The 23rd International Tea Culture Expo is currently underway through the 7th at COEX Hall D on the 3rd floor in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The moment you step into the entrance of the exhibition hall, the subtle aroma of wood and the deep scent of tea instantly stimulate your senses. The venue drawing an exceptionally long line of young visitors is the booth of 'YEPYEONG,' a K-Tea platform that has emerged as the hottest attraction at this year's expo.
Exhibiting a space crafted from aged misong (American pine) timber sourced from 'Nongam Yega'—the nation's most prestigious traditional historic estate famed for its traditional ‘Tae-um-jil’ technique where the wood surface is scorched with fire to bring out its natural, three-dimensional grain—the booth offers a literal "five-senses therapy" to the 2030 generation weary of their smartphones. We sat down at the venue with the young entrepreneur and CEO, Kwon Ha-ram (30), who personally designed and worked through the night to install this exhibition space.
Q. A massive 'open run' among the youth erupted as soon as the expo opened. What is your secret?
"The 2030 generation, highly habituated to digital devices, is utterly exhausted by smartphones and digital fatigue. Rather than simply drinking coffee as a mere beverage, they are craving an 'experience' that can awaken their physical senses and offer a true state of rest. As an integrated K-Tea platform, YEPYEONG wanted to break out of the conventional framework of a traditional 'tea house' that merely brews and sells tea leaves. That is exactly why we went to great lengths to source aged timber from 'Nongam Yega,' the ultimate domestic authority on traditional heritage, to direct this artistic and sensory space. Seeing young visitors put down their smartphones for a moment to experience 'five-senses therapy' in a space where the aroma of tea blends seamlessly with the mood of traditional architecture has given me absolute confidence in the future of K-Tea."
Q. As a young entrepreneur in your 30s, what inspired you to dive into the traditional tea market? Your unique background is also drawing a lot of attention.
"After being discharged from the military, I spent nearly a decade from my early 20s running various businesses on the front lines to sharpen my practical field instincts. During that time, I recognized the infinite potential of traditional tea, which led me to move to China—the birthplace of tea culture—to officially qualify as a certified 'Je-da-sa' (Master Tea Crafter) and 'Pyeong-cha-sa' (Certified Tea Evaluator). I fundamentally believed that to reshape the market, I needed to master its absolute essence—ranging from 'Je-da' (the tea-crafting process equivalent to coffee roasting) to 'Pyeong-cha' (the professional evaluation of tea quality)."
Q. What is the single biggest identity that differentiates YEPYEONG from existing traditional tea brands?
"The conventional traditional tea market was completely fragmented among tea producers, processors, distributors, and space operators. Consequently, the quality remained inconsistent, and the storytelling within physical spaces was largely underwhelming. To shatter these limitations, we completed a 'vertical integration of the value chain' that unifies the entire lifecycle under one ecosystem: ▲ sourcing and producing rare teas, ▲ maintaining rigorous storage and distribution standards, ▲ standardizing extraction techniques, and ▲ designing the spaces. Because an expert who thoroughly understands the core essence of tea oversees everything from initial production to final spatial execution, we can consistently deliver an unwavering, premium atmosphere to our customers."
Q. You have outlined a plan to strictly limit your domestic offline locations to 'around 10 stores.' What is your reason for rejecting quantitative expansion?
"Indiscriminate franchise expansion ultimately forces a brand to compromise on its unique ambiance and the absolute quality of its tea. YEPYEONG is not meant to be just another common franchise; we want it to remain a 'premium cultural asset that customers feel compelled to visit and experience firsthand.' Currently, our locations—including the Yongsan Flagship, the Bundang Branch, and the Jeju Hangyeong Branch—each offer a thoroughly differentiated sequence of healing experiences. We intend to firmly uphold this rarity strategy within the domestic market without any compromise."
Q. We hear that this unique platform model is gaining substantial traction in the B2B market as well.
"With the onset of a super-aged society, we have been receiving a continuous stream of collaboration requests from executives at major construction companies currently developing high-end retirement communities and senior wellness facilities. This interest stems from the fact that YEPYEONG's integrated value-chain expertise and our spatial philosophy—which prioritizes 'emotional stability'—perfectly align with the high-end wellness needs of the senior generation."
Q. How do you envision your global expansion and future roadmap?
"We have already finalized the opening of our first overseas store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the first half of this year, which will mark our official entry into the Southeast Asian market. During this exhibition, we engaged in highly productive, intensive meetings with European representatives from places like Paris, France, to discuss transplanting YEPYEONG's spatial business model into the West. Spanning from Southeast Asia to the very heart of Europe, we will continue to turn our global vision for 21st-century 'K-Tea Culture' into a reality."
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