The Man Standing Next to You

Welcome, esteemed travelers and scholars of history, to an exploration of a space that exists simultaneously in the realms of cinematic brilliance and profound historical trauma. We stand today at the foot of Namsan, a mountain…

As we move further up the slope, we arrive at a location of immense historical gravity: the former site of the KCIA Director's official residence. In the film 'The Man Standing Next', this space is depicted as a nexus of profound…

Our path now leads us to the epicenter of Namsan's dark history: the remnants of the KCIA's 6th Division. This specific bureau was notorious for its brutal interrogation of student protesters, labor rights activists, and…

We now descend, both physically and metaphorically, into the subterranean horrors of the KCIA compound: the underground interrogation bunker. In the context of our cinematic exploration, this is the hidden underbelly of the…

Having explored the visual and spatial dimensions of Namsan's dark history, we now transition to a profound sensory experience: The Sound Path. This specific installation has been designed to recreate the auditory landscape of a…

Our journey brings us to a large, imposing structure that now houses the Seoul Youth Hostel and, nearby, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters. To the uninformed eye, these buildings represent civic service, youth,…

The final specific structure we will analyze on this mountain is the site of the former Annex to KCIA Building 5, heavily utilized as the Anti-Communist Investigation Office. This facility was the crucible where the state's Cold…

As our dark tourism journey across Namsan comes to a close, we find ourselves at the intersection of history, memory, and the natural world. Throughout this tour, we have confronted the darkest manifestations of state power,…