In cases where color photographs remain, I used them as a reference and colored them. In cases where they have disappeared or are becoming increasingly difficult to find, I colored them in similar colors so as not to deviate too far from current common sense, but added a little imagination to enrich the colors.
For example, I added colors with small wishes like, 'I hope the child wears warm colored clothes.'
Photography is not only a record, but also a genre of art.
Even if it is a photo of our land, or of people who resemble us, there will certainly be errors in the process of restoring color.
Please understand that this book is not a photo book for historical verification.
It would be better if people who lived in Joseon during the Enlightenment period could provide accurate information.
Whether the color we restored is correct or not.
:)
Now it's time to travel back in time with these color-restored photos.
---From "Entering"

This photo is titled 'Wood Firewood Market'.
When I actually looked closely at it to restore it, I was more amazed by the 'gunma' than the market itself.
The sight of a soldier leading a horse somewhere is impressive.
The road seems to have become a solid dirt road with carriages, horses, and people walking on it, and the sky is clear.
They say that since the colors of the earth and the sky are similar now as they were then, and since we cannot know the weather in the past, it is relatively easy to color them.
It's not exactly easy.
Check the brightness difference between black and white and apply color.
If the brightness difference is clear, we assume it was a clear day, and if not, we imagine it was a cloudy day.
Do you see the utility poles and streetlights? In 1883, King Gojong heard about Western civilization from Min Yeong-ik, who had returned from a trip to the United States to work for the Edison Electric Light Company. He signed a contract with the Edison Electric Light Company and held a ceremony to install the lights at Geoncheonggung Palace within Gyeongbokgung Palace on March 6, 1887.
This was just eight years after Thomas Edison created the carbon filament light bulb in 1879.

---From "Part 1 ~1909 They too lived in a vivid world of color like us"

This is the first photo of the volunteer army taken in Yangpyeong in 1907.
Except for one person wearing the uniform of the Korean Empire Army, which was disbanded that year, all the other volunteer soldiers are wearing different clothes.
I think he probably wore the clothes he thought were the most military-like of all the clothes he owned.
Although their attire is shabby and their weapons appear poor, their dignified posture and gaze seem to be sufficiently armed with patriotism.
If you've seen the drama [Mr. Sunshine], you might recognize it.
This photo of the volunteer soldiers became the motif for a scene in a drama.
This photo is included in the book “The Tragedy of Korea” by Frederick Arthur Mackenzie (1869---1931), a war correspondent for the Daily Mail.
Mackenzie risked his life to find places where the militia was said to be active in order to cover the story.
He met and talked with the volunteers two or three times.
The anonymous volunteers in this photo were the last volunteers he met.
They mistook Mackenzie for a Japanese man and tried to shoot him.
I stopped when I heard a shout of “British!” with both hands raised in the air.
Mackenzie, who had the courage to confront them without incident, took a photograph of them, which became the first surviving photograph of the volunteers.

---From "Part 1 ~1909 They too lived in a vivid world of color like us"

This is the opening ceremony of Korea's first tram, held at Heunginjimun Gate in Seoul on May 4, 1899.
It is said that at the time of the opening ceremony, it consisted of eight 40-seater open-top cars and one VIP car exclusively for the imperial family.
I counted the number of tanks in the photo and there are 8 in total.
Looking at the large crowd surrounding Heunginjimun Gate, I could see that there was a great interest in the modern artifact called the tram.
You can also see the Taegeukgi flag here and there in the middle.
If we were to translate it into modern terms, we could say, 'The server crashed.'
It is said that at that time, trams ran at speeds of less than 10 kilometers per hour.
In the early days of operation, there were many incidents and accidents due to lack of awareness.
It is said that some people lost their entire fortune buying expensive tram tickets because the tram ride was so much fun.
May 26th, a few days after opening.
An accident occurs in front of Pagoda Park (now Tapgol Park) where a child is hit by a tram and dies.
The boy's father and other people were so angry that they destroyed the tram and burned it.
At that time, the weather was very dry, and it is said that two tanks were overturned and burned, saying that the cause of the drought was the tanks.
There is a newspaper article from the time that says that Japanese tram drivers and conductors fled to Japan out of fear of riots.
---From "Part 2 ~ 1945: 'That Time' Revived in Real Color Connects to 'Now'"

If I had to choose just one photo to show the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, it would be this one.
Cold wind and icy roads in sub-zero weather.
The entire field is covered in white snow.
Soldiers, who have become snowmen with snow piled up on their hats and clothes, are frozen still, and snowflakes are falling.
They say it was minus 40 degrees at the time.
It is said that more people froze to death than died in battle.
At the beginning of the battle, the US forces were victorious and advanced north, but soon encountered the Chinese forces and were forced to retreat.
It was reported that the Chinese army won the battle because the US troops withdrew, but in fact, it is said that the Chinese army may have suffered more damage.
The Chinese army probably didn't know much about the harsh winters of the Korean Peninsula.
---From "Part 3: The Unsung Heroes of the Korean War, Thanks to You, We Are Here Now"

A view of Gwanghwamun from City Hall on October 29, 1966.
This is the Gwanghwamun intersection after the Sejong-ro underpass construction was completed.
The place where you can see four white ceilings is the underpass.
In front of the underpass, they have planted flowers on the lawn and put a lot of effort into landscaping.
Where Sejong Center for the Performing Arts now stands, there is a 'Citizen's Hall', and the Dong-A Ilbo building on the right was a five-story building at the time.
Currently, this building is used as the Ilmin Museum of Art, and there is a tall building behind it.
Across from it, you can see the ‘Seoul King Gojong Royal Drama 40th Anniversary Commemorative Monument.’
After that, there is now Kyobo Bookstore and Kyobo Building.
You can also see the Government-General of Korea building, which was demolished in 1995 and was used as the National Museum at the time.
Let's compare it to the current situation, like a game of spot the difference. What else has changed? Gwanghwamun is no longer visible.
During the Japanese colonial period, Japan destroyed the front yard of Gyeongbokgung Palace to build the Government-General of Korea. At that time, they tried to tear down Gwanghwamun Gate, claiming that it was blocking the Government-General of Korea building.
However, as there was strong opposition from Koreans and even some Japanese, it was left for the time being.
Then, perhaps because they didn't like the idea of ​​blocking the Government-General of Korea, they dismantled Gwanghwamun and moved it to the north of Geunchunmun (the east gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace), away from its original location.
After being severely damaged by shells during the Korean War, Gwanghwamun was restored to its original location in 1968.
---From "Part 4 ~ 1969, I hope to feel the atmosphere of the times rather than reminisce about the past"

Jamsil public apartment house floor plan.
It was so funny that I laughed for a long time.
I drew the apartment floor plan directly on the ground.
The place where it says "toilet" means that there will be a "toilet" all the way up, right? This is a very intuitive floor plan that goes all the way up.
There probably weren't model houses back then, so you had to imagine it by looking at the floor plan.
Oh, and don't step on gold.

---From "Part 5 1970~ A drama created by gathering moments from the past while imagining the future"

Since the photo is black and white, white is not a problem, but other colors should be added properly.
So, instead of saying 'color it', we use the expression 'add color' or 'color it'.
If it's a painting, you color it, but if it's a photograph, you add color to it.
For example, drawing on oil paper and then adding color underneath the oil paper.
The oil paper with the picture on it is on top, and the colored oil papers are layered underneath.
When you want to express more detail, add colors in layers like stacking a tower.
To express deeper colors, you need to properly adjust the saturation and contrast ratio.
If you simply colorize a black and white photo, the photo itself becomes a painting and loses its charm.
By adding double and triple layers of color, the black and white original on top should be preserved, while the colors overlapped underneath should be visible through the top.
This way, the colors will appear naturally while preserving the beauty of the photo.
Now, have your curiosity been somewhat satisfied? The process of color restoration is a "path to finding color."
The colors shown in the photo may vary depending on the light at the time of shooting.
So, I am working while thinking about the contemporary atmosphere as naturally as possible.
Because if you add the same colors as today to an old photo, the atmosphere itself changes completely.
What we want to show is not facts or a documentary, but a drama that shows 'how people lived back then.'
So, if you recall and reminisce about the past, you will naturally become interested in history, and I think this will create a virtuous cycle that connects the past, present, and future.

---From “[Q&A] Questions about color restoration”