International design agency Tangerine has appointed Youngeun Choo, a South Korean designer who has been working from its London studio for 10 years, as the new head of its Seoul office. Educated in the USA, Youngeun Choo was chosen as the company believes her understanding of both Korean and Western culture will be a key component in cementing the relationship between the two studios, creating a genuinely global design house.
Tangerine has been a constant presence in Korea since the company started 25 years ago. Its Seoul Studio was opened in 2004 and South Korean giants LG, together with Asiana, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Sindoh and KAI have all benefited from the close collaboration that Youngeun has brought to project management and direction in recent years.
Youngeun takes over the Seoul office from former company co-president Don Tae Lee, who recently left Tangerine to work at Samsung Electronics. From 2006-12 Don worked part-time as design master to Samsung C&T and, together with a Tangerine team that included Youngeun Choo, won acclaim for the design of their Seoul ‘Ramian’ apartment interiors.
Martin Darbyshire, CEO and founder of Tangerine, best known for his design of BA’s Club World seat together with creative director Matt Round, stated, “It is a credit to Youngeun’s dedication and professionalism, managing Tangerine’s Korean clients, that she has now been appointed to head up our Seoul office. Naturally, we wish Don the best of luck in his new role.”