Half Local magazine brings fresh perspective on Seoul through 1st print issue

It can often feel overwhelming to look up social media recommendations for things to do in Seoul. There are aesthetic cafes tucked away in Seongsu-dong, where visitors might wait 40 minutes for a seat, or the latest “must-visit” Korean beauty store that has taken over Instagram. But for those who live in Seoul, those sites aren't necessarily part of the city they know and love.

Enter Half Local, a media project exploring Seoul’s communities, neighborhoods and creative stories, offering a glimpse of the city beyond the trends that dominate social media. After initially sharing its stories online, Half Local is now entering the world of print with the release of its first physical magazine.

Created by longtime British foreign resident Ella Kaill alongside Korean photographer Harry Heo, the first issue brings together a collection of stories built around a simple idea: being close enough to understand Korea, but far enough away to still see it with fresh eyes.

After studying Korean in university, Kaill moved to the country in 2019 and gradually became immersed in its culture and everyday life. Over time, she found herself in an unusual position of being familiar enough with Korea to understand aspects of local life, while still retaining the perspective of an outsider.

The idea for Half Local came while she was scrolling through Instagram and noticed the same viral cafes and popular spots appearing again and again. Wanting to look beyond the familiar image of Korea presented online, Kaill was inspired to showcase the places, people and communities she had come to know and love.

She describes Half Local as “a magazine that’s trying to explore the more local side of Korea — community, neighborhoods, creativity.”

The idea of turning Half Local into a magazine wasn’t there from the beginning. “I’ve always loved magazines … but I’d never made one myself,” she said.

Writing, at least, came naturally. Kaill has experience in music journalism, while her day job as a freelance copywriter meant she was already comfortable with the words that would fill the pages.

Design was a different story. To teach herself InDesign, Kaill turned to LinkedIn Learning courses, learning as she went. Even then, getting the look of the magazine right proved difficult.

“Designing, though … it was painful,” she said. “I think I redesigned the entire magazine two or three times.”

Finding contributors, surprisingly, was much easier. Kaill had a Google Doc filled with ideas and began reaching out to potential contributors. “People were really willing to be interviewed,” she said.

The identity of Half Local’s first issue emerged only after the stories began to come together. Looking across the collection, Kaill and Heo asked themselves, “If this issue has one keyword, what is it?” When Heo suggested “Home,” the pieces suddenly fell into place.

One story that Kaill feels embodies the spirit of Half Local was written by her friend Chris Bret-Harte. It explores his relationship with his elderly neighbor, with whom he began playing badminton. Despite not sharing a common language, the two were able to form a meaningful friendship.

For Heo, another story offered a chance to bring his own perspective to the magazine. He featured the makgeolli (fermented rice liquor) brewery Woori Yeahsool in Korean, allowing him to preserve their story while bringing a distinctly Korean perspective to it.

Heo’s cultural knowledge also helped shape the magazine more broadly. He often adds historical context and cultural meaning to the subjects Kaill discovers, meaning each story becomes a combination of their two perspectives.

The production process, however, turned out to be a bumpy road. Originally, Kaill wanted Half Local’s first edition to be a glossy magazine that people could buy and collect over time. That vision was interrupted when they discovered a law that restricts foreigners from being the registered publisher of a periodical publication in Korea.

“Honestly, there was a point where we almost gave up,” Kaill said. “At one point we were looking at all the paperwork and thinking, ‘Do we really want to do this?’ … Suddenly, the creative project had become an administrative task.”

After much deliberation, they decided to continue with the magazine. Then came a simple idea: “What if we just make it free?”

That decision lifted some of the pressure. Rather than being a commercial product, the magazine became something for the community — a shared project and a way to bring people together.

For Heo, that exchange of perspectives is ultimately what makes Half Local worthwhile.

“Sometimes when you live inside something every day, you stop seeing it clearly,” he said. “People who come from outside often notice things that we overlook.”

Perhaps that is the point of being half local: not choosing between being an insider or an outsider, but seeing a place from somewhere in between.

Follow @halflocalmag on Instagram for more information.

Abbie Aitken is a British journalist based in Korea. She covers Korean sports, culture and society, with a particular interest in women’s sports and stories that connect Korean and international audiences. Follow @abbieaitken_ on Instagram.