Max Kim

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. nytimes.com/2025/12/09/wor…

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.

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.

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.

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 nytimes.com/2026/03/06/wor…

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

@maxsoeunkim @JohnCornyn I have emailed you

@JohnCornyn please help American citizens evacuate from Doha!!! We are stranded!! State dept is asking us to leave!! How?? The airports are closed!

@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 max.kim (at) nytimes.com? Gracias.

Ya en Madrid. Llegando a casa. Estoy bien aunque impactado emocionalmente Gracias a todos por los mensajes y palabras. Ahora lo importante son los fallecidos y sus familiares y por supuesto que se esclarezca lo ocurrido. @rtvenoticias @radio5_rne

@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 max.kim (at) nytimes.com?

Ya estamos en Madrid, en casa. Ahora a intentar descansar, que hemos tenido mucha suerte ❤️‍🩹 Gracias a todos los que mandáis ánimos y buenos deseos.

@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 max.kim (at) nytimes.com?

Ya estamos en casa. Ahora a dormir, o a intentarlo.

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: max.kim@nytimes.com

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: latimes.com/business/story…

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.

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: latimes.com/business/story…

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: latimes.com/business/story…

@BarbaraDemick Thanks Barbara! That means a lot

Max Kim's stories always make me miss Korea. latimes.com/world-nation/s… @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: latimes.com/world-nation/s…

Just finished reading this fabulous series from my @latimes colleagues imagining a future Los Angeles that works better for everyone. Will share some highlights... latimes.com/california/sto… 🧵

Some wonderful reporting from my colleagues in our five-part series @latimes on how L.A. might become a more sustainable and climate-resilient city, including a piece from yours truly on protecting against flooding by building more parks: latimes.com/world-nation/s…

The story by @frankshyong this film is based on is an incredible piece of writing that you won’t regret reading: latimes.com/local/la-me-mo…