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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

Korean travelers embrace tailored journeys, data shows

Koreans are increasingly favoring hyper-personalized travel experiences that reflect individual interests and values, moving away from traditional bucket-list tourism, according to a report released Tuesday by the global travel app Skyscanner. The findings were presented at the “Travel Trend 2026” event in central Seoul. According to Skyscanner’s survey, 80 percent of Korean travelers expect to maintain or increase their travel frequency next year, with 31 percent planning to boost their budgets in 2026. Koreans spend considerably more on travel than many other nationalities, particularly for overseas trips. In 2024, Korean tourists spent a total of $14.32 billion abroad — averaging about $1,100 per trip. A defining trend for Korean travelers is growing interest in exploring local supermarkets. Rather than booking tables at well-known restaurants, 56 percent of travelers now report seeking out local supermarkets and convenience stores for their meals, with 52 percent saying it’s the best way to immerse themselves in local food culture. Another notable trend is the pursuit of co

Oct 14, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Korean travelers embrace tailored journeys, data shows
Law & Crime

Crime wave in Cambodia threatens Korean investments and bilateral trust

A surge in violent crimes targeting Koreans in Cambodia has sparked fear and outrage in both countries, straining bilateral ties and casting a pall over tourism and cultural exchange. In recent months, a string of high-profile cases in which Koreans were kidnapped, tortured and killed by Cambodian crime syndicates — often tied to Chinese criminal networks — has shifted public sentiment and brought tangible repercussions for both Korean residents and Cambodian migrants. "Restaurants and tour businesses have lost bookings, and many are cutting contact with partners in Korea," said Chung Myung-kyu, head of the Korean Association of Cambodia. "People are saying, ‘Keep your head down. Don’t draw attention to yourself.'" Local business owners reported canceled contracts and a drop in tourist numbers since reports of violence and scams began going viral on social media. For Park, a 48-year-old bank employee in Seoul, the anxiety became personal. Earlier this year, he traveled to Cambodia as part of a partnership project with a local bank, with a follow-up trip planned for later this year

Oct 13, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Crime wave in Cambodia threatens Korean investments and bilateral trust
Society

Seoul's Tapgol Park sees end as Korea's iconic senior playground after janggi ban

Kim, 80, traveled every day from his residence in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province to come to Tapgol Park in central Seoul by subway to play janggi, a traditional Korean strategy game similar to chess, with his friends. Now he has "nowhere to go." "I feel completely lost. It’s absurd that playing janggi has been banned overnight," he said. Ahn, 75-year-old based in western Seoul, offers a similar perspective: "We elders have nowhere to go and we are not welcome anywhere anymore. Playing janggi and having lunch here was my only joy, and in an instant, that joy is gone," he said. Their voices mark the end of an era in Tapgol Park, the oldest modern park in Korea and an enduring symbol of both resistance and refuge. On July 31, Seoul’s Jongno District Office installed signs banning all entertainment activities within Tapgol Park, including janggi and baduk (go), as well as smoking, consuming alcohol, posting signs and vending. "Tapgol Park is a historic site in which the spirit of the March 1 Independence Movement lives on," the signs read, warning violators of potential jail time or fines un

Oct 11, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Seoul's Tapgol Park sees end as Korea's iconic senior playground after janggi ban
Society

Korea eases rules to let older city homes join guesthouse market as tourism surges

Korea is easing regulations on urban guesthouses for foreign tourists, allowing homeowners to register properties built more than 30 years ago, provided they meet safety standards, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday. The revision comes as a follow-up measure to a pledge made during the 10th National Tourism Strategy Meeting held on Sept. 25, aimed at accommodating the rise in inbound travel demand. Under current guidelines, homes that are 30 years or older cannot be registered as foreigner-friendly urban homestay businesses, regardless of their safety conditions. However, the new rules will allow registration of such properties if they comply with safety measures under the Building Act and Building Management Act. Local governments will check whether a property is labeled as "violation" and seek input from architects or safety experts to assess structural soundness, if needed. The government also overhauled evaluation standards for foreign-language services. Previously, operators were assessed mainly on fluency. Under the revised rules, they can be deemed to provide a

Oct 10, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Korea eases rules to let older city homes join guesthouse market as tourism surges
Society

4 of 10 Korean athletes end up jobless after retiring in their 20s

Nearly four in 10 athletes in Korea find themselves jobless after retiring, with most ending their sports careers in their early 20s, recent government data revealed, underscoring the persistent challenges former athletes face in transitioning to new professions and the lack of adequate institutional support. According to Korean Sport & Olympic Committee data submitted to Rep. Cho Gye-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the average retirement age for Korean athletes is 23.6. As of last year, 7,521 registered as former athletes after retirement. Only 38.4 percent of them moved into jobs related to sports, while some 38.19 percent remain unemployed. Although the committee operates a career support center for retired athletes, uptake remains low, as survey data showed only 25.2 percent of retired athletes actually used the center. The most common reason cited for not using its services was simply not knowing how to access them, accounting for 64.4 percent of responses. “The reality that four out of 10 athletes who retire around the age of 23 remain unemployed is not just an indi

Oct 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
4 of 10 Korean athletes end up jobless after retiring in their 20s
Society

Far-right groups hold protests across Seoul over Chuseok holiday

Far-right groups staged a series of protests across central Seoul throughout the Chuseok holiday, drawing thousands of participants and prompting heightened police presence as authorities reiterated their commitment to curbing hate speech and public disorder. The demonstrations, organized by multiple groups, included anti-China rallies, marches of support for disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and gatherings challenging historical narratives around Japan’s wartime sex slavery. One of the largest events was organized by the ultra-conservative youth group Freedom Univ., a key actor in the ongoing anti-China movement. According to unofficial police estimates, around 1,500 people gathered in the Gwanghwamun area and marched through the capital on Oct. 3, waving giant national flags. Participants, mostly young people dressed in black, repeatedly blew vuvuzelas and shouted slogans such as "Communist Party Out," along with racial slurs and derogatory expressions, while waving leaflets with slogans including "We are Charlie Kirk," "No visa-free entry for 30 million Chinese tourists," "C

Oct 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Far-right groups hold protests across Seoul over Chuseok holiday
Travel & Food

Jeju’s Saryeoni Forest: Sacred trail of healing and tragedy

JEJU ISLAND — On Jeju Island, travelers look up to Mount Halla, Korea’s tallest peak, rising at the island’s center, or down to waves breaking against the black volcanic rocks of the shore. Between mountain and sea lies a quieter, lesser-known world — the mid-mountain forests, where Jeju reveals a soulful beauty. Within this forested band, Saryeoni Forest stands out as the island’s most beloved woodland trail. Its name, said to mean “sacred forest” in the local dialect, carries a mysterious aura that envelops visitors the moment they step beneath the hushed canopy. Along its moss-lined paths, time seems to slow. Voices fade to whispers, and only the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on gravel and the calls of birds lead visitors into an otherworldly pause. As serene as Saryeoni appears today, the forest carries echoes of one of Jeju’s most tragic chapters. The wooded slopes and shaded ravines conceal scars of the Jeju Uprising, also known as the April 3rd Incident, a brutal period of suppression between 1947 and 1954, when tens of thousands of Jeju residents lost their lives. B

Oct 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Jeju’s Saryeoni Forest: Sacred trail of healing and tragedy
K-pop

Why 'Idol Star Athletics Championships' is still K-pop holiday essential

K-pop's long-running holiday TV ritual, “Idol Star Athletics Championships” (ISAC), is celebrating its 15th anniversary this Chuseok, reminding fans and its audience why the show remains a holiday classic. This year’s special, airing in three parts from Monday through Wednesday, brings together a record 374 idols from 61 K-pop groups, cementing its reputation as one of the largest and most lively spectacles in Korean pop culture. The appeal of ISAC lies in is engaging blend of celebrity and sports competition. For fans used to seeing their favorite stars grace music shows and red carpets, ISAC offers an entirely new perspective. From track sprints, ssireum (traditional Korean wresting) to revived penalty shootouts and taking shots at gold in pistol shooting, the program offers fans a candid and unscripted glimpse into idols’ teamwork, rivalry and personalities that are rarely seen in traditional idol promotions. While ISAC has become part of Korea’s Chuseok tradition, with many families making it a holiday viewing ritual, its history is also marked by persistent criticism over

Oct 7, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Why 'Idol Star Athletics Championships' is still K-pop holiday essential
Sports

Born in Germany, playing for Korea, Castrop ignites debate on Korea's football locker room culture

Jens Castrop, the first foreign-born, mixed-race player to join Korea’s national football team, ignited debates across Korea’s football fan communities after comments about Korea’s locker room culture, bringing public’s attention to potentially lingering hierarchies in the squad. Castrop’s interview with Germany’s Kicker, published Monday, spurred headlines questioning whether a “kkondae culture” — a term for outdated, patriarchal seniority — remains alive in Korean football. Born in Germany to a Korean mother and a German father, Castrop grew up representing his birth country at the junior level. This August, the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder switched his footballing allegiance from Germany to Korea and his inclusion under coach Hong Myung-bo marked a fresh turn for the Taegeuk Warriors. His versatility, shown in friendly matches against the United States and Mexico, immediately impressed both fans and coaching staff. “Everyone in Korea is polite. You bow your head when you greet and respect for elders is very strong,” Castrop told Kicker. He went on to de

Oct 7, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Born in Germany, playing for Korea, Castrop ignites debate on Korea's football locker room culture
Society

PHOTO Chuseok exodus begins

Travelers heading home for Chuseok board a train at Seoul Station, Thursday, a day before the extended seven-day holiday begins. Korea Times photo by Lim Ji-hoon

Oct 2, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
[PHOTO] Chuseok exodus begins
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