PEOPLE
Anniversaries, birthdays and the Korean tradition for family gatherings mark the year’s end for this husband-and-wife duo. The practice of shared gifts and spending time with family at home is central to the season.
Photographs by Jaehoon Kim (김재훈).
Interview by Christopher Prince.
Translation by J-Min Ahn.
Taegyu Bong and Hasisi Park inhabit and share creative worlds. Bong has enjoyed a career in South Korea’s film and entertainment industry for the last two decades, with his most notable role in the variety show We Won’t Hurt You. Park is revered for her conceptual portraiture and has been featured in various publications such as InStyle and Vice. Add in two children and, unsurprisingly, their lives are busy. ‘Harmony applies to everything we do,’ says Park. ‘We have an old saying: “Bringing up a child takes a whole village.” I understand why,’ agrees Bong. ‘As working parents, we realised harmony in our relationship and surroundings made [life] balanced.’
December is a pivotal month for the couple. ‘It’s when we met each other,’ says Bong. ‘To most people in Korea, December is the end of something, but for us, we always feel it’s the beginning of something new.’ The first day of the month also marks the arrival of their eldest child, Siha, to the world. ‘We celebrate [in November], just before,’ says Park. The family dress a Christmas tree, a ritual foreign to Bong before the couple met. Christmas in South Korea isn’t common. Instead, the family gathers. ‘This period is where you feel like wrapping up for the year,’ says Park. ‘We try to cherish the time with family at home by buying flowers, and we lay all the food our kids like on the same table. We light candles on a cake and turn off the main lights. [Our] kids love it.’
For a couple used to being in front of the camera and behind the lens, visuals are just as important. Their studio shoot is staged like their home – intimate, personal, and the perfect space to showcase the curation of their favourite MATCHESFASHION gifts.
‘We share our wardrobe. When we shop, we consider whether the item is something we both can enjoy.’
‘The greatest gift of all is this Saint Laurent leather jacket I chose for myself. We all should treat ourselves with luxury.’
‘I chose the Maison Margiela 5AC bag from my MATCHESFASHION wishlist. It looks gorgeous in real life.’
‘We both like Jil Sander because it’s simple and elegant at the same time. The quality of the finish is exquisite.’
‘Koreans gain a year to their age when the new year comes in. Everyone is one year older on January 1st; that’s Korean age. We prepare by thinking of resolutions in late December, as we feel like we need to better ourselves before getting older in a few days.’
PHOTOGRAPHER JAEHOON KIM (김재훈). FASHION JIM LIM (임진). HAIR HYELIM YOO (유혜림). MAKE-UP KYUNGHAW JUNG (정경화).