My name is Youmin, and I am a graphic designer—designed in South Korea, manufactured in the United States.

South Korea’s path to democratization is complex and often turbulent. What is now viewed as a democratic and economic success story was shaped by a history of authoritarian rule mixed with faint attempts at democracy, despite the country’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

<Project For Democracy> began as a digital poster, created to inform and pay tribute to one of the many pivotal moments in South Korea’s democratic history. The poster features imagery of Lee Hanyeol, a student protester who tragically lost consciousness after being struck by a tear gas canister fired by government forces, never to regain it.

Over time, the project grew beyond its original form. It expanded into a series of infographics and eventually became a web archive, addressing key questions: What is the current state of democracy in South Korea? Is it truly democratic today? Where is it headed? Are the democratic values and principles that past generations fought for being upheld? Can we say with certainty that they are?

Unfortunately, South Korea today faces a political climate defined by division, hatred, and an increasingly unbalanced exercise of power. Does that mean we are returning to the dark days of the past, when martial law shut down universities, banned political activities, silenced the press, and citizens were brutally suppressed for demanding their rights?

Visit www.projectfordemocracy.org for more information.

My Instagram: @you.minchoi