SEOULBOX ANNIVERSARY
Hello precious Seoulmates, this time we have a very special blog, dedicated to all of you since you are the ones responsible for the growth and success of Seoulbox, none of this would not have been possible without you, your loyalty and love for Korea, so without a further ado, here is how this dream became achievable.
It all began in London, UK…
In the year 2019, Suji was studying in London and being far from home her love for Korea was growing by the day. She observed many of her close friends admired Korean culture, food, music, dramas and slowly began falling in love with Korea, but there were few opportunities to “feel” this amazing country in person!
(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)
5,621 miles and prices of airfare were a problem for Suji to visit her country, and the opportunities she and her friends had to have a taste of Korean culture in London, like concerts and other activities were not an option since it was almost impossible to afford a K-pop concert ticket. In her studying years in UK, renowned groups like Monsta X were and BTS devoured every concert they had in the country.
Suji still believed that Korea was still a long way from everyday life outside of the K-Pop stadiums, and it was with situations like this, that one day she shared "Yoppokki," or teokbokki, to the members of her university's Hallyu (Korean Wave) committee, and guess what… It was a huge hit! She wished to heighten the awes.
This my dear Seoulmates, was the key moment in which Suji knew what she needed to do to bring Korea to the life of her friends, and why not, to the life of every person interested in the a piece of Daehan Min-guk.
Since the Seoulbox have been growing non-stop and has evolved into a group of incredible Astronauts that are exploring Korea's huge wonderland, studying, investigating, and enjoying the amazing adventures of sharing slices of Korea with our most important treasure, Seoulmates from all over the world, just like astronauts.
Inside Seoulbox with Suji…
It was never an easy road for Suji to create and give life to this project, on a small interview we had with this great fighter and enterprising woman she shared some details with us…
SEOULTEAM: What is the most important difficulty Seoulbox faced to survive?
SUJI: Our first biggest challenge came with the pandemic. During its outbreak in 2020, no one was buying Seoulbox because we shipped them directly from Korea, and Korea was neighboring China, the origin of the pandemic at that time. Many boxes we shipped started returning to us since cross-border flights were closed or suspended. We had to pause our warehouse because no one could come in and work.
Despite the challenges, we accepted them as an opportunity to be better ourselves. We partnered with new logistics chains; we set up different shipping plans for different world regions, and so on! It was a difficult period for all of us around the world. We wanted to deliver small joy and a piece of Korea to our Seoulmates when they cannot travel under challenging conditions.
SEOULTEAM: Can you tell us a little bit about the warehouse?
SUJI: We pack and ship by ourselves! It's located in Busan, a port city in Korea. Safety and hygiene are our priorities.
SEOULTEAM: What is the future for Seoulbox?
SUJI: There are lots of unique Korean brands and small shops. We will collaborate with them and pack our Seoulboxes with unique values.
Specially Curated boxes for our Seoulmates
Thanks to your support, unboxing Seoulboxes with us and been by our side in a span of two years, we are always looking how to improve our products and deliver a smile to you. We take your feedback very seriously and that is why we delivered what you asked for, giving us the opportunity to offer you three amazing products!
Seoulbox Signature
“We were inspired by our daily lives in between convenience stores like “CU” and childhood memories – Korean snacks were so delicious! What can deliver a piece of Korea better that choco pies, Peperos, or cup noodles? There, we started our first box, Seoulbox Signature. It’s a Korean snack box!”
What you get:
18 authentic Korean goodies including:
- Korea-exclusive sweet and savory snacks
- In-depth magazine packed with cultural insights
- Crazy ramens and drinks
- Unique K-Pop/K-Drama/K-Culture merch
- Top-rated & lesser-known Kbeauty skincare products
Seoulbox Signature V
“Later on, we noticed many people don’t eat non-vegetarian snacks; it’s pretty challenging to get veg food in Korea, so we introduced Seoulbox V. We hand-picked all items which do not have meat so that vegetarians can experience I too.”
What you get:
- 16 vegetarian Korean snacks and candies
- In-depth magazine packed with cultural insights
- Korea-exclusive ramens and drinks
- Unique K-Pop/K-Drama/K-Culture merch
- Top-rated & lesser-known Kbeauty skincare products
Seoulbox Life
“We wanted to deliver a taste of Korean lifestyle. Snack boxes are amazing, but how could we show our Seoulmates around K-beauty items or more K-pop merch? Inspired by beautiful Jeju Island, we launched Seoulbox Life back in July 2021. Sit back, chill, and enjoy the surprises!”
What you get:
- 8-10 hand-picked Korean goodies
- 1 K-Beauty product
- 2 K-Pop merch
- 4-5 Korean lifestyle items
- Seoulbox Magazine
Seoulzine, How Amazing it is?
It is one of our best well received items by our lovely Seoulmates, on this specialized magazine we try to deliver to all of you a taste of Korea in the palms of your hands. We try to give you an overview of the box and its content itself, a tasting guide, that will feed your Seoul with authentic Korean snacks and foods.
Aside from this, you are able to find interesting interviews with amazing people, games, spectacular places from Korea you should know about or visit on your trip to the country, history, curiosity, tips, adventures, amazing and delicious recommendations of food (Daegu Tang, Dwaeji Gukbap, Milmyeon, K-pop idols, and K-dramas actors fun facts, festivals, our “Seoulmates Spotlight” a special space dedicated to YOU, our most valuable treasure, for you to talk with us, share your experiences as a Seoulmate and your love for Korea.
Meet some of our Seoulmates!
Esther Crespi
Lasma Dzerina
Sarah Wan
Don’t Miss the opportunity to Experience Jeju’s Seoulbox
What’s inside and what savory snacks can you find?
Jeju Buckwheat
Jeju buckwheat crackers that come in the shape of a pig make an excellent snack for whenever you are working - as it does not get your hands dirty. Moreover, it is a healthy savory snack that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating :)
Don Roasted Garlic Chicken Snack
Fried chicken flavored chips that have the shape of fried chicken legs! Savory taste with toasted garlic undertones will transport you straight to one of the Korean chicken restaurants!
Kkodeulkim Bibimyeon
Non-spicy bibimyeon with savory taste, perilla oil and seaweed. To make it, boil 600 ml of water, add noodles, and simmer for 4 minutes. Wash the noodles in cold water, add bibimyeon sauce and sesame oil. After mixing everything, add pepper powder.
Vegetable Omuk Snack
Omuk (어묵) is a fish cake, usually sold as street food. This snack will take you to a night street in Seoul, where you can enjoy the slightly savory taste of fish cakes after a long and tiring day.
Gapado Barley Dry Bread
Barely bread bars that have way too many fun ways to be prepared. You can add them to milk, yogurt, or even ice cream and have a very filling breakfast or dessert.
Jeju Hallabong Pie
Hallabong (한라봉파이) is a special breed of tangerines that comes from Jeju Island, has richer taste and scent than usual tangerines. The pie has a natural scent and taste of Hallabong.
Hershey Jeju Green Tea Cookie
Chocolate chip cookie with matcha base, makes this treat another traditional Jeju sweet. The more subtle taste of matcha balances out the usual sweetness of chocolate-chip cookies and makes an excellent treat for an after-dine snack.
Jeju Udo Peanut Chocolate Stick
If you are a fan of peppero, you will like this sweet too! Even bigger than peppero, this chocolate stick is made with peanuts, originating on Udo Island.
Jeju Tangerine Yugwa
Yugwa is a treat that is made from glutinous rice mixed with honey and water. Then the sweet is shaped, fried, and coated in honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, cinnamon, or puffed rice. And this one has tangerine flavor to it!
Kakao Tangerine Chip
A dried Tangerine slice coated in chocolate is just one example of how innovative Korea is with its treats. The tangerine gives a refreshing flavor, while chocolate makes it even sweeter and enjoyable to snack on.
Chewy Carrot Snack
A carrot snack filled with vitamins and nutrients straight from Jeju! Both soft and chewy at the same time, it’s rich in vitamin A, and despite seeming small, it will fill you up!
Jeju Green Mandarin Pie
Have you ever tried green mandarin? It is not as sweet as red mandarin and has a fresh yet slightly bitter citrus undertone. Enjoy this taste in a green mandarin pie from Jeju!
Jeju Omegitteok Pie
Omegi-tteok is a rice cake particular to Jeju Island. It has the same chewy texture but is made by boiling glutinous millet dough and covered in bean powder. A taste that can’t be found anywhere else but Jeju!
Jeju Harubang Chocolate
Small chocolates in the shape of Harubang. Dol Harubangs can be seen in the form of large rock statues on Jeju Island and are considered to be gods offering protection to the people of Jeju.
Konjac Jeju Tangerine Jelly
Watery-jelly drink, a very popular treat in Korea. Living in a fast-paced environment, people tend to eat on the go, and this treat is perfect for that! The taste of Jeju Tangerines it’s sweet and refreshing!
Jeju Udo Peanut Caramel Snack
Not overly sweet peanut-flavored caramels from Udo Island! Udo Island is famous for its agricultural production, one of which is peanuts: all kinds of treats are being made from the crops grown in Udo.
Bonus Item!
BTS Universe Lip Balm, for whenever your lips are dry, or you just want to remind yourself of your bias.
Besides all these amazing snacks and goodies, to thank you for all you support, we have a special Jeju Contest, in which the winner will get a piece of Jeju Island delivered to their door!
This journey with all of you has been amazingly spectacular, there are no words to tell all of you how thankful we are with all your love and support these years, you are simply out of this world Seoulmates, from the bottom of our hearts, Suji and the Seoulteam we thank you for your love, support, encouragement and most important, for being part of this family. We will keep working for you, to always deliver what you deserve, the best of the best!
