The Korean ‘Minbak’ as an environmental bubble: motivations, experiences, and the paradox of cultural immersion among Korean travellers

Abstract

This study examines Korean travellers’ use of Minbaks (Korean guesthouses) in Europe, introducing the ‘pulsating bubble’ framework that challenges static conceptualisations of environmental enclaves. Through netnography of 192 Korean travel blogs (2023–2025), we demonstrate that Minbaks function as re-pressurisation chambers enabling sustained cultural immersion. Korean travellers engage in cyclical rhythms, whereby daytime exploration depletes physiological and psychological resources while nighttime Minbak stays restore capacity through Korean food, linguistic comfort, and social networks. Integrating Cohen's bubble theory with Maslow's hierarchy reveals how satisfying lower-order needs creates capacity for higher-order cultural engagement. The Korean concept of jeong (정), affective bonds transcending transactional exchange, illuminates how cultural specificity shapes belonging needs that Maslow's universalist hierarchy cannot capture. These findings reframe ethnic enclaves as enabling infrastructure for sustained independent travel by non-Western visitors.