About Us
Seoulmate's review - this has been my KakaoTalk profile for a long time :)
Annyeong! My name is Suji Sohn. I am the CEO and founder of Seoulbox, a Korean snack box on a mission to bring Korea closer to the world.
“I fell in love with Korea, but it is so far away from me.”
Have you thought like this before? Then, you found the right place here! A lot of Seoulmates visit our blog to get info such as “how to make Korean friends” or “everything you must know about finger heart”. One day, you may have fallen into this adorable country, and just want to experience it more and more!
You are not alone - I have been there, too. I would like to share with you a story behind Seoulbox, and our box philosophy. This is a story behind Seoulteam - curators and Korean enthusiasts who are together in Seoulbox to bring the best of Korea for you!
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Why I started Seoulbox
I dropped out of my Korean university after two months and flew to the UK. I fell in love with the amazing country.
Despite the initial passion, I became really depressed by new foods, language barriers, and loneliness in a foreign environment.
One day, I experienced an event that forever changed my idea for a snack box. My mom, dad, and sister told me that they hand-picked and sent me a surprise gift. 14 days later...the box had arrived. It was packed with Korean snacks and cup noodles! Picking a hometown snack and sharing it with my flatmates, every morning turned into mini surprises I was looking forward to. I was finally able to send off my homesickness.
Myself with mom & sister
Ah-ha moment that Korean snacks are a great way to experience Korea
For two years, I completely forgot about that experience. In my senior year, my best friend founded a Korean Hallyu society. I joined as a founding member. I experienced another shock moment - members were toasting with Soju and loved Tteokbokki. I realized that my friends loved Korea just as I love the UK, hence were amazed by pieces of Korea such as snacks, goodies, and drinks.
I wanted to share with them the delightful moments of opening the box my family sent. I wanted to give comfort to them, and empower them with Korean surprises they are passionate about. The thought has led me to launch a Korean snack box.
I define myself as a “snack box maker”. Whether you fell in love with Korea from Kpop or your loved ones, I want to add lots of fun and memorable moments to your journey through a box of Korean snacks and goodies.
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From Seoul to London, Seoulteam is here!
Together, Seoulbox has grown into a team of amazing astronauts with an ambition to deliver the most authentic Korean experiences to the world. Astronauts are exploring space, and so do Seoulbox astronauts across the Korean universe. Our adventure is towards one goal: deliver the best Korean experiences to our Seoulmates and empower their passions!
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Seoulbox philosophy: 7 principles behind the box
On a mission to delivering authentic Korean experiences, Seoulbox stands by 7 principles. Let me introduce you our “box philosophy”.
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Thematic
As a Korean subscription box, we view themes as the best opportunities to unfold epic stories of Korea. The selection is as diverse as the classic Korean full moon festival and Valentine-special romance K-Dramas. At the moment I am writing about us, our monthly theme is Busan. From a snack version of its home food (dry black bean noodles) to local delicacy (vegetable fishcake), we featured lots of unique snacks and goodies around Busan.
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Authenticity
Living 6 years in London, and 1 year especially near the biggest Korean supermarket in the city, I have learned how important it is to receive Korean snacks only available in Korea! We put special care to ensure that Korean candies and treats inside the box are Korea-exclusive.
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Made by fans, for fans
The Seoulbox HQ is located in a cute street near Sinchon, Seoul. However, the team behind Seoulbox is all from different countries and backgrounds! What ties us together is our love for Korea! Being a fan and customer of the market before a company, we understand the importance of delivering authenticity. Benign international, we also have experienced how crucial safe shipping is.
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Curation focused
We are serious about curation. The balance of tastes, flavors, types and textures of snacks, goodies - evyerthing is thoroughly quality-assured..
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Seoulzine
A magazine called Seoulzine comes along the box each month. We call it Seoulzine. It started with a 1-page brief snack tips & tricks. We have been improving it together with our subscribers. For example, our Seoulmates asked for allergen info or popular Korean TV programs. Authors gathered at a table, brainstormed, and improved Seoulzines each month. Now, it has evolved into a 32+ page guidebook packed with cultural insights and how to snack in the most yummy ways!
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Seoulmate community
We build a strong Seoulamte community with our subscribers. We communicate with them through newsletters, videos, and blogs. Sometimes, our topics are as cheeky as “foreigner girl’s dating experiences in Korea”. Secret: it’s originated from one Seoulmate’s feedback!
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Tongdal - better box every month
In Korean, “Tongdal” means [to get better and better, and eventually become perfect in the field]. Our objective is to deliver the best Korean experience to our customers. Collecting feedback, researching the snack industries, and collaborating with amazing people/brands, every Seoulbox is better than Seoulbox in the past month.
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Philosophy may be a little heavy word for a snack box, but the principles have guided us towards our mission: to bring Korea closer to the world. Hwaiting for your love and passion for Korea.
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Are you our existing Seoulmate? Please tell us which themes or goodies you want to receive in your next box.
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Are you interested in Seoulbox? Feel free to take the quiz and find the perfect box for your Seoul! It will be a fun quiz :)
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Would you like to join our journey to make the best Korean snack box in the world? Let's talk! If you meet a certain standard, the manager of the interested team will interview you directly.