At the end of 2020, the idea of sharing stories from Korea with our friends was born. At the end of March 2021, Schauplatz Korea Magazine went online for the first time. With our texts, we go behind the scenes, to the places that are commonplace for many, but very special for us.
We are artists, students, historians, philosophers, entrepreneurs, educators, photographers, mothers and fathers, and much more. Our credo: To be curious about the places we visit, open to the people we meet, and passionate about what we see… off the mainstream, between the poles of Confucianism and Modernity. We report unvarnished and real.
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Daniel Thomas Faller
SEOUL | Korea
Daniel is the founder of Schauplatz Korea Magazine, editor-in-chief and creative director. He is a Swiss native and Korea lover based in Seoul. Daniel is interested in people’s stories and projects and passionate about visual art and photography. And he likes to be seduced by Makgeolli…
Marcel Gerber
ZUG | Switzerland
Marcel’s first trip to the Korean peninsula fascinated him so much that from then on, he was always drawn back to South Korea. He is Swiss and works in IT. He is an enthusiastic hiker and skier and has recently rediscovered his passion for gardening. Marcel is already looking forward to his next trip to the Far East with ICN as his ultimate destination.
Martin Toenz
BALZERS | Liechtenstein
Martin supports the team with his IT know-how and is always on the hunt for solutions to everyday problems. He is Swiss and lives in the sixth smallest country in the world. Martin always finds unexpected challenges exciting. With Martin, you always have a true friend: helpful, cheerful, and happy to help in any way. He lives by the motto: "always look on the bright side of life."
Bettina Neuman
ARLESHEIM | Switzerland
Bettina Neuman was born and raised in Switzerland. She worked in the HR business for many years before moving into career consulting and training. Today, she is active in the field of organizational and personal development, is a mother of three children and a passionate runner. She loves to travel and explore foreign cultures.
Carlo Eigenmann
ZUERICH | Switzerland
In the fall of 2023, I was in Korea for the first time and immediately fell in love with this country. I have been taking pictures for over 10 years and have now turned my hobby into my profession. I like to travel in beautiful Switzerland, of course always with my FUJIFILM camera in my luggage. But I also love the north of Europe. In summer as well as in winter. I love to cook and eat. I love Korean, as well as Japanese cuisine.
Claudia Benz
GENF | Switzerland
With a finance background, she knows how to handle numbers. She juggles between three languages daily and loves art, culture and hiking. Claudia has a large collection of Korean and Japanese anime. As a Korea lover, she also likes to watch a music video of BTS...
Debbie Leimgruber
PONTEVEDRA | USA
Debbie likes the term global citizen and has lived in about six countries in length ranging from 2 years (Australia) to 7 years (Switzerland) so has experienced the different cultures in multiple countries and continents. Experiencing different cultures brings us closer together. It stands to reason that one of her favourite hobbies is international travel however with that at a standstill for the last 18 months, she has been exploring the east coast from Florida to Maine and points in between via car travel. Other hobbies include volunteer work for an organization that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them so they can be paired with veterans suffering from PTSD or brain trauma and she also loves to play a game called pickleball.
Frederic Weber
SEOUL | Korea
As a management consultant and managing director, Frederic is well connected to Switzerland. His love for Korea was so great that he and his Korean wife moved from Dubai to Seoul almost thirteen years ago. In his spare time, Frederic is not only a photographer but also a philatelist and audiophile. He is a great lover of nature, a tireless hiker, and an explorer! Frederic loves meeting new friends and discovering new places.... never without his camera around his neck!
Inhye Lee
BERLIN | Germany
Inez is a designer who likes to experience and explore new things in everyday life. Daily memories can be very special and influence her not only as a person but also as a designer. She gets inspiration from commonplace activities, which often lead her to initial sketches for projects.
Myungsook Park
SEOUL | Korea
A free spirit, Myungsook enjoys traveling overseas, and also likes to feel the nature and culture of the countries she travels to. She has already traveled to more than 20 countries. She loves to listening classical music and enjoys going to classical music concerts. To see her favorite pianist Yunchan Lim live, she also likes to travel to the ends of the world.
Yeowon Son
SEOUL | Korea
Yeowon is a German/Korean translator. Born in Seoul, she has had a great interest in new languages and cultures since she was a child. Driven by curiosity about a new world, she decided to study German. She loves books, coffee and LEGO.
Claudia Toenz
SEOUL | Korea
Claudia, an entrepreneur, passionate and intrepid traveler. Has worked as a consultant for many years. She avoids standstill, in change she finds the constant, in nature the tranquility, in art and culture the inspiration. South Korea, is her current home where she has made many friends and built her second startup.
Eddy Seung Kwan Kim
NAMYANGJU | Korea
Eddy is the Founder of IDA (International Discussion Association) where members discuss solutions to various international issues while maintaining respect to the cultures and values affected. He is a person who enjoys leaving his comfort zone and his passion for exploring different cultures has helped him become a more open-minded and creative person.
Hyeonji Ko
BUSAN | Korea
Hyeonji studies the Korean language and literature at Dong-A University. Her dream is to become a teacher and advocate of Korean culture. She is interested in everything about people: especially what people are saying and how they behave. Communicating with people, gaining insights into other people's minds and opinion is what drives her. To get closer to her dream, she writes articles based on these interests and introduces her beloved city Busan.
Jessica Hoag
PONTEVEDRA | USA
Jessica Hoag is a contributing editor and author. She recently lived in Seoul but has returned to the US, where she has resided in the Midwest, East, and South. She is an avid reader, learner, and explorer. Susan Sontag’s quote captures her passion for chasing adventures: I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.
Julia Mellor
SEOUL | Korea
Julia is the first non-Korean specialist in Korean traditional alcohol. Originally from Australia, Julia moved to Korea in 2007 and has dedicated the last 9 years of her life to educating and promoting ‘Sool’ around the world. She is the founder of ‘The Sool Company’, an organization providing Korean alcohol fermentation classes, tasting experiences and industry consulting.
Michael Menke
SEOUL | Korea
Michael Menke came to Korea in 1991 to teach German at the university of Incheon for a year. He still does that to this day. When there are no lectures, he likes to travel or stay in Berlin. If the weather in Korea allows it, he rides his bike all over Seoul, because that's actually no more dangerous than in Berlin. He is also interested in modern classical music.
Paul Moon
SEOUL | Korea
Paul is our youngest writing talent in the Magazine. He is currently a high school student residing and studying in South Korea, he contributes to school newspapers and magazines and has a passion for writing. He is looking to improve his writing and open his creativity.
Roland Fitze
AESCH | Switzerland
As a retired economist who is interested in Swiss history, Roland can often be found in the lecture hall of the University of Basel. Being bored is a non-word for him. As well as football (FC Basel!) and traveling, writing crime novels is also a great passion of Roland's.
Seong min Yun
BUSAN | Korea
Seong min, a.k.a Jima, is a Korean University student. He is curious and kind to anyone. He loves to learn foreign languages, and he can speak 4 languages: English, Japanese, French, and of course Kor. Jima is also a painter and writer. He paints about love and flowers and writes stories of life. Jima wants to create a world more colorful. With him, you shall learn how to look at the world a little bit differently.
Soo yeon Yu
SEOUL | Korea
Hello. I’m currently attending the Korea National University of Arts and majoring in Pungmul Janggu. I’m studying until now beacause I’m falling in love with the coolness and newness of Korean tradition. Traditional instruments also have a lot of charm at a time when Korean K-pop becaomes famous. I want to communicate this charm with more people through press activities. By personal introduction, I want to be interested in not only traditional art but also food and sports. I wants to communicate in many ways, not just in traditional art.
Suemin Hong
SEOUL | Korea
Watching movies and experiencing foreign cultures have always been inspiring Suemin. Studying different languages (Korean, English, Chinese, etc.), traveling to foreign countries, and trying various foods, Suemin understood better not only Korea itself but also the beauty of foreign cultures. These experiences inspired Suemin the idea of spreading Korean cultural beauty around the world.
Sumin Oh
SEOUL | Korea
Sumin, born and raised in Seoul, is a high school student in South Korea. She lived in USA for a short time. Sumin takes great interest in Korea’s cultural assets. She also has a passion for English Literature. In her free time, she like to read books, watch movies, and listen to Taylor Swift.
Suyeon Ko
SEOUL | Korea
Suyeon likes to hang out with friends and listen to their worries. Born and raised in Korea, she is a professional musician who plays a traditional musical instrument called Daegeum. She loves to travel abroad. Her first trip brought her to Germany and Switzerland. To date, Suyeon has beautiful memories of these two countries.
Urs Gerber
SCHUEPFEN | Switzerland
Urs is the president of a foundation that operates the collection of the Swiss Armed Forces’ historical material. Since having served as head of the Swiss NNSC Delegation in Panmunjom he is very much interested in Korean politics, history and culture. He is looking forward to taste a hot-stone bibimpap in downtown Seoul after the lifting of the Covid-19 travel restrictions…
Yeim Choi
ZUERICH | Switzerland
Yeim is a Korean native based in Dadaepo, Busan. She has many interests: immersing in different cultures, studying languages (English, Indonesian and more to come), exploring the world, hearing people's stories, writing, drawing and playing the piano. Above all, she wants to make the world a better place.