Embrace The Art Of Jeong

Creator of premium skincare brand Then I Met You, Charlotte Cho wants you to take a moment for yourself to connect with people… and your beauty products.

- JASMINE ALIMIN

Have you ever finished a K-drama feeling inexplicably drawn to the characters, invested in their relationships, and craving more? It’s not just the addictive storylines or swoon-worthy actors. There’s a deeper magic at play—a uniquely Korean concept called jeong (pronounced “chong”), which goes beyond simple love or friendship. It’s a multifaceted feeling that describes a deep serendipitous soul-stirring connection forged through shared experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and an almost familial bond.

Jeong must be the reason why the whole world is so captivated by Korean stars and their way of life. Just ask Charlotte Cho, a Korean-American beauty entrepreneur whose first visit to South Korea changed her whole perspective on life, thanks to this simple philosophy of connection.

“I think all Koreans know what jeong is; it’s a big part of their culture. If you watch Korean dramas, they reference jeong all the time. The characters will literally mention it in conversations, like ‘Oh, I have so much jeong with her, or ‘I lost jeong with him’,” describes Cho, who is the co-founder of Soko Glam, an e-commerce business that specialises in Korean beauty products. “I think that’s why K-dramas are so globally popular because jeong is something that resonates across all cultures and geographies. It’s not superficial at all.”