Max Kim is the new Los Angeles Times correspondent in Seoul

Max Kim

The following announcement was sent on behalf of Foreign and National Editor Alan Zarembo and Deputy Foreign and National Editor Rebecca Bryant:

We are delighted to announce that Max Kim is the new Los Angeles Times correspondent in Seoul.

In his new role, Kim will continue The Times’ long tradition of world-class reporting from the region. His focus will be the Korean peninsula — from documenting life inside North Korea to illuminating the economic and social changes sweeping South Korea.

Kim spent the last eight years writing from the area for the Atlantic, the New Yorker, MIT Technology Review and other publications. His stories have explored COVID-19 surveillance policy, the dark side of the South Korean e-commerce business, corruption in the nuclear industry and the legacy of the Korean War. One notable article served up the gripping tale of a decorated North Korean propagandist and his estranged brothers in the south.

In addition to writing, Kim has helped produce news documentaries for Vice News and the BBC on topics including South Korea’s dog cloning industry and the story behind the viral children’s song “Baby Shark.”

Kim grew up in Seoul and Princeton, New Jersey, and spent many summers in Southern California. He graduated from the University of Buffalo with a degree in English and comparative literature. He started in his new role last month.