Q&A with Seoul Goodman
A quiet introduction to the person behind The Kosmosis
Q: Who are you?
A: I go by Seoul Goodman—a pen name, a state of mind, and maybe a quiet commitment to where I’m from. I’m a cultural storyteller focused on portraying Korea in ways that are emotionally honest, visually layered, and globally resonant.
Q: Why did you start The Kosmosis?
A: The seeds were planted back in the late ’90s, when I first moved abroad to Rome. At the time, Korea barely registered in most people’s imagination. Since then, it’s been my quiet mission to share Korea with non-Koreans in ways that feel both authentic and relatable. Not flattened into clichés or exported hype—but shown with texture, care, and emotional truth.
Now that the world is watching Korea, I feel this kind of storytelling matters more than ever.
Korea isn’t just BTS, Olive Young, or fire noodles. It’s also subtle, slow, local, and deeply human.
Q: What is The Kosmosis?
A: It’s an independent editorial studio—a personal platform to rethink Korean “cool” through essays, photo series, and documentary-style videos. Less about trends, more about emotional resonance. I call it cultural storytelling in soft focus.
Q: What does the name mean?
A: Kosmosis = K + Osmosis. Korea meets the quiet diffusion of ideas.
It reflects how I want stories to travel—slowly, naturally, and across borders without force.
Q: What’s your background?
A: I’ve worked across creative direction, cultural strategy, and storytelling in various forms—brand, editorial, visual, and experiential. What connects it all is a desire to shape how Korea is felt and understood beyond its surface exports.
Q: What kind of stories do you tell?
A: I gravitate toward overlooked details: a café with no sign, a residential street with strange harmony, a dessert that tells a story. I believe mood is a kind of message—and that culture often lives in quiet gestures.
Q: Where can we find your work?
A:
• On Instagram, I post visual essays—photographs layered with subtle, reflective text.
• On Medium, I write narrative essays about place, identity, and design.
• On YouTube, I create videos with local experts that dive into neighborhood culture and quiet rituals, starting with Seoul’s café scene.
Q: Can people reach out?
A: Always. Whether it’s a collaboration, a conversation, or a kindred curiosity—
