Pop star Lee Hyori explores Saigon's largest expat hub

On Monday, the Korean singer shared photos taken at Alley 28 in Thao Dien area on her Instagram account with 1 million followers.

The alley is known as a green oasis of HCMC, dotted with a series of restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, and craft shops surrounded by trees.

Upon arriving at the alley, she drank ca phe sua da, which combines strong coffee poured over ice and mixed with condensed milk, at a sidewalk stall.

She also enjoyed vegetarian dishes at a restaurant and joined a yoga class.

A vegetarian noodle soup that South Korean pop star Lee Hyori enjoyed at a restaurant inside Alley 28 in Thao Dien area, HCMC. Photo courtesy of Lee Hyori's Instagram account

Lee, 44, came from a poor family background. She debuted as the leader of the idol girl group Fin.K.L in 1998. She launched a successful solo career after the group disbanded.

On Nov. 5, Lee performed at a music festival held in Ho Chi Minh City. This was the first time Lee had visited Vietnam for a music performance after more than 20 years in K-pop.

A series of Korean stars have recently been flocking to Vietnam. TV and film star Lee Da-hee chose a high-end resort for her birthday celebration and family vacation to Da Nang in March, while actor Jung Kyung-ho stayed at a secluded 5-star resort near the beach city Nha Trang in April.

South Korea has been the largest tourist market for inbound tourism to Vietnam this year, with 2.9 million arrivals.