Magazine B Publisher Suyong Joh interview

Suyuong Joh and his company B Media, publisher of Magazine B, has begun a new series, “A Perspective”. While it is not available in English, we thought our Magazine B community would find this interview with Magazine B founding publisher Suyong Joh to be interesting.

We found this quote in particular to be the essence of the perspective behind Magazine B:

If I had to choose between being an entrepreneur and a designer, I’d choose designer. Design is still as fun to me as it was in my student days. But to do truly good, enjoyable design, you inevitably have to look into why the design is needed — its essence. Once you focus on the essence, design naturally connects to the business side. So I don’t really see the two as separate professions.

It reminds us AirBnb founder Brian Chesky’s own design-first path from The Rhode Island School of Design to the founding CEO of AirBnb.

Below is an unofficial English translation of the interview with Suyong Joh:

Suyong Joh has been publishing the brand documentary Magazine <B> for 14 years, and is both an entrepreneur and a designer who has worked on branding and design across industries such as food and beverage, hospitality, fashion, and real estate. He says that good design originates from a business perspective, and he holds to an approach of identifying the essence of work while nurturing a media brand with consistency and balance.

What kind of business do you consider Magazine B to be?


At its core, it’s a media business. Broadly speaking, it can also be seen as helping companies with branding and marketing. For media to truly be media, I believe it needs consistency and persistence. To do business through media, you must possess your own inherent influence — and that influence comes from consistency. Regardless of changes in the times, media will continue to exist in some form. Since the total amount of information increases infinitely, media that can filter excessive information is essential. If a medium like B continues for about ten more years with the same consistency and persistence as now, I believe it will play a meaningful role in the world. Right now, as platforms diversify and countless media outlets spring up like mushrooms after the rain, I don’t think there are many high-quality media among them. How many of today’s outlets do you think will still be around after ten years?

Is consistency and persistence the secret to Magazine B’s success?


Beyond consistency and persistence, I believe B’s own “perspective” has been another key factor. Media must have its own perspective. Of course, since there is no single correct answer, holding to a specific point of view is difficult. Even within our company, opinions vary. Most general magazines cover dozens of brands in a single issue, but B focuses on just one brand — which makes it crucial to select, observe, and tell its story with a consistent gaze. The key is to keep narrowing and sharpening that perspective without losing focus.

Now entering its 14th year, Magazine B has significantly reduced the number of issues published annually and launched the digital media platform A Perspective, marking a new phase of change.


Relating this to what I just said — media must base its business on strength. If we had defined BM (B Media Company) purely as a publishing house, we would have focused on planning books likely to become hits and selling as many as possible. But as a media company, maintaining influence is at the core. Even if a book doesn’t sell, if the brand we covered and the book itself exert influence from a media standpoint, we’ve done our job. I believe B has moved past the stage of obsessing over sales numbers. We’ve reached the point where we should heighten our significance as a media outlet. Experiments like the “Spread by B” newsletter and A Perspective ultimately reflect the desire to expand B’s influence.

“The reason you need your own perspective is because it is directly connected to living a happy life.”

I’d like to go back to the starting point of your career. As a student who decided to enter industrial design, what kind of person were you?


It wasn’t until I was repeating the college entrance exam that I found out art universities had design departments. (laughs) Back in my high school days, even the concept of “design” itself was blurry in Korea, so I was curious about every little thing. When buying stationery, I noticed the logos on the items; at fast-food restaurants, the logos were consistently placed everywhere; when shopping for fashion brands, there would be a logo sewn onto the chest of the clothes. I don’t know why, but I found this cool. Before I even considered it as part of art or design, I treated it like a game — copying those logos by hand. Eventually, I realized that my curiosity was leading me toward design, and less than a year after discovering that a design major even existed, I enrolled in an industrial design program. Finding a fascinating field and quickly moving from discovery to university admission and learning gave me an explosive feeling inside — a mix of happiness, fun, and joy.

You still work as an entrepreneur rooted in design.


If I had to choose between being an entrepreneur and a designer, I’d choose designer. Design is still as fun to me as it was in my student days. But to do truly good, enjoyable design, you inevitably have to look into why the design is needed — its essence. Once you focus on the essence, design naturally connects to the business side. So I don’t really see the two as separate professions.

Former Kakao co-CEO Yeo Min-soo, who worked with you, once said you are a warm and considerate person. How important do you think consideration is in work?


Giving consideration is important, but I think sharing it is even more important. If you have deep affection for yourself, at some point you’re able to see and like others with the same depth. The more you value yourself, the more precious each person you work with becomes. Then comes the moment when you realize that everything in the world has its own reason for existing. I believe that’s the starting point for having an open mind toward anything you do. When you have the capacity to see things generously in any situation, you develop the ability to make better decisions. This doesn’t mean you should give something up and endure losses. Simply reading and understanding other people’s emotions, and thinking, “That person is probably just as precious as I am,” can completely change your attitude toward work. Consideration naturally comes from a mindset of valuing yourself more.

How do you define “work”?


I think work is the continuous act of proving why I am needed in this world. Honestly, I’ve never thought, “I absolutely love work!” (laughs) But if I see work as proof of why I live, then it’s absolutely necessary and I want to keep doing it. People often separate work into “making money” and “doing what you love and excel at.” But if you do work that proves your value to the world, money inevitably follows. Conversely, even if you start a job just to earn money, if you realize that through it you can prove your worth to the world, you grow to love the work more. The key is to combine the two.

Late last month, B Media Company launched A Perspective, a media outlet featuring contemporary creators’ views on work and life. Why do you think living with your own perspective is important?


When you become an adult, you step into society, build relationships, and consider your place in the world. At that point, depending on the perspective through which you see the world, your life can feel happy — or, conversely, unhappy. If you fixate on others’ opinions or evaluations, “I” gradually disappear. Without agency in your own life, people inevitably become unhappy. The reason you need your own perspective is because it’s directly tied to living a happy life.

So, what perspective do you live by?


Whenever I approach any task, I live with the mindset of seeking its essence and handling it well. That’s how I see the world. That’s why, even with things I initially didn’t like very much, once I started working on them and found their essence, I usually came to like them. Sure, there were things I did because I liked them, but more often, they became things I liked because I had to do them.

I’m curious about your method for discovering and digging into that essence.


I think it’s important to believe that “there’s no such thing as the way things just are.” Most of the things we see and use in the world are ultimately created by people. If you trace something back to why it even exists — breaking it down to the simplest terms, even for things we take for granted — I believe you can find its essence. No matter how obvious something seems, there’s no such thing as “it’s just the way it is.”

Finally, what advice would you give to someone who dreams of living a life like yours?


I believe it’s the small things that change a life. It’s important to share generously, be considerate, listen well, and do your best even for someone’s small request. Life may appear to go well thanks to your own abilities, but in reality, it often changes in decisive moments because of a single word from someone close to you. The relationships and trust you’ve built over a long time with that person determine those decisive moments. So I would say, always do your best in every moment. It may sound like a cliché, but it’s actually very practical advice. Instead of running forward on your own without looking around, the odds are much higher that life will turn out better if you take care of, support, and succeed together with the people around you.

A follow-up interview with Suyong Joh on YouTube:

We also encourage you to follow the Suyong Joh instagram account.