I photographed Hanok and Hanok themed places in Seoul for a travel story in Destin Asian magazine. The story includes 1il1jan cafe in Eunpyeong Hanok Village, Eath Library by interior designer Teo Yang, Hotel Rakkojae, Cafe Onion’s Anguk branch as well as J.Hidden House in Dongdaemun.

To quote myself from the contributors’ page:

“After decades of economic growth, apartment complexes have been associated with wealth and prestige in South Korea. However, Hanok is definitely coming back into vogue. More people are interested in renovating or owning a Hanok house nowadays. Well-known Hanok areas like Samcheong-dong, Ikseon-dong and Bukchon in Seoul are teeming with local and international visitors. You can easily spot visitors wearing Hanbok — Korean traditional dress — casually take a selfie in the backdrop of the traditional houses. This assignment gave me a newfound appreciation for Hanok. It was fun to explore Seoul with a fresh perspective.”

I had to be organized and efficient, as I had three other commissions in the last week of June before leaving for Pakistan for a personal project. Luckily, everyone involved was accommodating and I was able to come up with some cool images. Eunpyeong Hanok Village was especially far from the Seoul city center, but the view was definitely worth it.

I was very happy with the fantastic 8-page layout. Some of my archive photos from previous assignments are also included in the story. 

Looking back, I have been doing numerous travel stories since 2015. My first travel story was for Bon Appetit Magazine in the U.S. Of them all, the most challenging job was definitely the Monocle Travel Guide to Seoul. Thanks to these various assignments, I have gained enough experience and contacts to make things happen relatively easily in Seoul.

Commissioning Editor: Christopher Hill
Art Director: Arlene Adam

Read writer Jonathan Hopfner’s piece “A Look at Seoul’s Flourishing Hanok Culture” here. You may contact me for an editorial commission in and around South Korea via my contact page.