There is not a lot of graffiti in Seoul of the sticker and paste up variety. I think that there is a connection between graffiti and tattoo artists in many places. There may be a few places to get a tattoo in Seoul but it is not common. You can find graffiti but you have to be looking for it.

below: Korean poet, Kim Soo-Young, The bottom text is a line from his poem Grass (풀), asking “Why do I get enraged over such small things?”

below: The Korean text written in the top left translates to “Come to your senses” or “Get a grip”. Seen in the Insadong neighbourhood of Seoul.

below: “WDF” stands for the Welcome Daehakro Festival. Daehak-ro is a famous performing arts and theater district in Seoul, South Korea. Not really graffiti?

below: The wall mural of a vintage red locomotive is a signature feature of Cheolgil Wang Galbisal, a popular restaurant in the Sinchon area. The restaurant is located near the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, a linear park built along an old railway line. You can argue that the engine isn’t really graffiti – but the cat probably is?

below: Another cat, but this time its looking up to the cherry blossoms that are always in bloom.

below: A black stenciled woman in a red skirt with the text “Scattering of Sprites”.

below: Nancy (Nancy Ritz) is a comic strip character created by Ernie Bushmiller in the 1930s. Here she is smoking a cigarette, something that she probably never did in Bushmiller’s day especially since she was drawn as an 8 year old girl.

below: Lucky fox banana virus – choose 4 random words to describe your group! What words would you choose?!

below: A sticker bombed electrical utility box with “Keep Going” in the center where the letters appear to be painted on tin cans wrapped with black paper or tape.

below: Chimps and Burgers – this is actually the name of a burger restaurant in Seoul and the mural, obviously, is associated with it. Not really street art?

below: Bananas!

below: “Live a Great Story” and “Push it a Stop”.

below: A tiger smoking a very long pipe in the presence of two white rabbits – this is a common Korean folk tale image. Tigers are powerful but are often gullible and, therefore, targets of rabbits who are clever tricksters.

below: One small wall with tags – a rare sight in Seoul.

below: Stickers on a pole. Paper tiger jumping through a flaming hoop.

Photos taken September 2024