The following is my complete photo archive of South Korea. I got into photography while I was living abroad in South Korea after the purchase of my first DSLR camera in September 2014. From that time until leaving the Korean peninsula in May 2023, I captured over 100,000 photographs traveling countless miles throughout the country documenting what I observed and felt. I now present the most complete picture of my journey in photographing South Korea, reverse chronologically.
You may be interested in my Photographer’s Guide to South Korea for a location-based guide to the country. (**Coming Soon**)
See a Complete Breakdown of South Korea by Major City, Province, Cities, and Towns.
*This Post will Soon be Updated*
Visiting Land of the Morning Calm (April 2016)
The Land of the Morning Calm is a beautiful attraction located in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Do, South Korea. It’s a lovely garden park with beautiful flower displays and festivals throughout the year. It’s a great day trip from Seoul, South Korea, and makes for a nice getaway with the family. We visited in April 2016, and I was happy to photograph some of the flowers and atmosphere of the garden.
Trip to Nami Island, South Korea (April 2016)
Nami Island is a beautiful island that many visitors enjoy traveling to in springtime. It’s a great day trip from Seoul, popular with families and young couples. It’s located just east of Gapyeong, in the Chuncheon area of Gangwon Province, South Korea. I believe I accurately captured the essence of the island with the images I took that day.
Snow Hill in Goyang, Gyeonggi Do (March 2016)
In March 2016, we took a family day to a snow hill in Goyang, Gyeonggi Do to go tubing. But I didn’t miss the chance to take some photographs here and there. This Korean family was having an amazing time, and I couldn’t help but enjoy observing and capturing the moment.
Documenting a Small Town in Goyang, South Korea (February 2016)
In February 2016, I went to a small town in Goyang, Gyeonggi Do to explore and document. It was interesting to reflect on these photographs as they struck me as being closer to documentary photography, rather than what I originally would have thought of it being street photography. Years later my tastes slowly steered towards such documentary photography. I share more about some of the above images in my photo journal.
Street Food At Myeongdong, South Korea (January 2016)
The above is a street food scene located in Myeongdong, Seoul, South Korea. Myeongdong is a major attraction in Seoul. It’s a large traditional market, that’s home to many types of vendors, but street food is also a nice highlight while exploring the area.
Evening at Everland Amusement Park (January 2016)
In January 2016, I visited the country’s largest amusement park, Everland, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Do, to do some night photography. I photographed the merry-go-round with a slow shutter speed to create a unique image of the scene. Mission accomplished in my book!
Street Photography in Dongdaemun, South Korea (January 2016)
From this point in time forward, you will see that I often explored many areas of Seoul, South Korea, doing a lot of street and documentary-style photography. In January 2016, I enjoyed some night photography in Dongdaemun, Seoul. There are many beautiful scenes and the area has a booming night scene as well. The final photograph shows some market stalls with Dongdaemun Design Plaza in the background.
Street Photography in Dongmyo Flea Market (January 2016)
Back in January 2016, I went for a little walk through Dongmyo Flea Market, located in the middle of Seoul, South Korea. It was packed with people, and shops in every direction. These are a couple of the images that I took that day.
Visit to Munsan in Paju, Gyeonggi Do (January 2016)
I visited Munsan, Paju, which is located in the central Northern part of Gyeonggi do Province, back in January 2016 to photograph and document what I found there. I walked the streets exploring and capturing the interesting things that I noticed. At this point, I developed a taste for high-contrast, black-and-white photography, which I still find attractive. It certainly seems to be the beginning of my developing my current photographic style.
Visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace (December 2015)
In December 2015, I once again ventured out for a visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. Countless times remained for me to return to the palace for photography. I enjoyed visiting and looking for new and old photography opportunities. Here are a few new images taken.
Long-Exposure Photography at Night in Gangnam (October 2015)
In October 2015, I went to Gangnam, Seoul to try some Long-Exposure photography in the evening. I came away with some images that I enjoy, including one that was sold a few times, which was a real highlight to me as a budding photographer at the time.
Long-Exposure at Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul (October 2015)
Near the end of 2015, I ventured out to Seoul, South Korea for some Long-Exposure Photography. It may have been one of my first times practicing this technique with water, which I found fascinating. These are some of the images that I took at Cheonggyecheon.
Light Festival on Cheonggyecheon Stream (December 2014)
At the end of 2014, I was happy to discover they were holding a light festival on the Cheonggyecheon stream, in Seoul with big displays of large lanterns depicting famous historical events and figures in Korean history. I was happy to photograph some of the scenes.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, South Korea (October/November 2014)
I returned a couple of times to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul to take even more photographs. I shared several photographs and some details of my trips in my journal.
Bukhansan National Park Day Hike (September 2014)
I took a day hike to Bukhansan National Park with some visitors and took advantage of the time to photograph the day. More details and photographs of the day can be found in my photo journal from that day.
Night Photography at Seoul Tower (September 2014)
We took a few friends to Seoul Tower, where I captured a few images of the city from the top of the mountain and tower. I also photographed a couple of the smaller details such as the “I Love You” statue and Love Locks on the railings around the parameter of the tower.
Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul (September 2014)
Soon after purchasing my first DSLR camera, I ventured out into the heart of Seoul, South Korea where I took photographs at Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Join The Photography Mentoring Program
Before concluding this article, I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you about a program that I am offering to photography learners, beginners, and aspiring photographers, free of charge. The goal is to help you improve your photography and develop your unique style. I will become a mentor to help guide you and give advice. We will also review your images and determine how to improve them. I call this The Photography Mentoring Program. You can sign up for the program here.
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