The rearcar (리어카, リヤカー) is a common enough sight across South Korea. It is basically a cart with two wheels, pulled by one person at the front. The name is a Japanese compound word combining, you guessed it, rear and car. It is now officially called a handcart (or a wheelbarrow), but its distinctive design and long history of usage mean the word is here to stay.

There’s an abundance of elderly people pulling rearcars in Seoul, collecting heaps of scrap paper to sell to junkyards. The rate of scrap paper fluctuates wildly, and depending on the type of paper, can be anywhere from 50 to 100 Korean Won — roughly 5 to 10 cents — per kilogram. Some do it as a means of survival, while others do it to combat the perennial isolation.

These photos are from 2018, taken across Seoul. Not my best work, but I believe there’s a story to be told about the elderly, the recycling / waste management industry, and perhaps the legacy of colonialism and war in shaping the economic & legal conditions for this particular way of life.