Max Kim

Reporting and writing for @nytimes. Ex-@latimes correspondent in Seoul. Tips: [email protected] | bluesky: @maxsoeunkim.bsky.social

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Last month, I caught up with Sae Joon Park, the Purple Heart veteran who was kicked out by ICE last year and is now living in Busan, South Korea

https://t.co/6ckZnSoTzo

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

The NFL, it turns out, is trying to export American football to Asia. For my latest, I looked at how in South Korea, the sport has struggled to break through over the last few (long-suffering decades), but some now see a glimmer of hope.

https://t.co/JiJ2VWo189

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Gift link: https://t.co/XfeZktFsKN

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Last month, I met Ejae from "Kpop Demon Hunters" and discussed what it means to be at the center of K-pop's biggest recent moment, all at a time when much of K-pop — as some fans are noting with displeasure — is scrubbing itself of its Koreanness https://t.co/l2RKApmQo1

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

And you’d have to hit the mark every time with how much time you’re allotting to each story (getting all the reporting / writing right the first time, delivering work good enough that editing or fact-checking is quick). Also hard.

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

It’s strange so many people are acting like $3/word is some absurd sum. It’s not. Sure, it’s on the charmed end of freelancing in today’s market but anyone who’s done this knows how much time/work goes into the kind of story that editors are willing to pay $3/word for.

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Assuming you can even efficiently line up eight such stories a year — which in itself is extremely hard because there are only so many buyers and so much budget — this is basically a constant clip of work, lots of late nights and so on.

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

@Tinksk0909 @JohnCornyn I responded! Please check your email — just had a few quick follow-up questions

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

@svjimenez @rtvenoticias @radio5_rne Hola Salvador, soy periodista del New York Times. Me encantaría hablar contigo, si es posible. ¿Podrías enviarme un mensaje directo o escribirme a https://t.co/U1qfkod40V (at) https://t.co/BCZp3GlWDj? Gracias.

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

@eleanorinthesky Hola, Carmen. Me alegra saber que estás a salvo. Soy periodista del New York Times. Me encantaría hablar contigo, si es posible. ¿Podrías enviarme un mensaje directo o un correo electrónico a https://t.co/U1qfkod40V (at) https://t.co/BCZp3GlWDj?

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

@ibuprofeno600mg Hola, Adri. Me alegra saber que estás a salvo. Soy periodista del New York Times. Me encantaría hablar contigo, si es posible. ¿Podrías enviarme un mensaje directo o un correo electrónico a https://t.co/U1qfkod40V (at) https://t.co/BCZp3GlWDj?

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

What does it mean to age with dignity? For my first story for @nytimes, I visited a historic cinema in Seoul that has one answer that question — and has become a beloved hangout for the city’s older residents.

https://t.co/utvlIE8ugp

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Some personal news: I’ll be temporarily joining the @nytimes Seoul bureau until next spring to contribute to Asia enterprise and breaking news coverage. As always, tips welcome: [email protected]

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

My final story for the @latimes, on todays' A1, is about the factors behind K-Beauty's seemingly unstoppable ascent, one of which — other than the halo effect of Kpop or Kdramas — is just sheer manufacturing capability:
https://t.co/Boc9ayeWIl

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Some personal news: after three years, I'll be leaving the LA Times later this month! I've got one final story in the works but after that, I'll be taking some time off to work on some personal projects and figure out what's next.

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Caught off guard by the ICE raid in Georgia, many South Korean companies are halting work at their U.S. worksites. Costly delays seem inevitable, even if a fast-track visa program is granted. Many are wondering if building in the US is a bad bet:

https://t.co/QyO8lvWLZn

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

Korean companies' plans of expanding U.S. manufacturing is impossible without dispatching engineers and other specialists to shepherd the process. The recent ICE crackdown on a Hyundai - LG EV battery plant in Georgia will likely jeopardize this that: https://t.co/uRTFXh3fgk

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

@BarbaraDemick Thanks Barbara! That means a lot

[Max Kim @maxsoeunkim]

South Korean convenience stores seem to be getting wilder with each passing year, offering hundreds of instant meals, gold bars, single malt whiskies and, at one point, BMWs. I wrote about why in my latest:

https://t.co/fIIOOj2XTB