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Korea, Curated Subscription Review + Coupon – May 2016

Bekki Menzies
ByBekki MenziesJun 5, 2016 | 13 comments

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Korea, Curated
4 overall rating
1 Ratings | 1 Reviews

Korea, Curated is a subscription box based out of South Korea that sends out items from Korean indie brands, artists, and musicians, as well as Korea-related books, DVDs, and snacks.  They offer a mini size or a discovery size.  This is a review of the discovery box.

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This box was sent to us at no cost for review.   (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.) 

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The Subscription Box: Korea, Curated

The Cost: $43.00 for the Mini Box, $74 for the Discovery Box, both say they have free worldwide shipping*

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: NEWSUBSCRIBER

The Products:  "A monthly selection of products from Korean indie brands, artists, and musicians, as well as Korea-related books, DVDs, and yummy things to munch on."

Ships to: Worldwide*

*In the FAQ section of the website it says "Korea Curated offers free shipping to most countries worldwide using the reliable small packet service." I am not sure if that refers to some countries they do not ship to, or some countries do not receive free shipping.

Check out all of the Lifestyle Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add Korea, Curated to your subscription list or wishlist

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Visit Korea Year Pororo Sticker

This is a bonus item that they threw in this month.  They say "The visit Korea Committee has teamed up with the creators of Pororo, the children's character that also happens to be one of Korea's successful cultural exports."  The little character, Pororo, is super cute and looks like Chicken Little!

L-Toy Shido

This is an additional bonus item that was thrown in.  They said "This month, VM Pictures has provided another selection from Season 2 of their L-toy line, Shido.  Enjoy writing on and making this cute, adorable puppy character."  This is a little box that you assemble to make a box that looks like a puppy.

Mini Paper Lantern

This paper lantern is 13 cm. Korea, Curated included this paper lantern because in May, Korea celebrates Buddha's birthday.  They say that you can decorate it using glue and pieces of paper or napkins.  It is very cute but I'm not 100% sure what I will do with it yet.  

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Green Tea Milk Spread

This is really good.  If you like the green tea frappucinos that Starbucks makes, you'll like this.  I made a little chocolate cake and used this as frosting and it was quite good.  They recommend eating it on bread or using it with chocolate in baking.  They say that this is Korea's answer to Nutella, which I can definitely see being the case - it's very versatile, despite sounding odd.

Kelp Chips

I received a variety pack.  Since I don't read Korean, I had to guess at the flavors based on the drawings on the individual packages.  I think I received BBQ, Garlic, Pizza, Onion (maybe sour cream and onion?), and sea salt.  I tried these.  For you.  (I hate seaweed.)  I tried the (possibly sour cream and) onion flavor, and was shocked - these do not taste like your standard sea weed chips.  I like these!  Korea, Curated says that these are very high in iron and they sell them at Postpartum Care Centers because of their high iron content.

Choco Pie - Banana

This is pretty good - very similar to a banana flavored Moon Pie!  You have all of the elements of the original Choco Pie here, chocolate coating, cookie, and marshmallow filling, just with the added flavor of Banana.

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The Arari Show Claymation DVD

Korea, Curated describes this as "...a must watch for anyone considering, or even just dreaming of, visiting Korea. It is funny, quirky, and truly informative.  It has won numerous awards, not to mention having been broadcast across 188 countries!"  I don't watch TV or movies, and actually don't even think I have a way to play this on my computer, so I can't provide a full review of this one!

Mom is the Best card

This is a label that is also a card.  You can write anything you want on the label and then attach it to "a bottle of wine, a healthy smoothie, or whatever you think will make her happy."  This would have been a fun addition for Mother's Day if the box would have arrived before then.  I understand why they included it in May's box, but because of the long shipping time (10-21 days) it arrived late.  

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Rolling Gim Bros Doll 

This is a little toy that is inspired by Korean street food.  Korea, Curated says "The Kimbap doll is made up of three Gim Brothers brought together by the help of fate and some magnetic forces."  I am not in the know about Korean toys at all, but this one is cute!

With my Vegan Toothpaste

I really liked this toothpaste, surprisingly, because it tastes like lemonade.  It's a really weird flavor to brush your teeth with, but it was very bright and fresh and the texture was nice.  

Verdict:  I thought this box was a fun box to introduce me a bit to the culture of Korea. The snacks were yummy, and the products were a fun collection of toys, food, a movie, and Korean products.  With that said, $74.00 is a lot for this box.  If you are obsessed with Korean products or if you are homesick for Korea, the price may be one you're willing to pay.  In general, I think this is a great box, but the price point is probably going to keep some from signing up!

Have you tried Korea, Curated yet?  What did you think?

Starting at $74.00
Active Deal
Save 10% off your first box!
Use Coupon Code NEWSUBSCRIBER
Subscribe Now
"Get a monthly care package directly from Korea! Every month we surprise you with a well-balanced selection of 8-10 different high quality products from Korean studios, publishers and companies large and small. The subscription will automatically be charged and delivered to you every month and can b... read more.
Bekki Menzies
Bekki Menzies
Bekki first discovered subscription boxes in 2014 and they quickly took over her life! (Not quite, but pretty close.) She started with POPSUGAR Must Have, then moved to Little Lace Box, Birchbox, Hamptons Lane...the rest was history. Her favorite product find is Beekman 1802 Fudge (so, so good) and her favorite boxes are Birchbox and Hamptons Lane...but she's always looking for a new subscription to try!

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13 comments

Nada

I’m a subscriber of Korea Curated box since January and I have loved all boxes

I have been into Korean culture for 10 years now and I thought I’ve known everything but I was wrong

Through Korea Curated’s carefully selected books, dvds, food, cds, toys and information about Korea I have gained much knowledge about the culture and what to expect when I visit Korea

They always send you the latest trendy items in Korea at the moment

They collaborate with Korean artists and send their items to their subscribers every month
Most of those items are not sold online

Korea Curated have also been giving subscribers signed albums by a famous indie band which was amazing ^^

I think you should visit their website to see all the stuff that was sent and what to expect from future boxes:

http://www.Koreacurated.com

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Alan

I’m a regular subscriber to these boxes and I have loved every box!

I also travel regularly to Korea but Korea Curated allows me to get some of the unique goodies I love whilst I’m here in the UK!

I have received unique music, dvds, toys, clothing etc. I am very happy with the value of the main discovery box 🙂

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Nicky

I agree with everyone else. The green tea spread sounds delicious and the price point for this box it way too high. Good idea, but if that’s the $74 box, I’d hate to see what comes in the $43 box.

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Renee

I’m Korean & go to Korea every year. I’m disappointed in this box for so many reasons. It’s really a missed opportunity to introduce people to Korean culture, food, brands, etc. The value is extremely low, even including shipping.

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I subscribe monthly to their kids box for my 6 yr-old son. There’s about 8-10 items in each of the boxes. Here’s what I value and why I’m never disappointed with the contents:
1. The items are always age appropriate. (Marie inquired once we subscribed.)
2. The kid-friendly snack items are not pure sugar.
3. They include educational books and/or stickers.
4. There’s always a fun toy.

And here’s why I continue to subscribe monthly:
1. For Parents’ Day (celebrated in Korea), they included a small gift for my son to give to us.
2. When my son received a special award at school, they wrote him a handwritten note of congratulations.
3. They visit many of their vendors and make a concerted effort to include hard to find items or items only found in Korea.

What I like most is that they have my son in mind when hand-picking each child’s item. What other Korean subscription service does that?

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TheresaH

I totally agree the price for this is very off putting. I was thinking of getting an Asain sub box but went to a nearby Asain market and got four full bags of different items for less than $50( there was 1 frozen item I unknowingly paid $9 for-oops) my adventure ended when I tried a shrimp flavored item and now I can’t even look at anything seafood without gagging.
I live in Chattanooga and there must be at least 10 stores nearby. Glad this is an easy pass for me.

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Emily

I also live in an area with lots of Korean grocery options. I agree with others that the value seems questionable.

Meanwhile, I am heading to H-Mart ASAP to see if they carry green tea milkspread!

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Marie

Hello, Marie here from Korea Curated. The Green Tea spread, like many of the things we feature, isn’t available outside of Korea. There are some online websites like ebay that sell it unoffically so you can find it that way.

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Jeein

Oh my god green tea spread…. Yes I could see it as Korean nutella. I am shocked that I never knew such a thing existed *goes to amazon to order dozen boxes*

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Nancy Su

My mouth is watering from the green tea spread!

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Rain

I was about to say, the value isn’t good at all for a $43 box…then you said it was the $74 version! OMG that is ridiculous. You can buy all sorts of small knick-knack items and Korean snacks for very cheap prices online, and there is nothing special about the things they included. This box is worth maybe $20.

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TiffanyLC

I was thinking the same thing; but I wonder if some people would be willing for the curation aspect? Maybe it’s because I live in Southern California and have easy access to many, many different cultural stores that I don’t really see the value in the various cultural boxes. I could easily buy most of this stuff for $20 locally. I guess if there was a lack of availability and access that might make it worth it to someone who is really interested in Korea…although for the price of $75 a month I would just save my money and make a road trip to an area that has Korean shops!

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Jet

Took the words right out of my head. The paper lantern alone can be found in packs of 2-10 (depending on size) online, at the dollar store, import & variety shops (e.g. got a massive 20″ diameter pack of two for a dollar at a local variety shop used as a hanging bulb cover on my front covered porch). Bummer looked like it could’ve been interesting. ⚡️Jet

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