By Honorary Reporter Andrea Estefania Quiroz from Ecuador

Photos = Geekble

In addition to pop music, Korea is a global leader in science and technology and innovation. The country ranked sixth in last year's Global Innovation Index of the World Intellectual Property Organization and second in technological expertise in a survey by U.S. News and World Report. 

Geekble is a content studio, founded and based in Korea, that tries to make science and engineering fun and accessible. Its YouTube channel shows its design and building of projects to appeal not only to Koreans but also people abroad.

Geekble team (Geekble)

Impressed by the startup's approach and way of teaching and spreading science and engineering, I asked for an interview to learn more about Geekble's history, work philosophy and projects.

This email interview was conducted from June 20 to July 1 with Geekble CEO Park Chan-hoo.

Briefly introduce your company.

Founded in 2017 by me and fellow engineering students, Geekble emerged from the realization that media for science-focused content was nonexistent. Inspired by the Google News Lab Project, I launched the team to become the National Geographic of Korea, with an aim to make science and engineering fun and accessible.

Geekble's first team project recreated Iron Man's repulsor cannon. (Geekble YouTube)

What's the biggest challenge in making content and how do you solve it?
One of the biggest challenges is the time constraint. We complete hardware R&D projects typically taking months or years in traditional manufacturing in two to four weeks due to the fast-paced nature of the media content industry. To achieve this, we use a highly specialized and delegated workflow to work fast while ensuring quality and precision.

What is the best project you've presented at an innovation fair or event?
Our most technically challenging project was an artificial intelligence-powered scent blending machine made in collaboration with Google for the launch of their Gemini model. The project was exhibited in both Korea and Japan and received praise for "transforming scientific precision into an emotional experience."

This scent blending machine customizes perfumes by analyzing people using AI.

How are ideas born and developed into projects at Geekble?
With 1.2 million subscribers, we seek to actively grow through crowdsourced ideas from our community. The key is to encourage audience participation and later turn that into content, which in turn generates satisfaction and engagement.

What long-term impact on education or culture does Geekble seek?
Our educational vision seeks to provide students with passion-based learning via AI and STEM (science and technology, engineering and medicine) kits. Our cultural vision aims to launch a global maker culture platform in regions where science journalism is scarce.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.