Thirty-five-year-old Koichi Kuwabara has been offering free hugs in cities around the world since 2011. His efforts certainly haven’t gone unnoticed on social media, with the first video he uploaded on YouTube since attracting more than 1 million views.
He shot his inaugural YouTube video in Seoul, a place he frequently visits.
And with diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea sinking to new lows over the past six months or so, Kuwabara felt the need to return to Seoul in order to insert himself into the discussion.