Photographer captures Seoul’s artificial ‘mountains’

Plush green pine trees are densely planted on rocky hills outside a towering apartment block in Seoul. They resemble South Korea’s famed Dodamsambong Peaks, but are just a fraction of the size.

This beautification trend, known as “jingyeong sansu,” seeks to recreate the country’s most famous mountains – on a much smaller scale – outside luxury apartment complexes and private villas.

The artificial mountains are built by real estate developers hoping to improve the buildings’ feng shui – and market value. Some residents also believe that they bring the healing power of nature to their front doors.

Seoul-based photographer Seunggu Kim has been capturing these unconventional structures since 2011. In that time, he has visited around 30 apartment complexes fitted with grandiose rock gardens and tree-covered hills.

The rocky structure look similar to South Korea's famed Dodamsambong Peaks, but are a fraction of the size.

Having spent his 20s working on construction sites, Kim was often among the first people to witness the months-long process of reproducing the country’s best known mountains.

Workers first build a basic Styrofoam mold, which is secured on or around the apartment block, he said. Then they cover it with soil, before planting flowers and trees.

The structures are often accompanied by engravings describing the positive energy each mountain is thought to bring, from fertility and aspiration to peace of mind.

South Korean photographer Seunggu Kim has been capturing Seoul's artificial mountains for almost a decade. Scroll through the gallery to see more of his images.

A beautification trend known as "jingeyong sansu" seeks to recreate the country's most famous mountains -- on a much smaller scale -- outside luxury apartment complexes and private villas.

Workers build a basic styrofoam mold, which is secured on, or around, the apartment block. They then cover it with soil, before planting flowers and trees to mimic a real-life mountainside.

Kim has visited around 30 apartment complexes in and around Seoul to photograph the elaborate structures.

Kim has been documenting this recreation of Mount Kumgang for years in order to observe seasonal change in shape and color.

A recreation of Mount Kumgang pictured in the winter.

The mountains' intricate design and extravagant price tags (of up to $2 million) mean they are only found in premium apartments. They are often made using high-quality rock, bonsai and other expensive plants.

Mountains cover around 70% of the Korean peninsula and have always been an integral part of Korean identity.

"There's a positive and shamanistic belief towards mountains in Korea so it's like compressing it and bringing it back into a city where there is lack of nature," said photographer Kim.

For Kim, this simulacrum of nature comes as no surprise, due to of the topographic and economic conditions in South Korea.

"South Korea has developed a compressed throwaway culture, as we have relatively good amount of resources but not enough time and space to spend (them)," said Kim.

"(The fake mountains) represent an alternative landscape that city-dwellers had to accept" Kim said.

Photographer captures Seoul's 'fake mountains'

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