Hollywood stars - What they are doing in (South) Korea!

Hollywood stars are showing up in Korea—so what exactly are they doing here? Imagine bumping into an A-list actor at your neighborhood gukbap joint. Lately, sightings of overseas celebrities have been popping up all over Seoul. With K-content riding a global wave, more and more stars are coming to Korea not for filming or promo schedules, but simply for a private vacation. They slip in quietly, spend time with family and friends, and then—oops—someone snaps a photo, it lands on social media, and suddenly the “secret trip” isn’t so secret anymore. From Korean cooking classes to K-beauty deep dives, here is a look at the different “types” of Hollywood travel styles in Korea.

The Foodie Type: Apron On, Gimbap Rolled, Vibes Activated

Charlize Theron, who visits Korea with her daughter, takes a Korean cuisine, Kimbap class. /Instagram

Charlize Theron, best known as Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road, visited Korea late last month with her daughter, August, and took a Korean cooking class. Footage revealed the pair making and eating gimbap and tteokbokki at the studio of Chef Choi Kwang-ho, winner of MasterChef Korea Season 3. In a video Chef Choi posted on Instagram, Theron ties on an apron, carefully rolls gimbap with serious concentration—and after tasting it, she even breaks into a little shoulder-shimmy dance. August tries the gimbap too and gives a double thumbs-up. Theron has raised two adopted children—her son Jackson (adopted in 2012) and her daughter August (adopted in 2015). She was also spotted walking around near Hongdae with her daughter, and she came off warmly approachable, happily taking photos with fans who asked.

The Healing Type: Namsan Walks, Seongsu Brunch, Spa Time

Anya Taylor-Joy is waiting her menu at a restaurant in Sungsu-dong, Seoul.

Anya Taylor-Joy, the star of Netflix’s chess-prodigy series The Queen’s Gambit, also made a low-key visit to Seoul last month on an unofficial schedule. She reportedly stayed near the Hyatt hotel in Yongsan, was seen strolling along the Namsan walking paths, and enjoying a relaxed brunch at a café in Seongsu-dong. She was also said to have visited a high-end spa in Hannam-dong. Taylor-Joy has previously shown interest in K-beauty as well. In a past Vogue interview, she explained that one of the steps in Korean skincare is “essence,” and that it is especially important in winter—adding that she is currently completely obsessed with it.

The Experience Type: Gen-Z Seoul, Straight from the Group Chat

Chase Infinity, the daughter of DiCaprio is eating a Korean Sundubu-JJigae in Seoul. 

Chase Infinity, a rising newcomer being mentioned as an Oscar Best Actress contender this year, shared a bubbly, Gen-Z-style Seoul travel diary on social media last week. The posts showed her boiling ramyeon using a Han River ramen cooker with friends, and hopping on a “skywalker” (a step-swing exercise machine that moves your feet back and forth) like it was just another part of the city’s everyday fun. As if the trip itself was improvised, she captioned it along the lines of: “A Seoul trip that started in a group chat.”

Born in 2000, Infinity recently drew attention for playing Leonardo DiCaprio’s daughter in the film One Battle After Another. She is also a serious K-pop fan: back in college, she formed a K-pop cover dance team in Chicago, where she studied. Her favorite idol group is ATEEZ. In one interview, she said, “K-pop is fun as an experience—you watch it and enjoy it. Thanks to K-pop, I made a lot of friends.” In Korea, she traveled like a true “K-pop stan,” stopping by hot spots such as a hanok café in Ikseon-dong, a salt-bread shop in Seongsu, and Olive Young N Seongsu, posting plenty of proof-shots along the way.

The Local Type: Gukbap, Bukchon Crafts, and a KTX Edit for the Laughs

Simon Pegg is enjoying his Korean Bugbop in Bukchon area, Seoul.

British actor Simon Pegg—known as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)’s reliable ally in the Mission: Impossible series—visited Korea last year with his family and traveled like a pro, as if he were a local. He posted photos of himself eating gukbap at a Korean restaurant, visiting a nacre lacquerware workshop in Bukchon, and exploring Busan’s Gamcheon Culture Village. For extra flair, he even made a playful edit: footage of himself on the KTX train to Busan intercut with scenes from the film Train to Busan. Pegg has previously said he became a BTS fan after attending their concert in Las Vegas with his daughter a few years ago.