Jiyeun Kang / National Geographic / My Night with the Guerrilla Balloonists of South Korea

Ji-yeun Kang recently created a series of three illustrations for the August 2025 issue of National Geographic.
The essay, “My Night with the Guerrilla Balloonists of South Korea” by Paul Salopek, follows a night with North Korean defector activists who, in an act now prohibited by the South Korean government, send balloons carrying leaflets across the border.
One of the key illustrations, featured as the main image for the story, portrays balloons drifting gently beyond Namsan Tower — an iconic symbol of Seoul — toward the North. The scene evokes the complex emotions of the defectors: the weariness of their journey, the longing for their homeland, and the quiet hope that their message will reach those they left behind. It also reflects the bittersweet reality of living as outsiders or people caught between worlds, with each balloon carrying both their yearning and the unspoken sorrows of being in exile.

The series was designed to span across multiple spreads, capturing the tension, determination, and humanity behind their work.

She would like to thank Madison Tran and the National Geographic team for their trust and collaboration on this meaningful project.

Art Director: Madison Tran