[Unstagram] Why High Positions Represent Power

On the day the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) entered the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to execute an arrest warrant for the president, the Presidential Office announced that it had filed complaints against broadcasting companies and YouTubers who illegally filmed the area around the residence for violating the Act on the Protection of Military Bases and Military Facilities. One broadcasting company reported on the day the CIO attempted to execute the arrest warrant with the headline "The first-ever helicopter footage of the presidential residence," showing images of the presidential residence filmed from the airspace over Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On that day, all photographers and broadcast reporters at the scene hurriedly climbed to as high a place as possible to capture even the shadows of people moving around the residence from afar.

Protest against impeachment by presidential supporters seen from the northern pedestrian overpass closest to Namsan. Photo by Heo Young-han

High vantage points offer the advantage of seeing far and surveying much, allowing one to schematize the essence of the situation. Whether that makes for good photos or videos is a separate matter. In pragmatic reporting that prioritizes information, the height of the viewpoint is often absolute. When filming major incidents, accidents, or events, the demand and desire for high vantage points are always great. Nowadays, although limited, filming equipment with the absolute power of viewpoint called drones can be used. Long ago, photojournalists’ decisive "win or lose" was determined by whether they could get a ride on military or police helicopters. The reporter’s luck and networking skills were important, and reporters even included the names of the pilots and co-pilots who gave them a ride in the newspaper bylines. In urban areas, the difference between climbing a tall building and not doing so is absolute. Now, private property is strictly guarded and access controlled, so no external visitors are allowed into any of the many high-rise buildings without prior permission. Still, photojournalists steadily find new viewpoints little by little.

Hannam-daero viewed from the pedestrian overpass closest to the official residence. Police buses are lined up along the main road.

There are three pedestrian overpasses on Hannam-daero. Among them, many people gathered on the overpass closest to the residence, and the police restricted passage. Even here, the status of those who had climbed up early and those who arrived late and could not climb was absolutely different. In reality, once you climb up, there is little to do other than observe the severe traffic congestion on the road, and the residence is not visible at all from here. At the overpass on the Namsan side, where presidential supporters gathered for a rally, it was possible to film the rally scenes over the shoulders of police officers urging people to move along quickly. The height of the overpass offers just that much visual freedom.

Overpass toward Namsan as seen from Hannam-daero

Security guards blocked not only filming at the entrance of the residence but also passing in front of it. For photojournalists, the best they could do was to prop up a ladder across the street and climb it to take blurry photos through the wire fence with a telephoto lens or to take photos during the 1?2 seconds when a city bus passed in front of the residence and the entrance was visible. The angle from the bus going up Hannam Overpass was somewhat high, and the bus heading toward Jangchung-dong was a bit closer but lower. The most important "moment" in photography depended on luck. Whether political or economic, "high places" is a metaphorical expression that refers to the degree of power held, but for information transmitters on the scene, a high place is practically equivalent to power. People want high places for their own reasons.