Life Four Cuts

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Life Four Cuts (Korean: 인생네컷; stylized as Life4Cuts) is a South Korean self-service photo booth brand operated by LK Ventures. First introduced in 2017, it developed from individual unmanned photo booths into a chain of self-photo studios.

The brand is associated with the popularization in South Korea of self-service booths that print a strip of four photographs. The name Life Four Cuts has also been used colloquially in South Korea to refer to four-cut photo booth photography in general.

History

Life Four Cuts was created in April 2017. At the time, it consisted primarily of small photo booths placed outside shops rather than dedicated stores. Lee Ho-ik, who noticed students lining up to use the machines, became the brand's distributor in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. He acquired the Life Four Cuts brand in December 2017 and subsequently developed it into a self-photo studio business through LK Ventures.

The first store-format locations were introduced in 2018, replacing the earlier model in which individual machines were installed in small outdoor spaces.

The chain expanded rapidly in South Korea during the late 2010s and early 2020s. As of October 2022, Life Four Cuts had nearly 400 locations nationwide. By that time, the company had also introduced its photo booths in countries including the United States, Canada, Guatemala, the Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand and Japan.

By 2023, self-service photo studios had become a widespread form of entertainment in South Korea, with Life Four Cuts competing with brands including Photoism and Haru Film.

In April 2025, the company introduced Life Four Cuts+, a concept that combines multiple themed photo booths within a single location. Its first flagship location opened in Ikseon-dong, Jongno District, Seoul.

Format

Life Four Cuts locations are generally self-service photo studios. A booth contains an automated camera and touchscreen interface, allowing customers to pose for a series of photographs and select images for printing. The photographs are typically printed as vertical strips containing four images.

Self-photo studios of this type often provide accessories such as hats, headbands and glasses for customers to use while taking photographs. Digital features can include different frames and effects, while digital copies of the photographs can also be made available to customers.

Popularity and cultural impact

Four-cut photography became particularly popular among younger South Koreans in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Korea JoongAng Daily reported in 2022 that Life Four Cuts had become so widely recognized that its brand name was commonly used to describe the four-cut photo format itself, comparing the usage to genericized brand names such as Band-Aid and Post-it.

The Korea Herald described instant self-photo studios as part of the entertainment culture of younger generations and noted their proliferation in youth-oriented commercial districts such as Yeonnam-dong in Seoul.

The trend also contributed to renewed interest in physical instant photographs despite the widespread use of smartphone cameras. Self-photo studios combine physical prints with digital elements such as filters, customized frames and downloadable image files.

International expansion

Life Four Cuts expanded outside South Korea during the early 2020s. In 2022, the brand reported operations in the United States, Canada, Guatemala, the Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand and Japan.

By early 2023, the brand had entered nine countries, including the United Kingdom, where a location opened in Soho, London.

See also

• Photo booth
• Purikura
• Instant camera
• Photography in South Korea
• Culture of South Korea

References

External links

• Official website