Neighborhoods and nooks that define Korea from the ground up. Walk with us through villas, alleys, cafés, and crossroads where life unfolds.
At 7:30 a.m., most restaurants in the neighborhood were still closed. The only one open was a modest, old-school diner with a teal awning and an unmistakable name printed in red and blue: Bogwang Gisa Sikdang. A row of yellow plastic jugs and orange cones lined the front — a simple but effective way to…
Where literature isn’t just remembered. It’s folded into daily life. Located on Korea’s eastern shore, Gangneung is a midsize coastal city in Gangwon Province, home to just over 200,000 residents. Nestled between the Taebaek Mountains and the East Sea, the city feels suspended between ridgelines and waves. As a sub-host city of the 2018 PyeongChang…
“This isn’t a date-night pasta place. It’s where you show up in slippers and eat something honest.” A minute’s walk from Samgakji Station’s Exit 6, D’asti the Hidden faces an elementary school across the road — a quiet slice of the city where horns fade, children’s voices carry, and time feels slower. It’s calm here…
하회 마을과 고즈넉함에 대하여 There’s a word in Korean—고즈넉함 (goznokahm)—that doesn’t quite translate into English. It’s a kind of peaceful stillness, one that feels full rather than empty. Quiet, but rich with meaning. It’s the kind of silence where time slows. A hanok’s wooden floors creaking in the afternoon sun. The distant sound of wind…
Where History Meets Modernity: Exploring Daegu’s Hidden Depths What began as an inspirational meeting with an artist breathing new life into traditional Korean textiles — ramie (모시) and hemp (삼베) — for modern wardrobes unfolded into a journey of discovery through Daegu’s layered identity. Daegu, the fourth-largest city in Korea and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province,…
From the Silver Screen to Printing Presses: The Evolution of Korea’s Creative Heart In the 1950s and 60s, Chungmuro naturally became Korea’s film hub. Movie studios needed promotional materials — posters, scripts, brochures — and the print shops were already here, ready to meet the demand. This symbiotic relationship between filmmakers and printers gave birth…
Over a Decade After ‘Gangnam Style’: What Do We Really Know About Seoul’s Most Famous Neighborhood? After Psy’s global hit “Gangnam Style”, the name “Gangnam” became synonymous with opulence, extravagance, and fun. It’s probably Seoul’s most famous neighborhood, instantly recognizable to people who’ve never set foot in Korea. But every time I think about visitors who…
Where Contradictions Collide to Create Korean Cool Recently, Seongsu was ranked as the 4th coolest neighborhood in the world by Time Out magazine in the UK. Like its nickname “Seoul’s Brooklyn,” Seongsu is a very dynamic space with a strong industrial feel, full of interesting discoveries, where people with diverse life trajectories move busily with…