Seoul’s creative landscape is quietly transforming, shaped by an influx of international talent. Non-Korean designers, from places around the world, are carving out unique niches in the city’s bustling design scene. These expat creatives aren’t just passing through – they’re putting down roots, absorbing Korean culture, and infusing their work with a blend of global perspectives. Picture this: An Egyptian and a Sudanese designer walk into a Seoul coffee shop… No, it’s not the start of a classic joke, but the beginning of a typographic epiphany: Hankufi. In a world where cultural fusion is becoming the new norm, Hankufi stands out as a beacon of cross-cultural creativity. It’s not just a font; it’s a crafted letter to the wonders of language, written in the shared ink of Korean and Arabic scripts. 대박.

Ethar Elaagib, a Sudanese design graduate from Kyung Hee University, and Mahmoud Hamdy, an Egyptian typography expert, have brought their unique perspectives to Seoul’s design scene. Their collaboration has resulted in Hankufi, a typeface that ingeniously blends Hangeul and Arabic scripts, embodying a fusion of Korean and Middle Eastern aesthetics. “These two font designers, with roots stretching from the Nile to the Han River, decided to create something that would make both their ancestors and their Instagram followers proud. The result? Hankufi, a typeface that’s as bold as kimchi and as smooth as Nile cotton.”

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