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Lee Hae-rin

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

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.

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Travel & Food

Seoul unveils year-round events to draw global visitors beyond K-culture boom

Seoul is rolling out an ambitious slate of tourism projects for 2026, aiming to transform the capital city from a brief pop-culture waypoint into a year-round destination built around immersive experiences — from festivals and nature retreats to wellness programs and artificial intelligence-driven services. At a tourism business briefing in Seoul Tuesday, municipal and tourism authorities said foreign visitor numbers had surpassed their prepandemic peak last year, with roughly 15 million international arrivals to the capital, as Korea as a whole saw a record 18.24 million inbound travelers. “We are now at an important turning point where we must move beyond quantitative growth and redefine the qualitative structure of Seoul tourism,” said Kil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO). The city’s strategy for 2026 centers on stretching stays and spending by turning Seoul into a city of “365 days of festivals,” led by a new and expanded lineup of projects. Major Han River parks in Yeouido, Ttukseom and Banpo will host large-scale nighttime drone performances and medi

Feb 24, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Seoul unveils year-round events to draw global visitors beyond K-culture boom
Politics

Korea has never elected a woman as governor. Will upcoming June election change that?

In 31 years of elected local government under democratic rule, Korea has chosen 87 metropolitan governors and mayors — and every single one has been a man. Since 1995, when the country revived direct regional elections after more than three decades of authoritarian rule that had stripped citizens of the right to pick their own local leaders, women have been shut out of the top tier of provincial power — a record unmatched among major democracies in Asia. With the June 3 local elections now less than 100 days away, at least six women are vying for top regional posts across Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Daegu, raising hopes that the glass ceiling in Korean local democracy may finally crack. Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is leading early polls for the Gyeonggi Province governor race, a seat overseeing the country's most populous province. A local media OhmyNews survey conducted between Feb. 13 and 14 by Realmeter put Choo — a six-term lawmaker and former justice minister — at 27 percent among 802 Gyeonggi voters, ahead of incumbent Gov. Kim Dong-yeon

Feb 24, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Korea has never elected a woman as governor. Will upcoming June election change that?
Environment & Animals

Yellow dust blankets nation as strong winds, cold wave expected this week

A thick blanket of yellow dust swept across Korea Sunday, pushing fine dust levels to “very bad” and prompting air quality warnings across the greater Seoul area. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, a fine dust advisory was issued for all 31 cities and counties in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province as of 1 p.m., with average hourly concentrations exceeding 150 micrograms per cubic meter for more than two hours. Seoul’s PM10 level hit 339 micrograms per cubic meter, more than double the “very bad” threshold, while levels in Gyeonggi reached as high as 363 micrograms in the central region. The Ministry of Climate and Environment raised a yellow dust alert for Seoul and southern and eastern Gyeonggi, urging residents to stay indoors and wear masks outdoors. The yellow dust originated from the Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolia and is expected to affect the peninsula through Monday, with nationwide air quality worsening through the afternoon. A sharp temperature drop is expected on Monday, with morning lows in Seoul falling to around minus 2 degrees Celsius and cold

Feb 22, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Yellow dust blankets nation as strong winds, cold wave expected this week
Society

Korea sees steep decline in drunk driving amid shifting social attitudes

Drunk driving in Korea has dropped to nearly one-sixth of its level a decade ago, as shifting social attitudes increasingly view getting behind the wheel after drinking as unacceptable behavior, government data showed Sunday. According to the 2025 Alcohol Statistics Data Collection by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Development Institute, 2.1 percent of adults aged 19 and older said they had driven a car or motorcycle at least once in the past year after drinking in 2023, down sharply from 12.6 percent in 2013. The indicator is based on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which annually surveys over 10,000 people about whether they have driven after consuming any amount of alcohol over the previous 12 months. The adult drunk driving experience rate peaked at 17.1 percent in 2011, then steadily declined, dropping below 10 percent for the first time in 2016 and reaching the low 2 percent range in 2023. Men were more than twice as likely as women to report having driven while under the influe

Feb 22, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Korea sees steep decline in drunk driving amid shifting social attitudes
Law & Crime

Just how many trials does ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol face?

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol faces verdicts or proceedings in eight criminal trials this year, underscoring the unprecedented legal fallout from his 2024 martial law declaration and related scandals. With Thursday’s ruling on insurrection charges opening a politically charged judicial calendar, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee are awaiting first-instance judgment in multiple cases through the first half of 2026, with charges ranging from treason and abuse of power to political funding violation and bribery. Yoon’s most serious case centers on an accusation that he led an insurrection by declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, despite no war or comparable national emergency, in collusion with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and senior military and police officials. The court sentenced Yoon to life in prison after finding him guilty of insurrection linked to the martial law declaration, following legal precedents from separate trials of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. Several other cases are set to run in parallel in the coming months

Feb 19, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Just how many trials does ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol face?
Society

Korean citizens recommended for Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy against martial law

In a rare tribute to civil resistance, the Korean citizens who mobilized to thwart former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s emergency martial law decree have been recommended for the Nobel Peace Prize — a gesture scholars describe as a definitive recognition of the nation’s democratic resilience. A group of political scientists — including current and former leaders of the International Political Science Association — recommended the “citizens of the Republic of Korea,” described as a “citizen collective,” for the Nobel Peace Prize last month, citing their peaceful resistance during the 2024 martial law crisis, when a brief but sweeping emergency decree upended civilian governance and prompted nationwide protests before being lifted. According to Kim Eui-young, a political science professor at Seoul National University who coordinated the IPSA World Congress in Seoul last July, the endorsers described citizens’ protests against the martial law declaration as a “Revolution of Light,” invoking the largely peaceful candlelit protests that mobilized across the country. The p

Feb 19, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Korean citizens recommended for Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy against martial law
Travel & Food

‘Healing is the new luxury’: Thailand pivots to wellness to lure back Korean travelers

Thailand is refining its appeal to Korean travelers as it pivots toward higher-value, wellness-oriented tourism, aiming to restore arrivals to pre-pandemic levels by 2026 under its new global branding strategy of “Healing is the New Luxury.” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set a target of 1.89 million Korean visitors in 2026, matching the pre-COVID peak and underscoring Korea’s role as a top-five source market. “Before the pandemic, Korea was already one of our most important neighbors,” Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol, TAT's executive director for the East Asia Region, said during a media gathering in Seoul’s central Itaewon area on Feb. 11. “By 2026, we are determined not only to recover those numbers, but to welcome Korean visitors back with better, more meaningful experiences.” TAT explained its Korea strategy as reframing luxury as inner recovery and value-based experiences rather than conspicuous consumption. “Luxury today is the joy of returning home with a fuller inner life,” Siriges-a-nong said, adding that Thailand wants to be where visitors “

Feb 17, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
‘Healing is the new luxury’: Thailand pivots to wellness to lure back Korean travelers
Travel & Food

Hong Kong pitches scenic running trails to boost Korean visitor numbers

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has rolled out a fresh campaign aimed at reintroducing Hong Kong as an outdoor destination where urban energy meets nature, collaborating with Korean YouTube channel “Together With Sean” to highlight running routes that connect the city’s skyscrapers, mountains and coastline. In a new video posted on his channel on Feb. 2, singer and marathoner Sean — who leads the running group “Unknown Crew,” which is widely known in Korea for its roster of athletes and entertainers — takes viewers on routes that showcase Hong Kong’s natural and urban charms. The project comes as part of HKTB’s effort to capture the attention of Korea’s growing community of runners and revive travel demand that has dropped off since the pandemic. In the past, Hong Kong was a favorite short-haul getaway for Korean tourists seeking luxury shopping, art districts and urban discovery. Before the pandemic, Korea consistently ranked among the top five sources of non-mainland visitors, helping push the city to a record 65.1 million visitors in 2018. That momentum has yet

Feb 14, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Hong Kong pitches scenic running trails to boost Korean visitor numbers
Society

Civil servant-turned-YouTube icon ‘Chungjuman’ steps down from city post

Kim Sun-tae, a star civil servant with the Chungju city government who rose to nationwide fame as the face of the city’s YouTube channel “Chung TV,” has submitted his resignation, city officials said on Friday. According to the city, Kim turned in his resignation to the human resources department and began extended leave immediately afterward. “The resignation has not yet been formally processed,” a city official said. “However, since he has expressed his intention to step down, the matter will be handled in due course.” Kim, widely known by his nickname "Chungjuman," gained popularity through his role in producing and appearing in the city’s promotional YouTube content. With his unique sense of humor and refreshing production style, he spearheaded a shift in how local governments communicate with the public, moving away from traditional press releases toward engaging, social media-driven storytelling. Residents and viewers began to associate the city with experimental digital content, rather than thinking of it simply a provincial town with a population just over 200,000

Feb 13, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Civil servant-turned-YouTube icon ‘Chungjuman’ steps down from city post
Sports

How Chloe Kim's mentorship helped Choi Gaon achieve youngest halfpipe gold record

Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon clinched the gold medal in the women’s halfpipe event at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday (local time), becoming the first South Korean Olympic gold medalist in a snow event and the youngest women’s halfpipe gold medalist at 17 years and three months old. For a sport that has long felt like a cultural wasteland in Korea, with limited infrastructure and few visible role models, a decade-long mentorship by Korean American champion Chloe Kim not only helped Choi master tricks but also turned what could have been a simple generational shift into a shared, cross-border victory. Long before they became Olympic rivals, the two had built a quiet bond of mentorship and trust both on and off the snow. Born in the United States to Korean immigrant parents, Kim is regarded as one of the greatest female snowboarders in history. She won gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics at 17 years and 10 months old, becoming the youngest woman ever to claim an Olympic snowboarding title. Kim defended her crown at the 2022 Beijing Games and has also captured three wor

Feb 13, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
How Chloe Kim's mentorship helped Choi Gaon achieve youngest halfpipe gold record
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