Food, travel, history and inconvenient opinions
ZenKimchi Korea Food & Travel Podcast
Go beyond the usual travel lists and explore the food, neighborhoods, history, people and peculiarities that make Korea worth knowing.
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Latest episodes
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Each episode explores a different subject connected to Korean food or travel, with practical advice, historical context and the details that disappear from most travel coverage.
Latest Video
LATEST EPISODES
Jongno 3-ga: The Insider’s Guide to the World’s Coolest Neighborhood
In 1968, a man heading into the blocks around Jongno 3-ga after dark had a good chance of walking into a wall of floodlights. Plainclothes police and reporters waited in the shadows at every entrance to what was then the biggest red light district in Seoul. Anyone who crossed the light got a polite question…
Overrated on TripAdvisor: Korea’s Tourist Traps and What to Do Instead
It’s 1:00 in the morning, three weeks before your flight to Seoul, and you’ve got 40 tabs of TripAdvisor open. You sort by Top Rated and click whatever has the most green bubbles. A library in a shopping mall. An island from a drama you never watched. A tunnel at the North Korean border. A…
Where to Stay in Seoul (So You Don’t Accidentally Live in the Gift Shop)
Which area of the city is the best for rest? Seoul hotel areas, including Myeongdong, Hongdae, Bukchon, Dongdaemun, Gangnam, and Jongno.
What you’ll find here
Korea Beyond the Usual Lists
Korean Food
The dishes, restaurants, markets and drinking culture that reveal how people in Korea actually eat.
Places Worth Knowing
Seoul neighborhoods and destinations across Korea, with the context missing from most travel coverage.
History and Culture
The people, events and social changes hiding behind familiar streets, foods and traditions.
Your host
Joe McPherson
Joe McPherson is the founder of ZenKimchi. He has lived in Korea for more than twenty years, writing about Korean food and culture and creating travel experiences for visitors.
Each episode combines practical advice, deeper context and occasionally inconvenient opinions about Korean food and travel.
This is Korea from someone who has watched it change.
Frequently asked questions
About the Podcast
What is the ZenKimchi Korea Food & Travel Podcast?
It is a podcast and YouTube series exploring Korean food, travel, history, neighborhoods and culture beyond the usual travel lists.
Who hosts the podcast?
The podcast is hosted by Joe McPherson, founder of ZenKimchi and a Korea resident, food writer and travel experiences operator with more than twenty years of experience in Korea.
Can I watch the podcast on YouTube?
Yes. Video editions are published on the ZenKimchi YouTube channel, while audio editions are available through major podcast platforms.
What subjects does the podcast cover?
Episodes cover Korean food, Seoul neighborhoods, destinations across Korea, history, nightlife, travel planning and the cultural context behind the places visitors encounter.
Explore Korea with Better Context
Follow the show for new episodes about Korean food, travel, history and places that deserve more than a paragraph in a listicle.