Life&Culture
LLG In series
Stories of love, life and growth
#Interview
# Human story
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LLG In series
Stories of love, life and growth
Would you like to subscribe?
Can you run from Seoul to Busan? This person did, twice
For most people, getting from Seoul to Busan means roughly 2 1/2 hours seated on the KTX. Isaiah Addison, better known as Zay, went the long way: on foot. The long-distance runner, freelance model and content creator set out from Seoul on Aug. 8 and covered nearly 700 kilometers over 10 days before reaching Busan — the equivalent of more than 16 full marathons. Data from his high-endurance sports watch with built-in GPS shows 683.5 kilometers of recorded activity between Aug. 8 and 17 over the c
Aug. 29, 2026 - 16:00:01
From K-pop fan to show interpreter, April Kim brings more than words
For many fans, being noticed by their favorite idol on stage is nothing more than a fantasy. But that is exactly what happened to Kim Yun-ju after following Girls' Generation's Taeyeon for almost a decade. At her solo concert in Singapore on Aug. 20, 2023, Taeyeon lifted her gaze beyond the stage, as if speaking to someone out of sight, and said, "She's picking up my tone with such excellence, so thank you so much.” The shout-out from her favorite idol left Kim in tears, as everything that had l
Aug. 9, 2026 - 09:14:15
A rookie model at 40, Heo Yong-jin eyes Milan, Paris Fashion Week
For some, 40 might seem too late to start a modeling career. But for Heo Yong-jin, it was perfect timing. Last July, the 40-year-old walked in an invitation-only, exclusive Louis Vuitton trunk show in Bangkok, where the French luxury house presented a collection created by its Men’s creative director Pharrell Williams in collaboration with Japanese designer Nigo. “I was in awe. Like, how did that happen to me? I thought,” Heo said in an interview with The Korea Herald on July 22. The opportunit
Aug. 4, 2026 - 13:25:05
From Bulgaria to Korea, one family's journey through art
Amid the bustle of arriving passengers pushing trolleys loaded with suitcases and duty-free shopping bags at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport on June 27, one sight drew curious glances: Tape-wrapped boxes and cardboard tubes stacked on a cart. The paintings arrived in Korea after an 8,000-kilometer journey from Bulgaria with a family visiting the country for the first time. They were neither for sale nor souvenirs for friends, but part of a collection of 30 paintings, mostly acr
July 14, 2026 - 17:13:23
Artist-barista makes an offer: A brew for what you drew
On a Wednesday afternoon at a cafe hidden inside a museum in Seoul, visitors pay not with cash or cards, but with drawings. When a mother and daughter order two cups of coffee, they are handed blank sheets of paper instead of a receipt. As they sip, the pages gradually fill with colorful sketches. By the time the drinks are finished, so are the drawings — their payment for the coffee. "Honestly, we came in because we heard the coffee was free," said Joo, who visited the cafe with her daughter, a
June 27, 2026 - 16:00:00
Stakeouts after school: A day in the life of Korea's Gen Z private detective
By day, Oh Ji-wan is a history major at Ajou University. By night, he tracks suspected cheaters, fraudsters and missing persons as a private investigator. While many college students spend their evenings studying, socializing or pursuing romance, this one is more likely to be on the road or staking out restaurants or motels, hunting for leads. "There was one time when a family asked me to find their son, who was about my age and had run away from home and cut off all contact," Oh, 24, said in an
June 6, 2026 - 16:00:00
One Canadian’s 625-kilometer tribute to Korean War veterans
By the time Guy Black reached Busan in May, exhaustion had long settled into his knees and feet. Every kilometer seemed slower than the last. Days of walking 25 to 30 kilometers at a time had reshaped not only his body, but also his state of mind. Still, the 61-year-old Canadian kept moving, letting his legs carry him forward. Because for Black, this was never simply a long walk, but a tribute to the victims of the 1950-53 Korean War. On May 22, Black completed a 625-kilometer journey across Sou
May 30, 2026 - 16:00:00
Fresh from Antarctica, nurse reflects on a season at the edge of the world
Last winter — or summer depending on where you see it — Kim Hee-soo’s mornings began quietly, wind brushing past, snow crunching underfoot and, at times, the soft shuffle of penguins crossing her path. Near Marian Cove, where an icy bay teems with wildlife, the 30-year-old nurse walked each day to a small clinic at King Sejong Station on King George Island, one of South Korea’s two Antarctic research bases, located about 120 kilometers from the main land mass of Antarctica. “Marian Cove came int
April 8, 2026 - 09:04:21
Choosing jail over enlistment. One Korean man's pacifist stand
On Feb. 23, the day he was scheduled to enlist, Kim Min-hyung, 28, did not show up. He refused not only military service, but also alternative service, a rare and consequential decision in South Korea, where all able-bodied men are required to serve. Only a handful of Korean men, 12 so far, have ever refused both. All of them were Jehovah’s Witnesses, citing faith. Kim is different. He is the first in Korea to publicly reject both military and alternative service on nonreligious, explicitly paci
March 25, 2026 - 08:00:00
Adoptee's daughter: 'I never felt like I truly fit in, but it no longer matters'
At first glance, Alyssa Hunzeker does not look different from other Asian Americans. The 26-year-old attorney, who lives in Arizona with her husband, was born and raised in Utah to a Korean-born father. But Hunzeker's struggle with identity has been shaped by a family history unlike that of many other Asian Americans. Her father was adopted from Korea in 1974. After being found wandering the streets at the age of 3, he was taken to an orphanage by police and then on to the United States. To this
Feb. 18, 2026 - 15:57:47
Son caring for bedridden mom began sharing his journey. Then other carers responded
Cho Bum-hee was 23, preparing to return to college after completing his military service, when his mother suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2015. With his father and older sister both working full-time, the responsibility of caring for his mother, whose arms and legs were paralyzed, fell to him. "My mother gave me more love than words can express. I felt it was finally my turn to give back," Cho, now 34, said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, Cho
Feb. 4, 2026 - 10:56:06
German couple pedals 8,000 km to Busan, discovering humanity one country at a time
When Philipp Springsguth and Maria West set out from their home in Saxony, Germany, in March, they packed lightly but purposefully: five water bottles, two bikes, a tent and the conviction that they could do anything. Eight months and 8,000 kilometers later, the German couple arrived in Busan after cycling through 16 countries, passing through stunning landscapes, including arid plains of Kazakhstan, desert dunes of Afghanistan and bustling cities of China. Speaking to The Korea Herald shortly a
Nov. 13, 2025 - 10:00:00
Meet the man making recycling less ugly in Korea
You had a fun night out. But the next morning, the hangover hits hard. Your sister orders delivery, but after all that drinking, you can barely take a bite. Soon, leftovers, crumpled napkins and takeout containers start to pile up. And like any older sister would, she tells you to clean it up. How would you feel? That was four years ago for Seo Ho-seong, founder of Uglee Lab, the startup behind Oneul Sugeo, a service that picks up your trash from your doorstep and takes care of Korea’s notorious
Nov. 12, 2025 - 10:00:00
'Korean Vegan' whose recipes deliver flavors of life
Over a basin of salted napa cabbage, a woman throws in a handful of spicy red seasoning and mixes it with gloved hands. The sound of leaves rubbing and sauce squelching soon fills the kitchen. Her hands never stop, even as she begins to speak — not about cooking, but about friendship. “You’re gonna get dumped. Not by your boyfriend. Not by your girlfriend or your fiance or your spouse,” she says. The red seeps deeper into the cabbage as she makes kimchi, Korea’s traditional fermented vegetable d
Nov. 5, 2025 - 09:00:00
More real than reality: 'I'm Solo' producer on why the show works
South Korea is awash with reality dating shows. But one program stands out above the rest: "I’m Solo." Unlike most dating shows, "I’m Solo" aired on SBS Plus and ENA does not feature glamorous casts. Instead, its contestants resemble the neighbor next door. They are office workers, small business owners or civil servants seeking actual partners. Through “I’m Solo,” a total of 12 couples have gone on to marry. For viewers, the appeal lies not in romance itself but in the raw, sometimes awkward, w
Oct. 29, 2025 - 11:26:16
![[Exclusive] Ateez to return in November](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/02/news-p.v1.20260902.76162fb0ba55493aad1c076f240d0750_T1.jpg?type=h&h=240)
