『서울(SEOUL: A Cultural Travel Guide)』은 문화와 예술의 관점으로 서울을 안내하는 여행 가이드북이다. 이 책은 조민석 건축가, 우영미 패션 디자이너, 장영규 밴드 이날치 베이시스트, 최병훈 가구 디자이너, 안상수 그래픽 디자이너, 홍정현 온지음 대표, 구본창 사진가, 옥동식 셰프 등 건축, 디자인, 패션, 음악, 음식 등 문화예술계 인물 18인과의 인터뷰로 서울을 읽어내고 55개의 지역을 소개한다. 각 지역에서는 인터뷰이와 저자가 엄선한 문화 공간, 로컬 음식점, 자연 명소 등의 추천장소를 담아냈다. 이와 더불어 기후, 교통, 언어 등 여행 시 필요한 정보와 한국의 간략한 역사를 제공해 종합적이고 유용한 가이드북이 되게끔 완성했다. 『서울』은 예술의 렌즈로 서울을 비춰보고 이곳에 발 디딘 이들이 들려주는 이야기와 함께 도시를 거닐어보는 여행이다.

Seeing Seoul Through Culture

The City Through the Eyes of Its Creators

SEOUL: A Cultural Travel Guide explores Seoul through the lens of arts and culture. Moving beyond conventional travel guides built around tourist attractions, it reveals the city through the perspectives of 18 leading figures from Korea's cultural scene, spanning architecture, design, fashion, music, photography, and food. Here, traveling through Seoul becomes a journey of reading the city through culture and understanding its places through the stories of the people who shape them.

Seoul is a city where rapid urban transformation exists alongside centuries of history and everyday traditions. Historic alleyways meet contemporary architecture, traditional markets stand alongside independent bookstores, and royal palaces coexist with museums of contemporary art. Through the experiences and perspectives of its featured creators, the book reveals the many layers of Seoul's cultural identity.

Drawing on years of reporting on culture and travel, author Yun Suhyoung spent six months interviewing artists, designers, architects, chefs, and other creative practitioners in their studios, workshops, and workplaces across the city. The book features 18 influential figures—including architect Choi Wook, fashion designer Woo Youngmi, musician Jang Younggyu, furniture designer Choi Byunghoon, graphic designer Ahn Sangsoo, photographer Koo Bohnchang, and chef Yim Jungsik—whose work has helped shape Korea's contemporary cultural landscape.

The interviewees reflect not only on their work and creative philosophies, but also on Seoul as the city that sustains their practice. Their neighborhoods, favorite restaurants, museums, and walking routes are more than recommendations; they are places where everyday life, memory, and creativity intersect. Across 55 neighborhoods, the guide brings together destinations selected through the interviewees' personal insights, recommendations from specialists in each field, and the author's own reporting and research.

From major museums and art spaces to long-established restaurants, independent bookstores, cinemas, galleries, parks, and historic sites, the book combines celebrated landmarks with places that remain deeply rooted in local life. Practical information on Seoul's climate, transportation, language, and history, together with introductions to Korean cuisine and useful Korean expressions, makes it an insightful companion for exploring the city.

Rather than encouraging readers to simply check off famous attractions, SEOUL: A Cultural Travel Guide invites them to experience Seoul as a living cultural landscape shaped by the people who create, inhabit, and continually redefine it.