Photos: South Korean soldiers are fighting stress with ballet

It’s hard to imagine a job more stressful than guarding a border with North Korea. But at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides North and South Korea, a group of young South Korean soldiers have found a creative way to manage their tension: ballet lessons.

A ballerina from the Korean National Ballet leads the classes. Soldier Kim Joo-hyeok, 23, describes the activity as a way to “stay calm and find balance, as well as build friendships with my fellow soldiers.” Last week, on July 13, Reuters photographer Kim-Hong Ji captured Kim and his fellow soldiers during training, at home in their barracks and in the classes, as they deploy the grace and discipline of classical dance in order to learn balance and teamwork.