From the publisher:
S. Korea 24 is a photo series by football travel enthusiast and photographer Matt Barnes on South Korean football culture and architecture.
The limited edition A5 zine contains 50 colour photographs across 48 pages, taking in matches and stadia from Seoul, Suwon, Hyochang, Bucheon and Pohang.
Since the 2002 World Cup, South Korea has cultivated a vibrant football culture.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted with Japan, stands as a pivotal moment in South Korean football history, not only propelling the national team to unprecedented success with a semi-final finish but also igniting widespread passion for the sport.
The World Cup spurred infrastructural developments, including the construction of state-of-the-art stadiums which blend modern architectural design with facilities that enhance fan experiences.
Modern South Korean football fans are passionate, enthusiastic and committed, epitomised by their ‘ultra’ inspired chanting and choreographed displays.
In the Spring of 2024, Matt Barnes, a football travel enthusiast and photographer whose work beautifully encapsulates the essence of football style and design, journeyed to South Korea.
“Everything we love can be found within architecture. So, where better to go, than a twinkling, glossy neon metropolis, with a ruthless and unwavering belief in the future, defiantly and simultaneously honouring its past?
From bustling markets and centuries old palaces, to shiny new towers laden with smart technology.
How does a culture so different to the western world, watch, support and feel football? A country with so many scars, formerly so insular, now such a global sensation, partly thanks to Hallyu, BTS, Squid Games, Son Heung-Min.” Matt Barnes
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