2025 Year in Review
- Compass of the Year: jagunbae
- Journey of the Year: Mongolia
- Habit of the Year: A full year of therapy
- Music of the Year: Song Sohee - NOT A DREAM
- *Performance of the Year: National Changgeuk Company of Korea ⟨Simcheong⟩
- Choice of the Year: The Decision to Become Independent
- Book of the Year: ⟨Capitalism Explained to Monkeys⟩, ⟨Preparing to Meet the Future⟩
- Achievement of the Year: Creating byminseok.com, Completing Tech for Impact Lab Cohort 2, Launching the Netfliq Love Song Meetup
- Happiness of the Year: Mornings waking up at home, morning sunlight, plants
- Prologue
- Life - Settling In, Blooming
- Love - Encountering a Wider World
- Work - Building Systems, Proving Ourselves
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Epilogue: Let’s Shine!
Prologue
2025 was a year that followed times of anxiety, farewells, and chaos. It was a year of enduring the painful yet hopeful process of sprouting new shoots, gradually taking root in deep green, and ultimately bearing small, individual fruits.
Over the past three years, I recorded my mood based on the 24 solar terms. This year's annual average was 5.46 points, the highest yet, following 4.08 points in 2023 and 4.79 points in 2024. The highest score also hit 9 points in December, the highest in the three years. The lowest point dropped to -2 points during the Small Fullness of May, but recovered to 4 points within a month, showing quick resilience. Starting from an average of 2.4 points during the transition from winter to spring, it plunged sharply through summer, then exploded from 4 to 9 points in autumn, and hit the highest point for the third consecutive year in winter.
Spring is a challenging yet necessary season of beginnings; summer is a risky period requiring caution; autumn is a season of explosive energy and harvest; winter is a season of rest reaching its peak. It was a time to discover my own seasonal pattern.
Life - Settling In, Blooming
This January, during the Korean seasonal cycle, my mood was at rock bottom. My publishing contract for ⟨Growing Through Recording⟩ had been canceled. It was a book I'd prepared for over two years, so the disappointment was immense. Yet, even amidst this setback, I was preparing for a new beginning. In February, I traveled to Tokyo and resolved to become independent. In March, I found myself at the scene of a fatal accident during the Changwon home opener, scoring a low 3 points during the Start of Spring. But as we moved from the Spring Equinox to Clear and Bright, my mood recovered to 4-5 points. While preparing to move, I went on a self-guided wedding shopping tour. There was a comforting time spent with my dad and Hodori at Mia's house. It was a period where "everything was a challenge," but I was moving forward.
In May, around Soman, my mood dropped to -2 points. I was physically completely exhausted. The hell of launching the website, moving, and company overload all hit at once. Separating from my sister, who I'd lived with for five years, wasn't easy either. It was the same pattern of a sharp drop in summer for two years running. But I recovered quickly this time too. The trip to Mongolia was a huge help. It was peaceful and happy. I recovered to 4 points within a month.
From June onward, things changed completely. The phrase "Happy every day since moving" just came out naturally. Mornings waking up in my cozy home, the morning sunlight, my plants. This was my happiness this year. In July-August, I maintained 6-8 points, held a kickoff workshop, and traveled to Jeju. September-October saw an explosive rise to 8-9 points. I handed the Seocheon House project to my dad, attended the Busan Rock Festival, and started piano lessons. November maintained 8 points while I traveled to Bali.
December hit 9 points. It was my highest score in three years. I wrapped up the performance sharing session and returned to the creative morning meetings. The power of closure: holding the performance sharing session and building new routines. For three consecutive years, winter was my peak.
This year, I completed three personal projects. The first was the Seocheon House, tackling major work like roof waterproofing, wallpapering/flooring, sink installation, and waste cleanup. The second was launching byminseok.com, my personal blog. The third was opening the Netflix Philosophy group, a tech-philosophy gathering. We started meetings based on books like ⟨Preparing to Meet the Future⟩ and ⟨The Place of Robots⟩.
I received psychological counseling throughout the entire year. This was the best habit I cultivated this year. Recently, while discussing how things have been going with my counselor, the words "It's so good" and "It's really, really good" just came out naturally. My counselor helped me speak from my heart rather than my head, and in that moment, it felt like it showed, from deep within my heart, that I am truly happy and in a good place right now.
Love - Encountering a Wider World
I saw fewer performances this year than last. I haven't had a Crezle schedule since early this year, and I resolved not to see the same show more than three times—a resolution I mostly kept. I saw the musicals ⟨Bear the Musical⟩, ⟨Soran Seorim⟩, and ⟨Maybe Happy Ending⟩, and for changgeuk (traditional Korean opera), I saw ⟨Bohuaja⟩, ⟨The Merchant of Venice⟩, ⟨Simcheong⟩, and in the small changgeuk series, ⟨Galaxy Theater⟩, ⟨The Lady of the Lake⟩, ⟨Antigone⟩, and ⟨The Battle of the Dayfly⟩. For concerts, I saw Crezal multiple times, and also saw collaborative performances by the Gongju National Gugak Orchestra, the National Gugak Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Dito Orchestra, and singer Kim Su-in. I saw Ilgoochang's Sunggungga, Kim Su-in's complete performance of the pansori Chunhyangga, and Lee Ja-ram's original pansori Nun Nun Nun, and Song So-hee's solo performance is especially memorable. This year, I also attended Christmas in NELL's room, and the Busan International Rock Festival was truly the best.
Across all genres, the best performance this year was the National Changgeuk Company of Korea's ⟨Simcheong⟩. After seeing Simcheong, I found it hard to focus on traditional pansori. I couldn't quite understand why it still had to stay in that place when the story could be crafted like this. It felt like I could no longer enjoy traditional pansori for its own sake as I once did, though I wondered if that might change over time. *Blog: ⟨Simcheong⟩ Performance Review
In the same vein, Lee Ja-ram's creative pansori ⟨Snow, Snow, Snow⟩ was also truly wonderful. Perhaps the essence of pansori lies not in the story itself, but in the way the story is conveyed, in its very nature? The focus of the accompanist and singer, transporting the audience to another world through sound alone. The fan became a snowstorm, then a horse's carrot. Similarly, Song So-hee's solo performance was also truly wonderful. It wasn't pansori but based on Gyeonggi folk songs, giving it a different feel from the traditional Korean music I'd heard before, yet it was good in its own right. It was Song So-hee's unique stage, feeling like a shamanistic ritual, a salpuri dance, and a rock festival all at once. Hearing Song So-hee, this year's Musician of the Year, perform NOT A DREAM live made me even happier.
I traveled a lot too. Domestically, I visited Changwon in March, Jeju in July, the Busan Rock Festival in September, and Ganghwa Island's Jamseoseom and Gwangju in October. Overseas, I went to Tokyo in February, Mongolia in May, and Bali in November. Among these, Mongolia was the trip of the year. It was a comfortable, happy journey where I laughed freely. *Blog: Mongolia Travelogue
This year, I read 24 books. The year before last, I read 30; last year, 13—so this is a slight rebound. Next year, I want to read more good books. Most were in the fields of technology philosophy/STS. ⟨The Future Doesn't Come⟩, ⟨Preparing to Meet the Future⟩, ⟨Science and Value⟩, ⟨Science Challenging Science⟩, ⟨The Place of Robots⟩, ⟨The Place of Humans⟩, and ⟨Randall Weiner⟩. Among these, ⟨Preparing to Meet the Future⟩ and ⟨The Place of Robots⟩ were my favorites. For phenomenology, I finished ⟨An Introduction to Phenomenology⟩ early this year and read Husserl's ⟨Cartesian Meditations⟩, though I don't feel I grasped it properly. Next year, I want to read Husserl's phenomenology and Ponty's ⟨Phenomenology of Perception⟩ together slowly to solidify my understanding. I also read ⟨The Power to Correct⟩ and ⟨Capitalism Explained to Monkeys⟩.
For nonfiction, I read ⟨The Future That Came First⟩, ⟨The Extinction of Experience⟩, ⟨AI Feeds on Humans⟩, ⟨Stolen Concentration⟩, ⟨Population Reversal⟩, ⟨Who Controls My Wallet?⟩, ⟨Less is More⟩, ⟨Speed Limit⟩, and ⟨Becoming a Cyborg⟩. For literature, I read the short story collections ⟨Summer Villa⟩ and ⟨Honmono⟩, and the essays ⟨Light and Thread⟩ and ⟨Lee Sedol's Life Calculations⟩. I liked Han Kang's essay ⟨Light and Thread⟩ the most. Some parts were so good I even copied them out word for word onto paper. Every year I get buried in philosophy and nonfiction, so I only read a little literature, but I should make sure to pick up at least one good literary work each year.
Truthfully, the best book that found its way onto my shelf this year, across all genres, was ⟨Capitalism Explained to Monkeys⟩. Even if not solely for making more money, clearly understanding Capitalism made me see the world differently in many ways. I also enjoyed ⟨Less is More⟩, which I read alongside it.
I also encountered 'Small Boat,' which I described as my compass for the year. I happened to listen to the podcast 'Kangso Pod,' browsed Small Boat's site, became an enthusiastic supporter, joined the 'Creative Mornings' community, created my personal blog thanks to a supporter's post, and even had a conversation with Kang Dan and So Shin in Jeju. I even stuck stickers made by Small Boat all over my employee ID and desk. Phrases like "I decided to do work that makes me the owner" or "What I need isn't a single sentence to introduce myself, but a hundred discoveries about myself." These phrases became the compass guiding my direction this year. I'm supremely grateful to both of you! *Blog: The Day I First Discovered Kangso-pat
I still watched NC Dinos baseball, and I couldn't help but love this team that consistently inspired articles just through the stories unfolding on the field. As my passion for K-pop waned, the energy I had left led me to start learning piano. Keeping the beat, using the pedals, pressing the keys accurately, memorizing the notes—it's all difficult. But I'm finding joy in completing one song after another with my own hands. Next year, I hope NC Dinos wins the championship, and I hope my piano skills improve.
Work - Building Systems and Proving Them
When I joined Kakao Impact late last year, I set two clear goals. One was to build the technical project management system for the Tech for Impact Lab. The other was to create at least two cases where our enabling technology solutions were successfully implemented in real-world settings. 2025 was a year spent walking toward these two goals, and looking back, it was a year where we achieved far more than expected.
The first quarter was a period of onboarding and simultaneous system design. The website renewal project proved far more challenging than anticipated. It began without any handover, and while I accepted it as "this is what I need to do" and persevered, it wasn't exactly an enjoyable time. Concurrently, I worked on systematization by drafting the deliverable guidelines for the Lab's first cohort. I met with lab leaders directly, established a technical asset management system, and formalized the legal review process. While much of this work fell on my shoulders alone, this process later became the backbone of the TPM system.
The second quarter was when everything truly kicked into high gear. Preparing for Lab Cohort 2 recruitment, I met with fellows. Youth preparing for independence, slow learners, residents of Ganghwa Island… I listened to the problems they faced in their respective fields, grasped their essence, and brainstormed together how technology could help. When writing the recruitment announcement, I focused on the core problem, not the technology. Instead of saying "Try this technology," I said "Let's solve this problem together," and 409 people applied. The competition rate was 3:1, rising to 7:1 for some labs. It felt rewarding that people recognized our sincerity.
The third quarter marked the kickoff workshop for Lab 2 and the moment my TPM system actually started working. Sprint planning, weekly check-ins, Notion templates, guidebooks… All these became tools used by 110 people, not just plans on paper. August brought many unexpected challenges. Even with the TPM system, people issues were separate. Team conflicts, adaptation issues, member departures… problems erupted. At first, I was flustered. "I built the system, so why is this happening?" I felt frustrated. But over time, things stabilized. Labs were moving at their own pace, legal reviews became systematized, and impact measurement progressed. It felt like things were "rolling along as they should." At first, I couldn't tell if this was good or bad. But it was a sign the system was maturing. I no longer had to micromanage everything. Lab leaders consulted the guidebook, fellows conducted sprint reviews, and each lab operated autonomously.
December marked the end of Lab Cohort 2. All 7 labs completed their projects. Compared to the first cohort, where only 1 out of 9 was implemented in the field, this was a remarkable change. All 7 projects from the second cohort were completed in a state ready for field implementation, with 4 slated for commercialization. Terrace Spot, Easy Language Adaptor, Local Universe, Artificial Cochlear Implant Rehabilitation App, Youth It, Indoor Accessibility AI, Disaster Game… Behind each technology lay real people's real problems, and now those technologies are beginning to be used in the field. Among the first cohort labs, Caring Note has been in use for 9 months, and medication counseling sessions expanded from 16 per year to 60. The number of residents met also increased from 200 to 840. Wheely X was demonstrated at Busan KOSHO and aims for official introduction in the first half of next year. A-eye is currently undergoing WHO-approved clinical trials. The goal of creating two or more successful adoption cases was actually achieved with over ten cases. *Kakao Impact and ModuCon 2025 Unveil 7 Social Innovation Technologies from 'Tech for Impact LAB 2nd Cohort'
I realized I was someone who trusted others less than I thought. Among the friends I met in computer science and the many IT industry colleagues/seniors I met after joining NC, few were interested in the social impact of the technology I create or the potential impact of the skills I possess. But what I discovered this time was the 'sincerity' of many people. The sincerity of the 110 lab leaders and members gathered at Tech for Impact Lab, the sincerity of the social innovators (Brian Fellows) who worked with over ten new development team members for six months, the sincerity of the many partners who gave 200% in their respective roles to keep the Tech for Impact project running smoothly. I couldn't say that sincerity was any less or less passionate than the 'dream' I held. Without these people, without my belief in them, I might have just left that dream far away, thinking 'it's just a dream,' and lived my life that way.
Epilogue: Let's Shine
Looking back, 2025 felt like a dream year in many ways. Now that I've made that dream a tangible reality, I want to confidently declare "Yes, this is how it's done!" by the end of 2026 and make a real impact. My motto for 2026 is "Let's shine!" I want to establish a solid routine at my Bundang home and live well, see the NC Dinos win the championship, host only 10 teams at my Seocheon house, and as the leader of the Tech Philosophy group, open meetings for Netflix Season 2 and gatherings at the Small Boat. I also want to write a serial or contribute articles on related topics and get invited to forums or conferences. I want to get healthier, reorganize my wardrobe and fill it with new clothes, and become someone who has various types of body oils at home. Professionally, this will be the year of transitioning from "making" to "being used." If the past three years through Tech for Impact Lab validated the 'model connecting tech experts and social innovators' by 2025, 2026 will be the year we move beyond this model. We'll advance to the stage where developed technologies are actually used sustainably in the field, creating impact.
After enduring a time of anxiety, farewells, and confusion, a time when sprouting was painful yet hopeful, we persevered. We gradually took root in deep green, and this year finally bore small, individual fruits. You worked so hard, Minseok—I love you!