Why I started a travel company in Korea

Hi, I’m Minju. I’ve lived as an overseas Korean for most of my life.

I’ve lived, studied, and worked across Asia including the Philippines and China, and I have traveled to 30+ countries.

When I look back, of these trips, one trip in particular had the greatest impact on me:

Coming home to Korea

You see, in high school, my parents signed me up for a Korean homecoming program for young people in the diaspora.

My cohort and I flew to Korea from our respective countries. The diversity of Koreans in this group really shocked me. We visited many sites important to our heritage including places like Panmunjeom when it was still open to the public. We also learned about Korean history, culture, and society from university professors. We moved as a group.

For the first time ever, I was surrounded by Koreans from everywhere with:

• different lives

• different accents

• different experiences of Koreanness

We recognized ourselves in each other. Or, at least I did.

And it felt so… comfortable.

I’d always felt like a cultural stranger.

When I was younger, my parents used to say there was an alien living in their house. Referring to me.

After the trip and as I got older, I realized I needed to stop drifting and start digging. I need to take responsibility for my own relationship with the homeland.

I think that’s where it started. It’s led to me creating Fluent Korean, pursuing an MA in Korean Studies, earning my my tour guide license, obtaining my travel/agency tour operator permit, and now founding my own company in Korea.

Many of these homecoming programs focus on young people in the diaspora.

But the pandemic made it clear that even as adults, so many of us are still searching.

Still yearning for a deeper connection to who we are, where we come from, and to each other.

And broadly speaking, there are over 7 million of us out in the world.

For me, travel to and within Korea helps answer many of these questions. And it’s so much fun.

I feel it would be so much more meaningful if we did it together.

Over the years, and especially since obtaining a tour guide license, I have traveled and led tours extensively throughout the country, including in regions now at risk of extinction due to population decline.

I have built, and continue to nurture, meaningful relationships with keepers of Korean traditions, wisdom, and knowledge. I learn from and work with them wherever possible.

I’m also always down one rabbit hole or another, exploring Korean culture, society, history, folklore, and language. As far as I’m concerned, research is definitely me search.

What once made me feel like an alien is now what allows me to create Korean experiences that go far beyond the surface.

My strength lies in the sliver between yin and yang, where I am both and neither at the same time, allowing me to translate culture with clarity and intention.

My goal is to be a bridge for those seeking (re)connection with the Korean peninsula and to others in the diaspora who are also on their journey of self-discovery.

I also welcome curious and respectful travelers who wish to experience Korea more deeply, beyond the usual itinerary.

So, I hope you’ll join me on a journey that feels like coming home.

*multi-day trips coming soon