• Lim Jae-beom, A Four Decade Resonance

    BySeoul Goodman

    Lim Jae-beom’s forty-year journey reveals how a single voice can hold the emotional rhythm of Korea.

    임재범의 40년은 한 목소리가 한국의 감정 구조를 어떻게 담아낼 수 있는지를 보여준다.

  • A Designer’s Role in the Age of AI

    BySeoul Goodman

    In an age where AI masters the tools of design, what remains for the designer? A reflection on why perspective, not skill, defines the designer’s role today.

    AI가 디자인 스킬을 대체해가는 시대, 디자이너는 무엇으로 존재해야 하는가. 기술이 아닌 관점이 디자인의 핵심임을 다시 확인하게 된 사유의 기록.

  • Way of Life in Korea

    BySeoul Goodman

    Rather than defining a new national identity, this column asks what already exists.

    이 칼럼은 ‘한국이라는 국가 브랜드’를 새로 규정하는 대신, 이미 존재하는 한국적 삶의 방식이 무엇인지 질문한다.

  • Two Neighbors, Two Narratives: Korea and Japan as Brands

    BySeoul Goodman

    Korea and Japan are neighbors with shared history, familiar aesthetics, and constant cultural exchange: yet their national branding paths evolved differently. This essay explores why.

    한국과 일본은 가깝지만 서로 다른 브랜드 정체성을 가지고 있다. 음식, 언어, 산업 구조, 문화적 리듬이 그 차이를 어떻게 만들었는지 살펴본다.

  • Beyond K-Everything

    BySeoul Goodman

    An exploration of Korea’s national branding. This essay examines the limits of “K-labels” and argues that everyday Korean life holds the deeper cultural codes that can define Korea’s global identity.

    한국의 국가 브랜드를 둘러싼 문제를 탐구하는 칼럼. ‘K-레이블’ 중심의 브랜딩이 가진 한계를 짚고, 한국 일상의 감수성이 새로운 브랜드 자산이 될 수 있는 가능성을 이야기한다.

  • [Korean Modern Art Series #4] From Informel to Dansaekhwa (1956–1980)

    BySeoul Goodman

    This article concludes The Kosmosis’s four-part series on modern Korean art — tracing its journey from the first Western painters to abstraction, and from postwar turbulence to the stillness of Dansaekhwa. Modern Korean art after the war was born out of ruins. In the mid-1950s, a new generation of painters began to confront the chaos…

  • On “Young Forty” and Men’s Fashion

    BySeoul Goodman

    In Korea, the term Young Forty has recently become a meme. It originally described people in their forties who managed to stay youthful, carrying a positive nuance. Over time, however, it has shifted into a pejorative label. Today it often mocks men in their forties who try too hard to look or sound young, accused…

  • Korean Beef 101: A Cut Above the Rest

    BySeoul Goodman

    A Practical Guide for Foreigners This comprehensive guide is designed to help foreigners better understand the various parts of Korean beef cuts. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to make more informed choices when purchasing beef from Korean supermarkets or ordering dishes at Korean restaurants. Whether you’re an expat living in Korea, a traveler exploring…

  • Rethinking Korea’s Global Brand: What We’re Missing About Ourselves

    BySeoul Goodman

    An Anthropological Perspective on Culture, Identity, and Storytelling I recently came across an insightful interview with Pauline Brown, former North American Chairman at LVMH, in Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo. In it, she describes Korea’s explosive global popularity — through K-Pop, K-Dramas, and K-Beauty — as akin to “sweet candy,” beloved globally yet at risk of losing momentum unless…