Signs & Artifacts No. 6: Itaewon

Co-published by Secret Riso Club and Extra Credit

Itaewon is most frequently described as an international district, a multicultural center, or sometimes more pejoratively, a foreigner hub. But Itaewon is still perhaps one of the only neighborhoods in Seoul where you can find a grocery store that sells sambal and curry leaves, a restaurant that serves halal meat, and a photographer who doesn’t need to be reminded of the Canadian passport photo rules. As clumsy attempts at revival alter the fabric of the neighborhood, artist Jean Y. Kim travels back to Itaewon to document its disappearing graphic legacy.

Published in collaboration with Jean Y. Kim and Extra Credit, Signs & Artifacts 6: Itaewon continues Secret Riso Club’s signature project documenting the often-overlooked design iconography that color the neighborhoods we inhabit. Originally started in 2018, the Signs & Artifacts project has travelled far from its roots in New York City. Secret Riso Club and Extra Credit hope that its newest international iteration, Signs & Artifacts 6: Itaewon, will faithfully honor the pluralistic legacy of the neighborhood.

Printed in Estonia

Paperback
7.5 x 5 inches
128 pages
1st Edition
Edition of 600
2026