Why I Created Damoyuh — A New Home for Korean-Owned Businesses

Damoyuh was born from growing up in the Korean-American community, watching our parents and halmonis run restaurants, salons, and clinics without any digital support.

We’re building a modern version of what they never had — so the next generation can thrive.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles — Koreatown was a part of my childhood long before it became trendy. I watched it grow, shift, struggle, and thrive — but one thing never changed: Korean business owners always worked harder than anyone, and were still underrepresented online.

After about 10 years in LA, my family moved to Oahu, Hawaii — then later to Washington state, before I returned to LA for high school and college at UCLA. I started out pre-med, then moved to Korea to restart my journey at Seoul National University as a business major. I knew I needed a reset — and Korea gave me the perspective I didn’t know I needed.

Over the last decade, I’ve worked in corporate finance, dabbled in Korean entertainment (yes, YG included), and launched a few startups. Through it all, one thing stayed with me: our community needed better digital tools — and the platforms we had? They looked like they hadn’t been updated since the early 2000s.

I first created Ktownly to focus on LA Koreatown, but over time I realized this wasn’t just about one neighborhood — it was about the entire Korean diaspora.

“I previously cofounded Ktownly, a platform focused on LA’s Koreatown. But over time, I realized the Korean-American experience couldn’t be boxed into one zip code. So I stepped away to build something bigger — a space that reflects the full diversity of Korean communities across the U.S. and eventually, the world. That’s why I created Damoyuh: a clean, bilingual, culturally-rooted platform that brings together Korean businesses from LA to New York, Seoul to Toronto. A place where everyone — 다 모여 — can belong.”

That’s why I created Damoyuh (다모여) — a clean, bilingual, culturally-grounded platform that helps Korean-owned businesses thrive online. Whether you’re in LA, New York, Texas, or Toronto — Damoyuh is designed to gather us all.

No banner spam, no 1997 layout. Just a modern space that respects where we came from — and builds where we’re going.

You might not always see my face, but I hope you’ll feel my intentions in every detail. This isn’t about me. It’s about us.

– Jae C.

Founder, Damoyuh

다모여 | Where Korean Roots & American Dreams Meet