Korean fried chicken emerging from the fryer: a wire basket of golden battered chicken pieces lifting out of bubbling oil, oil streaming off in sheets, the crust visibly crackled and craggy, steam pouring upward, a few drops falling back into the roiling oil. Static locked-off camera

Korean pork belly grilling on a domed cast iron plate: thick samgyeopsal strips sizzling and curling at the edges, fat rendering and running down the slope of the plate, tongs flipping one piece to reveal a deeply caramelised brown crust, kimchi and garlic frying alongside. Steam and smoke rising, static locked-off camera

A single red dragonfly resting on a taut washing line among hanging laundry, wings spread flat and translucent catching the light, the fabric behind softly out of focus. Late summer afternoon in a Korean yard. Macro, quiet

The fish market cat: a lean grey cat sitting patiently at the corner of a Korean fish market stall, looking up at the vendor who is out of frame, styrofoam boxes and crushed ice around, a scrap of fish on the wet floor just beside it that it has not touched yet. Fluorescent market light, wry

Pigeons on the rooftop: a cluster of pigeons crowded along the parapet of an old Korean rooftop at sunset, several facing the low sun with feathers glowing at the edges, laundry lines and water tanks behind them, the city stretching beyond. Unexpectedly beautiful

A squirrel on the temple steps: a Korean squirrel sitting upright on weathered granite temple stairs holding an acorn in both front paws, mid-bite, cheeks full, tail arched behind. Fallen leaves and moss on the stone, old wooden pillars behind. Autumn light

Magpies on the power line: three Korean magpies perched along a utility wire above a residential street, their black and white plumage crisp, one with head cocked and beak open mid-call. Apartment blocks soft in the background, autumn sky

An egret in the rice paddy: a single tall white egret standing perfectly still in shallow flooded paddy water among green rice shoots, its reflection sharp beneath it, neck folded ready to strike. Distant mountains and a farmer's shed. Early morning haze, serene

Sparrows at the snack stall: five small sparrows lined up on the edge of a plastic stool beside a Korean street food cart, heads all turned the same direction toward a dropped crumb on the pavement, one mid-hop. Winter, puffed up round against the cold

A farm dog on duty: a white Korean Jindo lying in the shade of a farmhouse porch with its chin on its paws, one eye open, watching the gate. Rubber boots and a worn cushion beside it, a rice field visible beyond the yard. Summer afternoon, heat haze

A neighbourhood stray cat that everyone knows: a plump orange tabby sitting squarely on the warm hood of a parked car in a Korean residential alley, tail curled around its feet, regarding the camera with complete entitlement. A small water bowl someone has left by the wall nearby. Late afternoon sun, brick walls and tangled wires

First paycheque: a pair of hands holding an open paper pay envelope on a kitchen table, cash visible inside, a folded payslip beside it. On the table also sits a small cake box and a pair of thermal underwear still in its packaging — gifts already bought for parents. Modest Korean home interior, evening light

Rainy day at home: a Korean low table by a window streaked with rain, a large crisp seafood pajeon torn at one corner, a brass kettle of makgeolli with two small bowls, chopsticks resting across a dish. Grey daylight and the blur of rain outside, the room warm and dim

Market fried chicken: a traditional Korean market stall where whole chickens are frying in a wide vat of bubbling oil, the vendor lifting a basket so the golden birds emerge streaming oil and steam, paper bags stacked ready, a handwritten price sign. Warm evening market light

Summer on the wooden platform: an old Korean village pyeongsang wooden platform under a large tree, a halved watermelon and a knife on it, an electric fan angled at the seats, sandals kicked off on the ground, a woven mat and a folded newspaper. Late afternoon sun through leaves, deeply nostalgic

A tiny old-fashioned KOREAN neighbourhood stationery shop right outside an elementary school gate, 1990s-2000s Korea. Korean children in school uniforms and backpacks crouched around a small burner where cheap tteokbokki simmers in a shallow tray, holding wooden skewers. Crammed floor to ceiling with Korean school supplies, plastic toy packets hanging, a claw crane machine, handwritten Korean price labels. Narrow Korean alley outside

Field trip lunch: an opened stainless lunch box of Korean gimbap on a picnic mat outdoors, the rolls sliced and packed tight, with the two uneven end pieces set aside on the lid — the cook's own portion. A boiled egg, a small bottle of drink, a hand reaching in. Spring grass and dappled sunlight

Holiday morning cooking: a crowded Korean home kitchen on Chuseok morning, a wide pan of jeon frying on a portable burner on the floor, an older woman turning them with chopsticks while a younger relative sits cross-legged coating slices in egg batter, plates of finished jeon stacked beside them, flour on the newspaper spread underneath

After the bathhouse: a Korean jjimjilbang lobby where a person sits on a plastic stool with a towel wrapped turban-style on their head, flushed pink from the hot bath, drinking banana-flavoured milk from the classic squat plastic bottle through a straw, eyes half closed with satisfaction. Vending machine and tiled floor behind

First snow during class: a Korean high school classroom where every student has turned to look out the windows at once, some half-standing, one pointing, textbooks abandoned open on desks. Big soft flakes falling outside against a grey sky. The teacher at the board has stopped mid-sentence and is also looking. Genuine delight on faces, photorealistic candid