Uijeongbu high school graduation photos highlight the past year's biggest trends and issues

AKP STAFF

v.daum.net

Imitations of MIN HEE JIN (L) and BANG SI HYUK (R)

Uijeongbu High School's graduation photos, known for capturing the year's trends and issues, have been released once again. The student council and broadcasting club (UHBS) announced on their official social media on July 17, “The graduation photo shoot at Uijeongbu High School has been completed. We look forward to your continued interest this year.”

The photos featured parodies of significant figures and popular culture moments. One notable parody was of Min Hee Jin, the CEO of ADOR, who has been in a legal dispute with HYBE. This parody referenced her outfit from an April 25th press conference, where she famously said, "If you're coming at me, come one-on-one." In the graduation photos, a student depicted Min Hee Jin grabbing the collar of Bang Si Hyuk, the chairman of HYBE.

Students also transformed into the girl group NewJeans. Reflecting Min Hee Jin's nickname, "NewJeans Mom," the photos included portrayals of her with the NewJeans members. One student even recreated the solo stage of NewJeans member Hanni’s viral "Blue Coral Reef" performance, which gained attention in June.

New Jeans member Hani (left) went viral for singing Seiko Matsuda's song 'Blue Coral Reef' at Tokyo Dome in Japan

There were many portrayals of popular female figures, including Winter (Kim Min Jeong) from the group aespa, actress Ji Ye Eun from Coupang Play’s 'SNL Korea,' and singer IU (Lee Ji Eun).

From left to right, Winter, Ji Ye-eun, and IU

A student also imitated Lee Jae Yong, the chairman of Samsung Group, inspired by a photo taken last December when President Yoon Suk Yeol visited a traditional market in Busan with major conglomerate leaders, including Lee.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (left) at a traditional market in Busan in December last year.

Other parodies included Fu Bao, the panda transferred from Korea to China in April, along with her primary caretaker Kang Cheol Won, dubbed as “Kang Bao" and "Fu Bao’s Grandpa,” and the citizens who tearfully bid her farewell. The recent infestation of "love bugs" (red-backed darkling beetles) in the metropolitan area and singer Park Jin Young’s sensational performance at the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards in November were also depicted.

The graduation photos also reflected popular works from the year. Selected works included the movie "Seoul Spring," which attracted 13.12 million viewers, the movie "The Excavation," the tvN drama "Sunjae Runs Away," the Disney+ drama "Moving," and the movie "Inside Out 2."

Uijeongbu High School’s graduation photos have gained attention since 2009, becoming a school tradition after gaining fame online. Initially, they drew interest for their sharp political satire, often depicting presidents and politicians. However, due to complaints and protests from some civic groups, political satire has been banned in the photos since 2017.