Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Jin and Hattie’s leap to fame as Korea’s top international couple
Heo Jin-woo, left, and his wife Harriet Emily Heo, speak during an interview with The Korea Times at a coffee shop in Seoul, July 29. Korea Times photo by Ro Eun-chan
By Lee Hae-rin
When Harriet Emily Heo, better known as Hattie, found herself lost in the heart of Seoul one summer day in August 2019, she had no idea her life was about to change forever.
Freshly arrived from the U.K. as an English teacher, Hattie waited for a new Korean friend, Heo Jin-woo, or Jin, inside a convenience store, unaware that she was standing on the very street where Jin’s parents had first met decades earlier. That serendipitous meeting marked the start of a remarkable journey. Together, they would soon become Korea’s most-followed international couple on YouTube.
Five years after their fateful meeting, Hattie, 29, and her husband Jin have become prominent symbols of a multicultural Korea, amassing a YouTube following of 9.8 million subscribers.
“Honestly, we never knew it would get this big,” Hattie said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. “I thought I would stay in Korea for a year, then go to acting school back home. We made our first video for fun. We just wanted to make each other smile, and maybe a few others too. I never imagined this would become our life.”
Their romance soon became the foundation of their digital storytelling. Jin, who was already running a YouTube channel, invited Hattie to appear alongside him after friends encouraged the couple to share the screen.
What followed was a swift ascent to YouTube stardom.
Their relatable, authentic videos — blending humor, awkward cultural discoveries and heartfelt moments — struck a chord worldwide. Their first few videos were filmed with modest expectations but quickly gained traction, which the couple describes as a stroke of pure luck.
Today, their mix of daily vlogs, candid conversations about cross-cultural misunderstandings and glimpses of married life have generated over 7 billion views and accolades including TikTok and Forbes Korea labeling them as power vloggers.
Their rapid online rise mirrors the country’s dynamic transformation, with more than 20,700 multicultural unions in 2024 — a 5.3 percent increase over the previous year — now accounting for nearly 1 in 10 marriages nationwide.
“Seeing more foreigners on the streets, more couples like us, it’s changing perceptions. It makes you feel less like an outsider,” Hattie said.
Authenticity remains key to their storytelling. Although Jin calls her “fluent in social Korean language,” learning and adapting to Korean culture remains ongoing.
“After six years here, I’m constantly learning. Sometimes things surprise me — but it’s OK to mess up,” she said, recalling a wedding moment where her mother, not knowing Korean customs, mistakenly double bowed to Jin’s mom — traditionally a gesture for the deceased. “You just have to laugh and keep learning.”
Their life together is both a blessing and a challenge. As Jin and Hattie’s story reaches a global audience, many viewers see them as a bridge between cultures. Their guiding message is simple: Be kind and respectful to others.
“I like having a YouTube channel because it makes people smile,” Hattie said. “We went through a lot of dark times so we would watch other people who would make us smile. I think our main message to ‘Jintie’ (their subscribers) is to be kind, to be respectful and always be welcoming of learning different culture and languages.”