Project 1004 is an online publication that aims to connect Minnesota K-pop fans with their favorite artists. Being a K-pop fan whom discovered K-pop in 2007-2008 during the boom of YouTube and digitalization of music, it was always a dream to see my favorite K-pop artist perform live. However, that was nearly impossible at the beginning of K-pop western expansion. K-pop artists rarely came to the U.S. And if they did, they often skipped the Midwest and performed in far away cities like Los Angeles and New York. I had pretty much given up my hope to see my favorite artists live. However, as K-pop became more main-stream in America, more opportunities came for K-pop artists to perform in the US and visit new places. And slowly more artists started coming to Minnesota to perform.
How did you start music and event photography? In 2023, I returned to the US after living in South Korea for three years. Living close to Seoul, I was able to meet and work with many models, actors, and influencers. However, after returning to the US, I lost all of my connections and was not able to find any models to photograph. Missing photography, I bought a last minute ticket to see Sik-K live at Amsterdam Bar & Hall and took my point and shoot camera with me. Through that concert, I fell in love with music photography and Korean R&B and hip-hop music. It was such a surreal experience filled was so much adrenaline.
Since that performance, I have been hooked on music and live event photography. I have been working with local event photographers and going out to photograph local events and performances. In doing so, I have been able to meet so many kind people and been given many opportunities to work as the photographer for many K-pop companies and bands.
Some of the most memorable concerts I have been able to photograph include Ben Barnes at the Fine line, Katseye at the Mall of America, and Sik-K at Amsterdam Bar & Hall. Some of my favorite local events to photograph every year include the Songkran Festival and the Midwest K-pop Festival (MKF).
My true passion for attending events and taking photos is capturing the moment for the fans and artists. Growing up as a K-pop fan, I undestand and know how influential music and musical artists can be. Time passes by quickly. And nothing lasts forever. So by attending concerts and events, I hope to capture these special moment for fans and artists so they can relive this special moment in their life.
Where did the name Project 1004 come from? Project 1004 came about as the hopes to cover more K-pop event in Minnesota and give back to my community. It was a project to connect artists and fans and capture special moments.
Why the number 1004? The number 1004 (pronounced “cheon-sa”) has a special double meaning in Korea. It can mean the number “1004” or it can mean “angel”. Because of this special meaning, it can be used to represent one another. In Korean culture, this word play is used often. For an example, BAP has a song called 1004 but it doesn’t mean the number. It actually means “Angel.” And Davichi has a song called ‘8282’ that doesn’t actually mean the number. It means “Balli-Balli” (“Faster Faster”). The second reason why the number 1004 was so special was because it was the number for the bus I used to ride to go to Seoul in Korea. Because of this, it holds a special memory for me and how I often took the bus to chase my dreams of becoming a photographer while living in Seoul.