Spring in Seoul for WALK & TALK

For the spring 2012 issue of WALK & TALK, published by LS Networks, I Was commissioned to photograph Seoul during the spring season. The assignment focused on the city’s flora and how nature reappears within an otherwise dense urban environment.

Looking for nature in the city

Seoul is often associated with scale, speed, and infrastructure. Yet throughout the city, small pockets of nature remain visible, especially in spring. For this project, I looked for those moments where vegetation and urban life meet.

Cherry blossoms along streets, trees in neighborhood parks, and plants growing at the edges of buildings became central motifs. Rather than isolating nature, I photographed it as part of the everyday cityscape.

Photographing the season

Spring brings a clear shift in light, color, and rhythm. While photographing, I focused on these changes rather than on landmarks. The images reflect renewal through detail—new leaves, blossoms, and quiet transitions that mark the end of winter.

Each photograph stands on its own, but together they form a loose sequence. The aim was not to present a complete picture of the city, but fragments of how spring unfolds across different areas.

About the magazine

WALK & TALK is a quarterly publication that explores Seoul through culture, daily life, and place. Each issue approaches the city from a specific angle, using photography and editorial work to highlight both familiar and overlooked aspects.

My contribution to the spring issue fits into this approach by focusing on the seasonal presence of nature within the city.

A quiet record

This series serves as a visual note on how Seoul changes with the seasons. Through photography, I try to slow the pace and observe what often goes unnoticed. The spring issue of WALK & TALK offered the opportunity to do exactly that—by looking closely at the natural details that briefly reshape the city each year.