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

Half Local is a new print magazine about Seoul’s communities, neighborhoods and creative stories, created by British foreign resident Ella Kaill and Korean photographer Harry Heo. The first issue grew from their idea of seeing Korea with both insider familiarity and outsider distance. The project moved from online storytelling into print after Kaill taught herself design and the team decided to make the magazine free.

Ella Kaill moved to Korea in 2019 after studying Korean in university.

Kaill said she redesigned the magazine two or three times while learning InDesign through LinkedIn Learning courses.

The first issue was built around the keyword Home.

The magazine became free after the team discovered a law restricting foreigners from being the registered publisher of a periodical publication in Korea.

Published Sep 11, 2026 12:13 pm KST

A printed copy of the first issue of Half Local magazine / Courtesy of Half Local

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.

Ella Kaill, left, speaks during a launch event for Half Local in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, Aug. 23. Courtesy of Half Local

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 .

《Half Local》是一本全新的纸质杂志，由英国侨民艾拉·凯尔（Ella Kaill）和韩国摄影师许哈里（Harry Heo）共同创办，聚焦首尔的社区、街区和创意故事。创刊号的灵感源于他们想要以既熟悉又疏离的视角来审视韩国的想法。在凯尔自学设计之后，团队决定将杂志免费发行，项目也从线上故事分享转向了纸质出版。

Ella Kaill 在大学学习韩语后，于 2019 年移居韩国。

Kaill表示，她在通过LinkedIn Learning课程学习InDesign的过程中，曾两三次重新设计过这本杂志。

第一期杂志围绕关键词“家”展开。

该杂志在团队发现韩国有一项法律限制外国人成为期刊出版物的注册出版商后，得以免费发行。

发布于2026年9月11日下午12:13（韩国标准时间）

《Half Local》杂志创刊号印刷版 / 由 Half Local 提供

在社交媒体上搜索首尔旅游攻略，常常会让人感到眼花缭乱。比如，圣水洞里藏着一些环境优美的咖啡馆，游客可能需要排队40分钟才能等到座位；又比如，最近在Instagram上爆红的韩国美妆店，也常常被人推荐为“必去之地”。但对于生活在首尔的人来说，这些地方未必是他们熟悉和热爱的这座城市的一部分。

Half Local是一个媒体项目，旨在探索首尔的社区、街区和创意故事，展现社交媒体潮流之外的城市风貌。最初，Half Local在线上分享故事，如今，它即将发行首本实体杂志，正式进军纸媒领域。

由长期居住在英国的 Ella Kaill 与韩国摄影师 Harry Heo 共同创作的第一期杂志，汇集了一系列围绕着一个简单的理念展开的故事：既要足够接近韩国以了解它，又要足够远离它以保持全新的视角去看待它。

大学期间学习韩语后，凯尔于2019年移居韩国，并逐渐融入当地文化和日常生活。随着时间的推移，她发现自己处于一种很特别的境地：既对韩国足够熟悉，能够理解当地生活的方方面面，又保持着局外人的视角。

Half Local 的创意源于 Kaill 在浏览 Instagram 时，注意到那些反复出现的热门咖啡馆和景点。Kaill 不想仅仅局限于网络上呈现的韩国形象，于是决定展示她所了解和喜爱的地方、人物和社区。

她将 Half Local 描述为“一本试图探索韩国本土一面——社区、街区、创造力”的杂志。

把 Half Local 做成杂志的想法并非一开始就有。“我一直很喜欢杂志……但我自己从未做过一本，”她说。

至少写作对凯尔来说是与生俱来的。她有音乐新闻方面的经验，而她作为自由撰稿人的日常工作也让她对文字驾轻就熟。

设计又是另一回事。为了自学 InDesign，凯尔求助于 LinkedIn Learning 课程，边学边做。即便如此，要让杂志的视觉效果达到理想状态仍然困难重重。

“不过，设计工作……很痛苦，”她说。“我想我把整本杂志重新设计了两三次。”

出乎意料的是，寻找撰稿人要容易得多。凯尔有一个谷歌文档，里面记录着各种想法，然后她开始联系潜在的撰稿人。“人们真的很愿意接受采访，”她说。

Half Local第一期的主题直到故事逐渐成形后才最终确定。Kaill和Heo在浏览所有故事时自问：“如果这一期只有一个关键词，那会是什么？”当Heo提出“家”这个关键词时，一切豁然开朗。

凯尔认为，她朋友克里斯·布雷特-哈特写的故事最能体现《半个本地人》的精神。故事讲述了他与一位年迈邻居的友谊，他们开始一起打羽毛球。尽管语言不通，两人却建立起了深厚的友谊。

8月23日，艾拉·凯尔（左）在首尔延禧洞举行的Half Local品牌发布会上发表讲话。图片由Half Local提供。

对许先生而言，另一篇报道让他有机会将自己的视角融入杂志。他用韩语介绍了马格利酒酿造厂友利益酒，既保留了酒厂的故事，又融入了鲜明的韩国视角。

许的文化知识也对杂志的整体风格产生了深远的影响。他经常为凯尔发现的主题增添历史背景和文化内涵，这意味着每个故事都融合了他们两人的视角。

然而，制作过程却并非一帆风顺。最初，凯尔希望《Half Local》创刊号是一本精美的杂志，供人们购买和收藏。但当他们发现韩国法律限制外国人注册成为期刊出版商时，这个设想被迫搁浅。

“说实话，我们一度几乎要放弃了，”凯尔说。“有那么一段时间，我们看着所有的文件，心想，‘我们真的想做这件事吗？’……突然间，这个创意项目变成了行政任务。”

经过反复斟酌，他们决定继续办杂志。然后，一个简单的想法浮现出来：“如果我们把它免费提供呢？”

这个决定减轻了一些压力。杂志不再是商业产品，而是成为了社区的一份子——一个共享的项目，也是将人们聚集在一起的一种方式。

对 Heo 来说，这种观点的交流最终才是 Half Local 的价值所在。

“有时候，当你每天都生活在某个地方，就会看不清它的全貌，”他说。“来自外部的人往往能注意到我们忽略的东西。”

也许这就是半个本地人的意义所在：不必在做内部人士或外部人士之间做出选择，而是从中间的角度看待一个地方。

关注Instagram账号@halflocalmag了解更多信息。

艾比·艾特肯是一位常驻韩国的英国记者。她报道韩国体育、文化和社会，尤其关注女子体育以及能够连接韩国和国际读者的故事。请在Instagram上关注@abbieaitken_。