Ogin Apatu

Nestled deep within a in the foothills of the Namsan mountain, is the Ogin APT complex. This modern ruin is only accessible by 'village bus' even though it is in the centre of Seoul. In contrast to most of the complexes I have visited which have the familiar bustle of children, families and cars, this place was deadly quiet, un-populated, and actually very creepy.

In a curious reversal of the usual process of urban regeneration in Seoul where the new comes to replace the old, here the government has decided that these old (perhaps 50 years) are obstructing the view and access to nature, to namsan, and should be removed.

As they wait, emptied of life but full of possessions to be demolished to make way for a park, they are a reminder that these landscapes, which appear monolithic and permanent are actually incredibly fragile.