Still unsure about expanding overseas? Even if it’s on a small scale, check the market’s real reaction first.
For the beauty brand “Boreum Seoul,” which launched on December 6, 2025, wadiz was more than just a funding channel—it was their first global stage, breaking down language and national barriers. By leveraging AI translation and efficient advertising strategies, the brand was able to build a global fanbase through sales in seven countries, despite being in its early stages.
“From the very beginning, I wanted to create a structure where our brand could be validated without borders,” says CEO Lee Hyun-ji. Discover the behind-the-scenes story of ‘Boreum Seoul’s’ global funding campaign—how its sincere brand philosophy transcended language barriers to reach people around the world, and how the brand is expanding beyond Dubai into the U.S. market.
Q. Hello, maker! Please introduce yourself.
Hello, I’m Lee Hyun-ji, founder of “Boreum Seoul.”
After working as an international flight attendant for 10 years, my skin really suffered. Through that experience, I realized that what I needed wasn’t “cosmetics that make you look good quickly,” but rather “skincare that builds skin resilient enough to stand the test of time.” “Boreum Seoul” is the brand that was born out of that realization.
Q. I heard it took three years for “Boreum Seoul” to launch. I imagine you must have had your share of doubts and moments of uncertainty.
I didn’t realize it would take three years. (Laughs) Since I started with nothing but determination—knowing absolutely nothing about the cosmetics industry—I had to run around a lot and ask a lot of questions. There were moments when I wavered, but just as I became a flight attendant after four years of hard work despite not knowing any English, I think I’ve moved forward step by step at my own pace, driven by the belief that “if I set my mind to it, I can do it.”
Q. There are many platforms out there—why did you choose wadiz as your first global launchpad?
It was because there were virtually no limitations on the countries we could ship to. I believe this wasn’t just an advantage from the consumer’s perspective, but also avery strategically advantageous choice from the brand’s perspective, as we wanted to introduce “Borum Seoul” to the world. In fact, through wadiz, including Korea, a total of 7 countries.
Rather than following the pattern of “domestic launch followed by overseas expansion” or “K-Beauty sold exclusively overseas,” wadiz was the most suitable platform as a first global stage because it allowed us to establish a structure where the product could be validated without borders from the very beginning.
Q. Were there any challenges when you first started this global project?
Since we were targeting multiple countries simultaneously , language translation was a crucial factor. In fact, while the product itself is important, the brand philosophy is just as vital. We believed that if we conveyed our values effectively, people would eventually recognize them, so we had to communicate both the product and its Story clearly.
wadiz’s has a well-developed AI translation feature, so simply uploading the product details in Korean automatically translated them into Chinese, Japanese, English, and other languages, allowing us to reach many more global supporters. For a brand in its early stages, the very fact that we could share our product and Story without language barriers was a huge opportunity, and it allowed us to quickly gauge the global response.
Q. The funding campaign wrapped up very successfully. What did you focus on most while running the project?
I believe the campaign succeeded because we focused on building trust. While sensational hooks might attract attention early on, I felt they could undermine brand credibility in the long run. Instead, we aimed to demonstrate the process of building trust through the funding campaign itself. We focused more on listening to honest reviews from actual users and developing the product based on their feedback.
Q. You also made excellent use of advertising to boost your funding campaign—could you share some of your own tips as a maker?
I experimented multiple times to find the advertising strategy that best suited my brand. I focused on the fact that even for the same product, different target audiences respond to different keywords—such as “overcoming dryness in extremely dry environments,” “makeup smudging,” and “slowing down the aging process.”So, rather than looking for a single “right answer,” I ran ads by simultaneously testing various formats and messages, quickly adjusting toward the approaches that generated the best responses.
Q. Please share a word of cheer for makers dreaming of building a global brand.
You don’t have to be perfect from the start. Even on a small scale, test the market’s genuine reaction first. Many people perceive borders or language as barriers, but I actually think the bigger reason is the moment they put off getting started because they’re wondering, “Will this really work?”.
However, a brand built on honest experiences and an authentic attitude spreads much faster and farther than you might expect. It’s okay if it seems a little slow—a brand created with sincerity will eventually grow at its own pace.
Now, beyond Dubai to the U.S. market!
“Borum Seoul” plans to continue collaborating with various partners in Dubai and is set to expand into the U.S. market, where it garnered significant attention through its wadiz funding campaign.
On wadiz, anyone can take their first steps toward becoming a global brand like “Borum Seoul.”
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