Pukyong National University · Busan, Korea
Hak-Seon Kim, Ph.D.
김학선 교수 · Professor
We study how people choose, taste, and travel, using data.
Regional Editor (East Asia), International Journal of Tourism Research
Editor-in-Chief, ABSI and CSHR
Official PKNU homepage · kim.pknu.ac.kr
About
Data-driven research for hospitality and tourism
Hak-Seon Kim is a Professor at Pukyong National University (PKNU) in Busan, Korea, where he leads the Business Analytics Research Lab (BAR Lab). His work turns big data, GeoAI and eye-tracking into evidence for better decisions in hospitality, tourism and foodservice.
He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Asia Business and Service Innovation (ABSI) and Culinary Science and Hospitality Research (CSHR). Before joining PKNU in 2026, he spent fifteen years at Kyungsung University, where he was the founding dean of both the Office of International Affairs and the Global College, led the launch of the School of Global Studies, and founded the Wellness Tourism Big Data Research Center.
He received his Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from Texas Tech University and his B.S. and M.S. from Seoul National University.
Appointments
- ProfessorPukyong National University
- Visiting ScholarDept. of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, University of Mississippi
- Founding Dean, Global CollegeKyungsung University
- Founding Dean, Office of International AffairsKyungsung University
- Founding Director, Wellness & Tourism Big Data Research CenterKyungsung University
- ProfessorKyungsung University
- Research ProfessorDedman School of Hospitality, Florida State University
Education
- Ph.D., Hospitality AdministrationTexas Tech University (minor: Consumer Sciences)
- M.S., Foodservice ManagementSeoul National University
- B.S., Food and NutritionSeoul National University
Research
Four connected areas
Each project starts from what people actually do: what they write, where they go, and what they look at.
Big data text mining
Online reviews and social media as measures of service quality and customer experience.
GeoAI and spatial analytics
Location intelligence for tourism demand, urban parks and destination connectivity.
Eye-tracking consumer behavior
Measuring what travelers and diners really notice, instead of relying on what they say.
Wellness and food tourism
How food, health and travel meet, with implications for policy and destinations.
Publications
Selected publications
Recent work in leading tourism and hospitality journals, from more than 250 peer-reviewed papers. The complete list is on Google Scholar.
- 2026Online review dependence and visit intention of hospitality service customers using mixed methods (sentiment analysis and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology)Ban, H.-J., Lee, J.-H., & Kim, H.-S. · International Journal of Tourism Research, 28(5), e70420
- 2026Visual attention and user satisfaction in OTA platforms: An eye-tracking and big data approachRiswanto, A. L., Kim, S., & Kim, H.-S. · Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology
- 2026Leveraging big data and spatial analysis for customer-centric evaluation of Chinese tourism performing artsZhang, X., Zhong, Y., Ekaputra, R. A., & Kim, H.-S. · Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology
- 2026Eye-tracking evidence of cultural compatibility in digital menu perception among South Asian tourists in KoreaRiswanto, A. L., & Kim, H.-S. · International Journal of Tourism Research, 28(2), e70311
- 2025Generation Z’s Michelin choices: Survey and big data insights into Thailand’s Michelin-starred restaurantsKim, S., Riswanto, A. L., Sherpa, S., & Kim, H.-S. · International Journal of Tourism Research, 27(5), e70135
- 2025A geospatial and big data exploration of tourism destinations: A case study of Busan, Republic of KoreaKim, S., Riswanto, A. L., Williady, A., Ekaputra, R. A., & Kim, H.-S. · Electronic Markets, 35, 46
- 2022Online food delivery services and consumers’ purchase intention: Integration of theory of planned behavior, theory of perceived risk, and the elaboration likelihood modelPillai, S. G., Kim, W. G., Haldorai, K., & Kim, H.-S. · International Journal of Hospitality Management, 105, 103275
- 2022Online customer reviews: Insights from the coffee shops industry and the moderating effect of business typesTao, S., & Kim, H.-S. · Tourism Review, 77(5), 1349–1364
- 2019Cruising in Asia: What can we dig from online cruiser reviews to understand their experience and satisfactionTao, S., & Kim, H.-S. · Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 24(6), 514–528
Editorial
Editorial leadership
Editor roles at international and Korean journals, plus eight special issues as guest editor in SSCI and Scopus journals.
International Journal of Tourism Research
Regional Editor (East Asia). SSCI journal published by Wiley.
Wiley ↗ ABSI · 2024 –Asia Business and Service Innovation
Editor-in-Chief. International journal on service innovation and business analytics in Asia.
absi.kr ↗ CSHR · 2014 – 2021, 2025 –Culinary Science and Hospitality Research
Editor-in-Chief. KCI-accredited journal of culinary science, foodservice and hospitality.
journal.culinary.re.kr ↗Journal of Industrial Innovation
Editor-in-Chief. KCI-accredited journal.
Guest editor: Sustainability (3 special issues), Tourism and Hospitality (2), Administrative Sciences, Information, and Journal of International Students.
Honors & Grants
Recognition and research funding
Selected awards
- Minister’s AwardMinistry of SMEs and Startups, Foreign Professional Talent Utilization Support Program
- Best Paper AwardKorea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), Culinary Society of Korea
- Minister’s Award, Grand PrizeMinistry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Culinary Society of Korea conferences
- Grand Prize and Best Paper of the YearKorean Academic Society of Hospitality and Foodservice Management
- Outstanding Research Faculty, 6 timesKyungsung University President’s Award, plus 3 R&D achievement and 1 teaching awards
- Marquis Who’s Who in the WorldAlso listed by the International Biographical Centre, UK
Major research grants
- Smart care system for safety and accident response of the vulnerableKIAT World Class Plus (PM) · ₩456M
- Online review framing and consumption value (UTAUT)National Research Foundation of Korea · ₩238M
- Food tourism revitalization from emotional big dataNational Research Foundation of Korea · ₩286M
- Optimized food tourism model using big data analyticsNational Research Foundation of Korea (PM) · ₩207M
Leadership in societies
- Senior Vice PresidentCulinary Society of Korea
- Conference Chair, Spring International ConferenceKorean Academic Society of Tourism
BAR Lab brings graduate researchers together around real data from hotels, restaurants, destinations and cities. Alumni now teach and work across Asia and beyond.
Prospective graduate students, including those interested in PKNU’s English-taught programs, are welcome to get in touch by email with a CV and a short research interest statement.
Contact