South African photographer pays tribute to Korean bus drivers

Lee Soon-il, a city bus driver, smiles in this photo taken on June 6, 2021, at Iksan Bus Terminal in North Jeolla Province. Courtesy of Nathi Sihlophe

Nathi Sihlophe prepares to publish photobook featuring bus drivers in Iksan City

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Bus driver Lee Soon-il was taking a break at the bus terminal in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on June 6, 2021, when Nathi Sihlophe from South Africa approached him for a chat.

Due to the language barrier, Lee, 62, said he found it difficult to make himself understood at the beginning of his conversation with the South African. "As our conversation continued, however, I came to understand what he was trying to say," he told The Korea Times. "Although we met briefly, I had a good first impression of him."

Their brief interaction was mostly non-verbal as neither speak the other's language fluently. As an icebreaker, the South African photographer familiarized himself with the bus driver before asking if he could take photos of him. Welcoming the offer, Lee posed inside and outside of his bus.

"When we checked the pictures, he realized that he wasn't wearing his name tag ― displaying his attention to detail and pride in his work," Sihlophe said. "Without hesitation, he invited me to follow him onto his bus and we continued our impromptu photo session inside."

Lee is one of the bus drivers the South African met and photographed in the bus terminal during summer 2021 for his photobook project, tentatively titled "Gisanim," or Mr. Driver.

Sihlophe's photo project reflects his personal connection with the transportation industry.
His father owned several minibus taxis commonly used for public transportation in South Africa.

"Before working on this project, I had limited interaction with bus drivers, mostly during my daily commutes," he said. "My preconceived notions of them were largely negative. However, by taking the time to connect with them outside of their work environment, I gained a more nuanced appreciation of their work and the challenges they face."

He said his photo project in Iksan Bus Terminal helped him develop greater empathy and respect for their hard work and dedication, rather than simply viewing it as a means of transportation.

Freelance photographer Nathi Sihlophe poses with his camera in this photo taken in 2019 at Helsinki Central Railway Station in Finland. He is preparing for the publication of a photobook featuring Korean bus drivers he met at Iksan Bus Terminal in North Jeolla Province in 2021. Courtesy of Pekka Keskinen

Sihlophe called bus drivers "unsung heroes."

"The COVID-19 pandemic in particular highlighted the vital role that these drivers play in keeping communities safe and functioning," he said. "Amid the pandemic, they were responsible for implementing and enforcing social distancing measures, as well as keeping their buses clean and disinfected, often putting their own health on the line to ensure the safety of their passengers."

In 2021, Lee drove the 109 bus connecting the bus terminal to downtown Iksan. His work would finish after driving the route 22 times a day. Like other bus drivers in the city, he works more than 16 hours a day as there are no shifts.

"Like several other industries, the public transportation industry was hit hard by the pandemic as we had seen a sharp drop in passengers after the outbreak of the virus," he said. "Here in Iksan, all bus drivers worked 16 or 17 hours a day at that time and the long working hours still continue today."

COVID-19 has made the already hard-working bus drivers busier. They have had to work even harder by disinfecting their buses.

Lee was no exception.

He disinfected the bus whenever it returned to the terminal, which is its last stop. If he had passengers showing symptoms of COVID-19, he quarantined their seats with disinfectant spray once they got off.

"Bus drivers are frontline workers. We are exposed to contagion because our work made us constantly interact with our passengers," he said. "There are 400 or 500 bus drivers working in this city. All of us have paid greater attention not to get infected with the virus since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We tried not to mingle with others during our days off and kept trying to keep ourselves safe from the virus, because if we get infected, our passengers' safety will be at risk, too."

The dedicated Iksan bus drivers' professionalism has paid off. According to Lee, none of the bus drivers there have been infected with COVID-19.

A bus driver in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, cleans a rearview mirror, June 2021. Courtesy of Nathi Sihlophe

Bus drivers are unappreciated frontline workers.

After the COVID-19 pandemic began, healthcare workers, among others, were praised as heroes for their long working hours testing people and treating infected patients at the risk of their own safety.

Although also frontline workers, bus drivers and their precarious work ― particularly during the times when infection rates reached a peak ― were never properly acknowledged.

Sihlophe's photobook project is his personal tribute to these unsung heroes. The South African said he plans to visit Korea again to complete his photobook project with the permission of the drivers he captured.

"Positive representation and validation of their work matters and I hope to share copies of the photobook with the drivers and even their photos as a tribute to their profession," he said.

On top of the publication, the South African also plans to show his works in Finland where he is currently based.

"The exhibition would also provide an opportunity for the viewers to connect with the human subjects of the photographs and to learn about their stories and experiences," he said, revealing his hope that the exhibition could connect Korea and Finland.

Born in 1990, Sihlophe is a self-taught photographer. He has worked as a freelance photographer since 2020.

He curated a photography book, titled "No Justice, No Peace," which documented the Black Lives Matter protests in Finland. He is one of the 40 photographers who contributed their works to the book. It was selected as one of The Most Beautiful Books in Finland, and won the gold prize at the Vuoden Huiput design competition in 2021.

Sihlophe first came to Korea in 2016 as an English teacher and stayed here for four years. He conducted his photo project of Iksan bus drivers during his second visit to Korea in 2021.

Buses are parked at Iksan Bus Terminal in North Jeolla Province, 2021. Courtesy of Nathi Sihlophe