Director Hwang Doo-jin, an architect and writer who views history through the lens of architecture, boards Daegu's yellow city railway to present four articles. From topographical heritage and the origins of its name to modern architecture and the systems that shaped its present form... he intends to take a comprehensive look around this tranquil and rational city.

I don't know Daegu well.

I titled this series "Enjoying Daegu," but it would actually be more accurate to call it "Enjoying a Daegu You Don't Know Well." When I first received the request to write this series, my first words were, "I don't know Daegu very well." Conversely, this made me want to take this opportunity to learn more about it. Daegu is a city with a presence in Korean society that extends far beyond its physical size. It is not uncommon to hear comments like "it is conservative and boring" or "there isn't much to see," and although I have visited Daegu sporadically in the past, I had not been able to leave a distinct impression. However, having gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, I resolved to take a greater interest in Korean cities rather than overseas ones in the future. I hoped that this opportunity would allow me to fill in my lacking knowledge about Daegu and break any prejudices I might have held.

Daegu is beyond its physical scale

In Korean society

It is a city with a strong presence.

The taste of Daegu

First, I decided to enjoy this city. When I searched for "Daegu restaurants" on Google, a whopping 14.9 million results appeared. I wondered what other cities were like. Searching for "Mokpo restaurants" yielded 2.68 million results—less than one-fifth of that—while "Gwangju restaurants" brought up 10.2 million and "Busan restaurants" 17.9 million. This sparked a sense of anticipation that Daegu possesses an extraordinary food culture. Professor Mo Jong-rin of Yonsei University, author of *Capitalism of Alleyways*, advises, "When visiting a place, intentionally try food from outside, especially fine dining, rather than the local cuisine." He argues that this enables long-term industrialization, improves the overall level of the region's food culture, and elevates local ingredients and techniques. He specifically points out that Daegu, having produced a large number of international students since the Japanese colonial period, possesses a culture that is open to foreign cuisine. So, I decided to put off the '10 Delicacies of Daegu, ' which include flat dumplings, ttaro-gukbap, and braised short ribs, for a while, and instead chose a small owner-chef restaurant in a back alley of a bustling district that serves Sapporo-style curry, although it is somewhat modest.

Although the Suseong-gu area is said to be the most prosperous in Daegu

Like the Gangnam area of Seoul, it was rice fields the whole time,

It is not a place that was developed suddenly like a bolt of lightning in just a few decades.

City Daegu

Upon arriving at Dongdaegu Station, I took the "urban railway" instead of the "subway" (I learned why it was called an urban railway later), got off at Suseongmot Station, and walked around Suseong-gu, the most prosperous area in Daegu. Although it is the most thriving part of Daegu, it is not a place that was developed like a bolt of lightning over decades after remaining entirely farmland, as is the case with Seoul's Gangnam area. While its population stands at 410,000 in 2022, it was merely a little over 200,000 in 1980. As a result, it is an area where high-rise apartments and old residential neighborhoods coexist to some extent, albeit awkwardly. It was also impressive to see the old alleyways spotlessly clean, without a single piece of litter. As I took a bus along Deuran-ro back toward Dongdaegu Station, I noticed many foreign car dealerships scattered along the roadside. I later learned that Daegu's Suseong-gu ranks third in the nation for the number of registered foreign cars, following Seoul's Gangnam and Seocho districts. Busan's Haeundae-gu comes next, in fourth place.

Through what means did this antique audio made in Denmark...

I don't know how it has come this far, but it has been a whopping 146 years since the opening of the port in 1876,

The world has already penetrated deep into every corner of Korea.

The charm of Daegu encountered at an owner-chef's small shop

The place I visited around sunset was the small, signless restaurant mentioned earlier. I arrived before opening time and lingered outside, only to be informed by the owner inside that entry was not permitted yet. Having no other choice, I walked around the neighborhood for a while and discovered several massive Hanwoo restaurants. I had heard that Hanwoo is a specialty food of Daegu because of the nationwide production complexes located nearby, and I wondered if I was witnessing the reality of it. When I returned at the appointed time, the owner guided me to a seat at the counter. It was likely because I was alone. The dishes and utensils placed on the shelves hanging on the wall were unusually neat. It was a preview of the neatness or tidiness I would frequently witness in Daegu later on. The audio system playing music at a soft volume was the Bang & Olufsen Beomaster 900K, released in 1964. I do not know how this antique audio system made in Denmark ended up here, but in the 146 years since the opening of ports in 1876, the world has already deeply penetrated every corner of Korea.

After looking at the menu and placing my order, the owner suggested, "Why don't you try our specialty?" It seemed to be his own way of showing consideration for a first-time customer. Although things felt slightly off, everything eventually seemed to fall into place; chuckling to myself, I saw no reason to decline his offer. Just then, a single malt whiskey and gin dispenser, seemingly used for making highballs, hung on the wall. I ordered a highball and the "specialty," the curry. It was a place with fewer than ten seats where the owner had to do everything by himself. As I continued to observe the shop closely, I noticed that the items on display were neither flashy nor ostentatious, yet they were so unique that I wondered where he had acquired them. A short while later, the food he served was very simple. Everything was contained within two ceramic bowls. He showed me how to eat it, and it tasted as good as it had been a feast for the eyes. Perhaps one really needs to eat alone to fully appreciate the flavor of food. And so, I finished my first meal in Daegu—simple yet special.

It was time to move on to the next location. I believe that in any city, one should visit the places where it has suffered trauma. My destination was Jungangno Station on Daegu Metro Line 1.

Illustration | A very ordinary street in Daegu, where the city railway flows leisurely between clusters of billboards.

**External contributions to the Editorial Department are intended to provide a multifaceted perspective on local culture and industry and may differ from the views of the Editorial Department.

Hwang Doo-jin

Hwang Doo-jin is an architect and a writer who records history and society through the medium of architecture. He majored in architecture at Seoul National University and Yale University and opened his own office in 2000. Starting in Seoul's old city center, he has expanded his scope of activity both in Korea and abroad through his works, lectures, and exhibitions. He has received awards such as the Seoul Architecture Award and the Architectural History Society Award. His representative works include the Castle of Skywalkers, One & One 63.5, Chunwondang Oriental Medicine Hospital and Museum, the Korean Pavilion at the East Asian Museum in Sweden, and a series of Hanok projects. One can carefully examine his perspective in his seven books, including *Rainbow Rice Cake Architecture* and *Where Is Your Seoul?*.