Students at Uijeongbu High School in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do Province, take graduation pictures while dressed like medical staff treating COVID-19 patients (left and right), Shin Yu-bin (right), a table tennis player who represented the national team at this year's Tokyo Summer Olympics, recently attracted attention after appearing at Incheon International Airport wearing a protective suit.

By Lee Kyong Mi and Kim Hayeon
Photos = Screen capture from Facebook page of Uijeongbu High School's student council

A public high school in Korea makes headlines every year, specifically during graduation season.

Uijeongbu High School in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do Province, is famous for its unique tradition of making clever parodies for graduating seniors in its yearbook photos, breaking the norm of other schools in which students pose for graduation pictures in school uniforms.

It all started in 2009, as the photos of graduating seniors who wore creative costumes while making comical gestures went viral and were shared by many on social media. This sparked more students to do the same the next year with even more unique ideas, creating a proud school tradition.

The Uijeongbu High School yearbook last year had this photo parodying Korean independence activists during Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Many were impressed to see the detail in recreating the written affidavit of independence activist Lee Bong-chang for the Korean Patriotic Legion.

Among many the school's graduation photos, the one attracting the most attention was one last year parodying independence activists during Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula. The students also recreated the clothes of activists like Baekbeom Kim Gu and Ahn Jung-geun. The Taegeukgi (national flag) in the photo was similar to the one used in the original picture.

To restore them based on historical research, the students made inquiries to the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the Buddhist temple Jingwansa, where a national flag used in the independence movement was discovered.

This year, many students dressed up as medical workers treating patients with COVID-19. They also copied medalists of this year's Tokyo Olympics, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Dogecoin dog and characters from the Japanese cartoon series "Demon Slayer."

Kook Tae-ik, head of the school's student council, said, "Some students enroll in the school just because of graduation photos," adding, "We have a lot of fun enjoying our last days of school and are passionate about clothing and dressing up to make parodies more similar to their originals."