When I first landed in San Francisco eight years ago, I felt like a newcomer twice over. I was new to the city (and the country), of course, but also to the idea of what my own connection to Korea might look like here.

In Paris, where I lived, Korea had found me long before being recognized internationally. It started as an encounter with the Korean language in the streets of Paris in 2011. Something about the sound of it just drew me in. What had just sparked my curiosity quickly became a part of my story.

Because not that many people knew about Korea at that time, including me, I became passionate about learning all about it – Korean culture, music, language, the countless Korean restaurants of Paris and the vibrant local community. That passion led me to create Corée Magazine, a French website dedicated to sharing stories about Korea. With a newly created team, I interviewed artists, diplomats, innovators — people like the Korean Ambassador to France, legendary rock singer Kang Saneh, even actor Jung Woo-Sung. My goal was to make Korea’s stories visible to anyone curious enough to discover them. 

So when I moved to San Francisco to continue my career in tech marketing, I naively thought it would be easy to continue that connection. But it wasn’t. 

Here in the Bay Area, the Korean community was vibrant but scattered. There were cultural events, restaurants, businesses, even startups connecting Korea and Silicon Valley — yet it wasn’t easy to find one place where all these stories lived.

Over time, I met many people that inspired me with their personal stories of community, culture and entrepreneurship. All of them bridging two worlds in their own ways.

I felt so inspired and wished for these stories to be more visible. That’s when, in 2023, the idea for Korea by the Bay began to take shape. 

This project is my attempt to build a space where the connections between both places could be celebrated, shared, and preserved. Through interviews, curated articles, and personal reflections, Korea by the Bay will shine a light on the people, projects, and ideas building bridges between these two vibrant places.

Whether you are Korean American, a Korean living in the Bay Area, a Korea enthusiast living in the Bay, or whether you live in Korea and somehow feel connected to the San Francisco Bay Area, I truly hope that reading these stories will leave you feeling proud and inspired!

So, welcome to Korea by the Bay. I’m so glad you’re here!