A Designer Leaves Seoul for Daegu

and Discovers Hidden Scenes Off the Beaten Alleys

Walking in an Unfamiliar Alley is a collection of essays by book designer Jeong Jae-wan, featuring pieces he wrote for Daegu’s monthly and daily magazines. Jeong, who prefers exploring narrow, winding alleys to wide, straight roads, reflects on the scenes and thoughts he encountered as a designer living in Daegu. He personally designed the book to blend his essays with accompanying photographs. In 2014, together with design writer Kay Jun, Jeong founded Aprilsnow Press, a Daegu-based publisher specializing in photography books. The name was inspired by an April day when they saw snowflakes falling outside their window—an unusual and concerning sight in Daegu, a city especially notorious for heat. What initially seemed like a curious weather event inferred the urgent global issues of environmental change and the climate crisis.

In this book, Jeong delves into the hidden layers beneath the surface of everyday life. He examines the fleeting nature of election banners that appear every campaign season, the countless lives given up for festivals that glorify indulgence in food and drinking, and the isolated shantytowns overshadowed by towering buildings and construction screens. Instead of simply passing them by, Jeong pauses to observe and reflect on them. His vision spans design, society, and local issues, addressing some of the most critical challenges of our time. Through his insights, he encourages us to notice and consider the often-overlooked aspects of our daily lives.