Joorung Studio is a “Culture Tech” startup guided by the philosophy of “unfolding the world’s stories with warm imagination.” CEO Soohyeon Joo (32) founded the company in January 2020.
Joorung Studio discovers and collects Korean folktales, place-name legends, and historical myths, reimagining them as AR/AI-based children’s books, animations, and interactive tourism content. Its flagship properties are the Presidential Award-winning AR children’s book series “Folktale Detective” and its ambitious expansion project, the AI-powered heritage tourism platform “Kori’s Forest.”
The company’s first product, “Folktale Detective”, is an AR children’s book series. When a child points a smartphone camera at the book, characters from the folktale appear in augmented reality and tell their story. Children then become detectives themselves, joining the character “Name Thief” on an adventure to recover the lost tales. This series has received enthusiastic responses from both children and parents, with six volumes published to date. A plan for a TV series based on the books won the Grand Prize at the Ani-Boot competition, hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). A full animated series is now in production and is scheduled to air in 2027.
Joorung Studio is expanding its content portfolio with “Kori’s Forest,” a digital tourism platform that applies AR and AI technology to cultural heritage sites and tourist attractions nationwide.
As CEO Joo explains, “Kori’s Forest brings the experience beyond the book and into real locations. Through the app, users can journey across Korea with the folktale character Kori, collect characters based on GPS tags, interact with AI-powered personas, and enjoy immersive AR experiences on site. It’s a next-generation way to experience traditional culture—encompassing tourism, education, and healing—all in one.”
Joo explains, “Our main storyline connects Name Thief, Detective, and Kori, so the series has excellent scalability—not just a collection of stand-alone experiences. Our competitive strength is in merging AR, AI, and interactive technology with story-driven content to provide a truly differentiated experience.”
He adds, “We are building trust and stable results through AR storybook sales, winning the Presidential Award, and working closely with many local governments. Starting from Korean folktales, our IP is designed to expand into other world myths and cultures in the future.”
Joorung Studio collaborates with the Cultural Heritage Administration and local governments to supply its tourism-oriented AR/AI content. The company is pursuing a multi-channel growth strategy that includes direct app distribution, crowdfunding, and merchandise development. It is also developing larger-scale projects like interactive media facades and experience zones for airports, museums, and expos.
“In our early stages, we built a stable foundation through government grants and B2G sales. With our animated series set to launch in 2026, we are now preparing for a seed/pre-A investment round to scale ‘Kori’s Forest’ nationwide and globally.”
What was the origin of this unique venture? “It all began with a serendipitous discovery at a secondhand bookstore,” Joo recalls. “I still vividly remember the day I discovered a secondhand copy of ‘Tracing the Roots of Yeongwol Place Names’ (by Eom Heung-yong, 1990). As I flipped through its pages, I encountered folktales in their most authentic form for the very first time. It felt like an entirely new world opening up before me. If novels are a genre of literature, these folktales were something more— a living treasure trove of culture, containing the authentic lifestyles, beliefs, and customs of our ancestors. I realized then: this wasn’t just a source for creative work—it was a story with the power to extend into education and regional tourism. From that moment, I began turning folktales into content, starting with Yeongwol as my first stage. My first stage was Yeongwol in Gangwon Province, and using that experience as a stepping stone, I eventually ventured into other regions as well. Across Korea, the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of countless folklorists and researchers already forms a rich foundation. Building on their achievements, I am working to create spaces for creative enjoyment that the next generation can share. Fortunately, products inspired by local folktales align perfectly with the pressing needs of local governments—for preventing regional decline and developing meaningful cultural content. By partnering with several local governments, I’ve been able to continue research and development while securing funding and producing new content. Through these efforts, folktales are coming back to life—and I believe I am walking at the very forefront of this cultural revival.”
After founding the company, “It is an immense source of pride to know that wherever I travel in Korea now, I can find traces of content our studio has created,” Joo says. “Whether at a tourist site, a historical landmark, or a festival, the characters and stories we painstakingly researched and brought to life are there, breathing new energy into the location.”
Joorung Studio is composed of a dedicated art team and development team, with a total of six members. Regarding future plans, she confirmed, “We will launch the animated series ‘Name Thief – In Search of the Gods’ Names’ in 2027, alongside an expanded version of our nationwide AR/AI tourism platform, ‘Kori’s Forest’.”
Date of Establishment: January 2020
Core Business: AR/AI-based storybook production; AR/AI content development for tourism and education; and the creation of animation and global mythology IP
Key Achievements: Won the Presidential Award at the Korea Tourism Contest for the ‘Folktale Detective’ AR storybook series Won the Grand Prize (Planning Category) for the ‘Folktale Detective’ animated series Published four volumes of the AR storybook series Cumulative sales exceeding 10,000 copies Completed multiple B2G projects with local governments and public institutions Achieved total revenue over KRW 1 billion Participated as an official exhibition content provider for the 2025 Yeongdong World Music Expo
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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