It’s always "peaceful" at Joonggonara—though usually said with irony. But when I visited the office in person, it was truly peaceful.
Seeing people smile at work was refreshing.
As I walked around the office, I realized the reason behind all the smiles was simple: the team loves what they do.
At the entrance, there’s a packing station encouraging secondhand deals. Large, medium, and small boxes, a mountain of bubble wrap, and a label printer are all set up. You might think hundreds of items are sold daily, but that’s not the case. Perhaps this setup is for the CEO, who takes secondhand trading very seriously.
Used goods transaction delivery packing zone located at the entrance of Joongonara.
Hong Joon, the CEO of Joonggonara, lives by the company's motto: “Stay useful through connections.” He even buys rare items in different colors and specs to secure rare trade items. He truly deserves the title "Father of Secondhand Trading."
I took a peek into the CEO’s office, and there were unopened boxes everywhere. His desk was surrounded by tightly packed packages. It reminded me of a mom scolding her kid for making a mess, but hey, getting packages is a dopamine hit for all of us! Long live delivery!
Shoe boxes purchased second-hand
Next to the packing station is a big bookshelf filled with books. When I asked, “Does the CEO care a lot about employee welfare?” the answer was, “These are books employees donated after failed secondhand deals or when they no longer needed them.”
The team practices “Stay useful through connections.” in their own way. (By the way, if an employee wants a book, Joonggonara will gladly buy it for them. Just clarifying to avoid any rumors about poor benefits here.)
Used books in the company's main hall
Book: Die Broke
The office has a cool vibe with terms like "negotiate," "full package," and "quick deal" everywhere.
I wondered if the CEO’s office would be named “No Negotiation Allowed (ft. Please Go Back)." Turns out, it wasn’t. (Hong Joon is a great guy, just saying this to avoid any misunderstanding.)
Above the meeting room doors, there are QR codes. When you scan them, it links you to a service called “Bangjom” where you can easily book a meeting room by time slot.
From the left, 'negotiate', 'full package', and 'quick deal' room
Joonggonara also opened a "Coffee Chat" space to encourage networking and idea-sharing among employees. No need to sneak into the pantry to chat—just communicate freely! I spotted the COO sitting alone in the space, so I took the chance for a quick interview.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked. “Just sitting,” he replied.
The Coffee Chat space is perfect for taking a break without feeling guilty. It’s a great company. Plus, they have plenty of snacks!
Normally, the snack trays are fully stocked, but since it’s the end of the month, they were a bit empty. I joked about copying and pasting the fullest tray on the right, but I don’t know how to use Photoshop. I’m typing this in a simple text editor.
Snack trays provided in the main hall
As I left the office, I noticed Joonggonara’s rebranded logo. They updated it last year after 20 years. The old brick-style logo wall was replaced with a sleek neon sign. When I took a picture, the neon glow was so strong that the manager said, “I’ll take a better one and send it to you, don’t worry.”
Rebranded Jungjunara logo
This was my first time writing about an office interior, so I was nervous. But Joonggonara’s design made it easy. The office strikes a balance—not too playful, not too serious—creating just the right amount of focus for the team. Even in heated debates in the meeting rooms, you can still hear laughter.
It’s a place where people are so passionate that they carry their laptops even when grabbing a coffee in the main hall.
Joonggonara—peaceful as always.
Designed by RSQUARE DESIGN
Ji-Hye Son, Reporter at Electronic Times
※ The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect the views of the company.
\
It’s always "peaceful" at Joonggonara—though usually said with irony. But when I visited the office in person, it was truly peaceful.
Seeing people smile at work was refreshing.
As I walked around the office, I realized the reason behind all the smiles was simple: the team loves what they do.
At the entrance, there’s a packing station encouraging secondhand deals. Large, medium, and small boxes, a mountain of bubble wrap, and a label printer are all set up. You might think hundreds of items are sold daily, but that’s not the case. Perhaps this setup is for the CEO, who takes secondhand trading very seriously.
Used goods transaction delivery packing zone located at the entrance of Joongonara.
Hong Joon, the CEO of Joonggonara, lives by the company's motto: “Stay useful through connections.” He even buys rare items in different colors and specs to secure rare trade items. He truly deserves the title "Father of Secondhand Trading."
I took a peek into the CEO’s office, and there were unopened boxes everywhere. His desk was surrounded by tightly packed packages. It reminded me of a mom scolding her kid for making a mess, but hey, getting packages is a dopamine hit for all of us! Long live delivery!
Shoe boxes purchased second-hand
Next to the packing station is a big bookshelf filled with books. When I asked, “Does the CEO care a lot about employee welfare?” the answer was, “These are books employees donated after failed secondhand deals or when they no longer needed them.”
The team practices “Stay useful through connections.” in their own way. (By the way, if an employee wants a book, Joonggonara will gladly buy it for them. Just clarifying to avoid any rumors about poor benefits here.)
Used books in the company's main hall
Book: Die Broke
The office has a cool vibe with terms like "negotiate," "full package," and "quick deal" everywhere.
I wondered if the CEO’s office would be named “No Negotiation Allowed (ft. Please Go Back)." Turns out, it wasn’t. (Hong Joon is a great guy, just saying this to avoid any misunderstanding.)
Above the meeting room doors, there are QR codes. When you scan them, it links you to a service called “Bangjom” where you can easily book a meeting room by time slot.
From the left, 'negotiate', 'full package', and 'quick deal' room
Joonggonara also opened a "Coffee Chat" space to encourage networking and idea-sharing among employees. No need to sneak into the pantry to chat—just communicate freely! I spotted the COO sitting alone in the space, so I took the chance for a quick interview.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked. “Just sitting,” he replied.
The Coffee Chat space is perfect for taking a break without feeling guilty. It’s a great company. Plus, they have plenty of snacks!
Normally, the snack trays are fully stocked, but since it’s the end of the month, they were a bit empty. I joked about copying and pasting the fullest tray on the right, but I don’t know how to use Photoshop. I’m typing this in a simple text editor.
Snack trays provided in the main hall
As I left the office, I noticed Joonggonara’s rebranded logo. They updated it last year after 20 years. The old brick-style logo wall was replaced with a sleek neon sign. When I took a picture, the neon glow was so strong that the manager said, “I’ll take a better one and send it to you, don’t worry.”
Rebranded Jungjunara logo
This was my first time writing about an office interior, so I was nervous. But Joonggonara’s design made it easy. The office strikes a balance—not too playful, not too serious—creating just the right amount of focus for the team. Even in heated debates in the meeting rooms, you can still hear laughter.
It’s a place where people are so passionate that they carry their laptops even when grabbing a coffee in the main hall.
Joonggonara—peaceful as always.
Designed by RSQUARE DESIGN
Ji-Hye Son, Reporter at Electronic Times
※ The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect the views of the company.