The Yang-ro Won photo service club, founded by junior Lewis Kim, made its 14th visit to deliver finished printed funeral portraits and snap photos of seniors at the Sinan Elderly Care Center on March 20. This time, head of school Mr. Jolly and group adviser Mr. Lipsky accompanied the group for a special recognition ceremony documented by local journalists. 

영정사진 (funeral photos) – often referred to as 장수사진 (longevity photos) to respect elders – aim to capture the last and best moments of the seniors. Unfortunately, many are isolated from their uncaring families or cannot afford high-quality photographs and frames that sometimes cost up to 170,000won (170 dollars). To address this issue, the Yang-ro Won Photo Service Club takes the photos and frames them for free so that the seniors and their families do not have to worry about the high cost. 

Although the idea of taking one’s “funeral picture” may be slightly unsettling to imagine, the seniors expressed deep gratitude for the group’s hard work. “I love the picture so much, it makes me smile,” commented Yun-ok Baek, one of the elders. 

Lewis Kim, the leader of the group. remarked that their trips to the center have been extremely productive. Despite the limited time during club meetings to plan visits to the center, the team has taken over 50 pictures over the past two school years. 

Chief manager JooEun Kim voiced appreciation for the students’ ability to “not only recognize a problem but to also think ahead and organize something like this.” She also praised the group for their assistance to local people in need. 

Kim provided additional insight into the value of these portraits: “Of course, for some people, the idea of taking a picture for their own funeral can be uncomfortable … However, I think that the interest and dedication of these students have provided an opportunity for the elders to reflect on their own lives with peace.”

Professional videographer and reporter Hwae-Ryong Jeong joined the student photographers throughout the entirety of the visit. As a representative of Golden Time News, Jeong intends to publish an article and video dedicated to the students’ honest efforts to assist the elderly community of Daegu. Maeil News also penned a story about the Yang-ro Won endeavor on their website. 

The Yang-ro Won club’s dedication shone through their hard work, which served as an example to prove that students can leave profound impacts on not only the school community but on society as well.