographic records officer for the 2002 Busan Asian Games and the 2003 Daegu Summer Universiade. Since then, he has spent many years documenting the lives of outsiders in Korean society and the changing urban landscape.

The connection between Jinwoo Moon, who has been recording the disappearing scenes of Busan, and the thousand-year-old Beomeosa Temple began in June during the special photo exhibition "Light Drawing of Geumjeongsan" at the Beomeosa Seongbo Museum, where some of his works were first unveiled.

The donation ceremony held on this day included not only the previously exhibited photographs but also over 1,000 images taken from the 1970s to the present. Recently, Jinwoo Moon has been donating his photographs not only to the Beomeosa Seongbo Museum but also to the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, serving as a messenger who records and communicates the history and culture of Busan and the historical value of photography.

Venerable Jeongo, who also serves as director of the Beomeosa Seongbo Museum, said, "We will ensure that the moments of Beomeosa and Geumjeongsan captured by Moon are shared with many people," adding, "The donated photographs will be used for exhibitions, education, and research to promote the history and culture of Beomeosa and the Busan region."

After the donation ceremony of about 1,000 photos of Geumjeongsan Mountain and Beomeosa Temple, the artist and staff members of the Seongbo Museum are taking a commemorative photo.

Jinwoo Moon

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