Yeah, but I didn’t.

©️Jason.

I don’t want to sound like a know-it-all. That’s not why I write here. Rather, I’m writing because I’m closer to a know-nothing-at-all.

One day I think I understand something and make it sound sensible, but the next day I realize it never was. That’s why. I’m not pretending to be humble; I’m simply a humble being, in the sense that I don’t understand many things in life.

As a small business owner, things can be challenging. If we were a large corporation with thousands or millions of people, some problems might be solved easily, but that’s not the case. We have to solve them ourselves. We have to be creative problem solvers. And yes, I know that the corporate world has its own issues and challenges; I saw those in my younger days.

Still, I continue to hold tea ceremonies, host sessions, and provide interpretation. I still smile, care for every visitor, answer every question, and remain kind.

Because this is what I do. I run a tea room. It’s my calling, my responsibility, and my choice.

We’re all going to die one day, and all these dramas and small issues will be forgotten. “We” will be forgotten. So none of those challenges matter in the first place.

But tradition will stay. It will survive generations and be passed down because of people like us, and it’s fine if no one remembers our names. Nothing really matters.

What matters is that there are people willing to experience and explore Korean culture, and we happen to know about it because we’ve been practicing it for 11 years.

It’s been a rough week at the tea room. I could have left, given up, or compromised, but I didn’t. Nothing matters.

Your interest in tea, our expertise, and our time together are the only things that do.

Jason.

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Jason manages Heesum Tea Room, a serene space in Seoul dedicated to the art of the Korean tea ceremony. At Heesum, guests can join an immersive Hands-On™ Korean Tea Ceremony, exploring Korea’s tea culture in an intimate and thoughtful way.

With a background in journalism and working as a writer for a global Fortune 10 company, Jason brings a storyteller’s eye and a deep sense of hospitality to every session. A lifelong tea enthusiast as well as a painter and photographer, he approaches each ceremony as both art and dialogue.

Together with certified tea master Songna, who studied the Korean Royal Court Tea Ceremony, Jason invites visitors to slow down and rediscover the beauty of attention and stillness. For people seeking an authentic Korean tea ceremony experience in Seoul, Heesum offers a personal encounter with tradition, craftsmanship, and calm.