FROM THE EDITOR
Most of you will be familiar with South Korea’s major exports — skincare products, street fashion, powerful tech and automotive corporations, and K-pop — but you may be less au fait with the country’s burgeoning creative community, and the nuances that differentiate Korean design and architecture from that which originates beyond its borders. Often the underdog to former colonial ruler Japan, or overlooked in favour of its more populous and powerful neighbour China, the country has survived war, poverty and political upheaval. Despite, or because of, these challenges, the South Koreans are a proud people — and my feeling is they have plenty to be proud of. This issue opens with an essay by repatriated resident Inès Cho, who explains the origins and history of Korean aesthetics, providing a lens through…