당신의 피부가…
It sounds translated
Stiff phrasing, the wrong level of politeness, “you” in every line. People can understand it, but it doesn’t sound like a brand they’d trust, and conversions quietly drop.
Korean cultural QA for AI-made marketing
Your AI speaks Korean. Does it speak Korea?
One AI-written line can sink a launch in Korea. Before your ads, copy and visuals go live, a native Korean marketer checks them for tone, nuance and cultural landmines, and tells you exactly what to fix, in plain English.
Starbucks Korea chief dismissed over “Tank Day” promo
A tumbler promotion ran on May 18, the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, with the line “책상에 탁!” Staff later said they had “asked AI for suggestions.”
Sources: AFP via eNCA, May 26, 2026 · Kyunghyang Shinmun, Aug 4, 2026
What AI missed
- May 18 is the Gwangju Uprising anniversary. “Tank” evokes the 1980 military crackdown.
- 책상에 탁 (“slam the desk”) echoes the 1987 police cover-up of a student’s death under torture.
−₩20.8B ≈ US$15MCard spending lost the very next month (May → June, −17%)
DismissedHead of Starbucks Korea
OvertakenOutsold by a rival 3 months straight
The problem
Grammatically correct. Culturally off.
AI has made Korean campaigns cheap to produce, and easy to get subtly wrong. In 2026 alone, AI-assisted ads that skipped a human sensitivity check forced public apologies from major brands in Korea. Audiences notice instantly. And they screenshot.
받으새요
It looks Asian, not Korean
AI visuals slip in Japanese or Chinese clothing, signage and props, or render Hangul as near-miss gibberish. To Korean eyes that reads as low effort, or worse, a scam.
It steps on a landmine
A hand gesture, a sunburst pattern, a date, a word with online baggage. In Korea, details this small have led to boycotts and public apologies from major brands.
What we check
A native marketer’s eye on every line and frame
Translators check language. We check whether your message will land, with the instincts of someone who has run campaigns for Korean consumers.
01
Language & tone
Naturalness, translationese, honorific level (존댓말 / 반말), and consistency with your brand voice.
02
Cultural context
Idioms, humor, holidays and seasons like Seollal and Chuseok, numbers, colors and gifting customs.
03
Visuals
Gestures, symbols, clothing, food, settings, and AI-rendered Hangul inside images and video.
04
Sensitive topics
History, politics, gender discourse, regional and generational sensitivities, and loaded dates.
05
Claims & disclosures
Medical-sounding or exaggerated claims, sponsorship disclosures and Korea’s new AI-generated ad labeling rules, flagged for a second look.
06
Channel fit
Conventions for Naver, Kakao, Instagram, YouTube and app stores: length, CTAs, prices in ₩, date formats.
What you get
A clear report, not a red-pen mess
Every issue is rated by severity, explained in English, and paired with a ready-to-use Korean fix. Here’s an excerpt from a sample review.
Korea Readiness Report
Not launch-ready
2 Critical
2 Major
2 Minor
Fix the two critical items before publishing. Everything else is polish that will lift performance.
CriticalVisualBanner background
Red sunburst background behind the product
The radiating red-and-white rays closely resemble the Rising Sun Flag, widely seen in Korea as a symbol of Japanese imperialism. This alone can trigger backlash and takedown demands.
FixUse a flat or soft-gradient background. Avoid radiating ray patterns entirely.
CriticalVisualProduct close-up
Model holds the dropper in a thumb-and-index “pinch”
This hand shape has been read as a gender-conflict symbol in Korean online communities. Similar visuals have led to boycotts and public apologies from several major brands since 2021.
FixRegenerate with an open palm or a full-hand grip on the bottle.
MajorCopyAd headline
당신의 피부가 당신에게 감사할 것입니다.
Reads as: “Your skin will be grateful to you.”
Grammatical, but clearly machine-translated. Korean ads rarely address the reader as “당신”, and repeating it sounds distant, even cold.
Suggested피부가 먼저 알아봐요.
“Your skin notices first.”
“Your skin notices first.”
MajorClaimProduct description
여드름을 치료하는 기적의 세럼
Reads as: “A miracle serum that treats acne.”
For a cosmetic, “치료” (treat) and “기적” (miracle) can be viewed as medical or exaggerated claims under Korean advertising rules. Advisory only; confirm with a regulatory specialist.
Suggested트러블 고민 피부를 위한 데일리 세럼
“A daily serum for breakout-prone skin.”
“A daily serum for breakout-prone skin.”
MinorVisual textStory graphic (AI-rendered)
새해 복 많이 받으새요
Reads as: “Happy New Year” with a spelling mistake
“받으새요” should be “받으세요”. Typos inside images are an instant tell that a post was AI-made.
Suggested새해 복 많이 받으세요
MinorCultureBirthday email
Customer’s first name set in red
Writing a living person’s name in red is traditionally associated with death. Many Koreans find it unsettling, especially in a celebratory message.
FixSet names in your brand’s dark or accent color, anything but red.
Full reports also include an overall tone assessment and channel-specific notes.
How it works
From draft to launch-ready in four steps
Choose a package
Pick a plan and tell us who you’re targeting in Korea and where it will run.
Share your assets
Paste links to docs, Figma, Canva, Drive or video files. No account needed.
We review
A native Korean marketer goes through every line and frame by hand, not with an AI-only pass.
Get your report
Severity-rated findings, English explanations and Korean fixes. Follow-up questions included.
Pricing
Simple, fixed pricing
Prices in USD. Pay securely online, or ask for an invoice if your team needs one.
Quick Check
One ad, post, banner or short video before it ships.
$59per asset
- 1 asset: up to 150 words, 1 image, or 1 video up to 60s
- Severity-rated report with Korean fixes
- Delivered in 2 business days
- 1 round of follow-up questions
- Rush (1 business day): +$30
Campaign Review
A full campaign set or landing page, reviewed as a whole.
$249per project
- Up to 8 assets or 1,000 words
- Cross-asset tone and consistency check
- Delivered in 3 business days
- Re-check of your revised versions
- Rush (2 business days): +$120
Ongoing Partner
For teams shipping Korean content every week.
from$690per month
- Up to 25 assets per month
- Priority turnaround: 1 business day
- Korean glossary and brand-voice guide
- Direct line by email or Slack
- Monthly invoice, cancel anytime
Need full transcreation, agency white-label or something else? Email us
Who reviews your work
Hi, I’m Serena Park.
I’ve spent nearly 20 years bringing global brands to Korean and Asian audiences. I was on the founding team that took King’s Candy Crush games into Asia, including a TV campaign starring the full cast of Infinite Challenge, Korea’s most iconic variety show. At Netflix, I was a founding member of the APAC programmatic marketing team, running launch campaigns for the service and its originals across the region. Before that, I helped launch Google’s AdMob in Korea and led marketing communications for Canada’s diplomatic mission in Seoul.
EN
Trained as a journalist at the University of Missouri, the world’s first journalism school and repeatedly ranked No. 1 in the US. I read your English brief the way an editor would.
KO
Native Korean with nearly 20 years of marketing to Korean consumers. I read your Korean copy the way your customers will.
AI translation breaks in the gap between what you meant and what Koreans read. That gap is exactly where I work.
Today I lead the Korean business of a global audiobook company as Country Manager. In every one of these roles, the hard part was never the translation. It was knowing what a message would mean to Korean audiences, and what could go wrong.
Now I help global teams who create with AI make sure their Korean content sounds native, feels right and stays out of trouble. I do every review myself. It’s never outsourced and never AI-only.
- Nearly 20 years in Korea and APAC marketing
- Ex-Netflix, King (Candy Crush games), Google
- Ran 8-figure marketing budgets
- Former J&J medical product specialist: a careful eye for claims
- Journalism, University of Missouri
- Based in Seoul (KST)
Why “Vidimus”?
It’s Latin for “we have seen.” In medieval Europe, a vidimus was an official copy in which someone certified they had examined the original document with their own eyes. That’s the promise: every word and frame you send is seen by a human before it reaches Korea.
What can I submit?
Anything aimed at Korean audiences: ad copy, social posts, landing pages, emails, app store listings, banners, AI-generated images and short videos with scripts or subtitles. Share links to Google Docs, Figma, Canva, Drive or Dropbox.
What counts as one asset?
Up to 150 words of copy, one static image or banner, or one video up to 60 seconds (with its script or subtitles). Carousel posts count as one asset for up to 5 slides.
Do you translate from scratch?
Reviews focus on checking and fixing. Every flagged line comes with a suggested Korean rewrite. If you need full transcreation of a campaign, email us for a custom quote.
How fast is “2 business days”?
Business days are Monday to Friday, Korea Standard Time (UTC+9), excluding Korean public holidays. The clock starts once payment is confirmed and we can access all your files. Need it sooner? Add Rush at checkout.
Is my content kept confidential?
Yes. Your files are used only for your review and are deleted within 30 days of delivery. We never show client work or name clients without written permission, and we’re happy to sign your NDA.
Is this legal or regulatory advice?
No. We flag claims and disclosures that commonly cause trouble in Korean advertising so you can double-check them, but for legal certainty please consult a qualified Korean legal or regulatory professional.
What if I have questions about the report?
Every package includes a round of follow-up questions by email. Campaign Review also includes a re-check of your revised versions.
How do I pay? Can I get an invoice?
You can pay online at checkout. Teams that need an invoice or a different payment method can choose “invoice” at checkout or email us.
What’s your refund policy?
Full refund if we haven’t started. If a delivered report doesn’t match the package scope, we’ll fix it, and if we still can’t make it right, we’ll refund you. See the refund policy.
Launch in Korea with confidence.
Get a native check before your audience gets a first impression.