About Us at TeaBuy Korea: A New Adventure

What is TeaBuy Korea?

Did you know that TeaBuy Korea is a new adventure into Korean tea? Sure, TeaBuy Korea looks and even tastes like Morning Crane Tea, but Morning Crane Tea’s focus is on education and TeaBuy Korea’s primary goal is to make quality Korean teas available to a much wider world audience. Note two words, ‘quality’ and ‘world’ for what we are trying to do. The word "profit" is not one of them. 
When I began offering teas there were few Korean teas available outside of Korea. The reason for this, they said, was that Koreans consumed nearly all the teas they produced. My goal then was simply to try to promote Korean culture through its tea, ceramics and cultural tours to Korea. I knew that if I were to promote Korea in a positive manner, I had to offer quality teas. That is why all the teas we offer are of the finest quality – organically grown and endorsed by Korean tea connoisseurs as well as us. That is also why international tea connoisseurs and those of you who don’t like to be called "connoisseur", but simply like quality teas are finding our teas. You are discovering that we offer some of the highest quality teas Korea produces and you will soon realize that we have not finished expanding our offerings. Is there a quality Korean tea you would like to try that is not one we typically offer? Let us know, we can get it for you.

To date, tea connoisseurs from 25 different countries have sourced Korean teas from us. We think that is an impressive number of countries.  However, of the top 10 tea consuming countries in the world, we have only reached two.  We clearly have a lot of work to do at TeaBuy Korea and Morning Crane Tea.

By the way, Morning Earth Korea and Morning Crane Tea will continue to promote Korean culture through our web presence and tours and you may not notice much difference. However, one difference will quickly be apparent, TeaBuy Korea's faster delivery of the teas we offer.

Who is TeaBuy Korea?

TeaBuy Korea’s founders are Arthur Kyung Jae Park, the USA Representative and Lee Minhyeong the Korean Representative.

Can you imagine not one but two people in the world willing to work late hours long into the night for months each year simply trying to offer the world some quality Korean tea at essentially no profit? Well you found them.  That they found each other is even more remarkable. 

Lee Minhyeong 

From my point of view (Arthur’s), Lee Minhyeong is a remarkable young man, a devoted husband and father he is as honest and trustworthy a person you will find anywhere and a person devoted to his country of birth Korea. I discovered him on our tours to Korea as the English-speaking host at the remarkable Gimhae Museum that is one of the 9 major museums of South Korea.  At one time these museums were directed by our friend the renowned author Chung Yang Mo. Yes, I’m name dropping.  To me the Gimhae Museum is a gem.  The Gimhae and  Gyeongju Museums lay the foundation for understanding much of Korea’s rich culture. The Gimhae Museum even has tea bushes growing in its gardens! 

Lee Minhyeong knows Korean culture. His interests run deep into Korea’s cultural veins. A dedicated tea researcher (actually researcher into many aspects of Korean culture), persistent explorer, and great conversationalist Lee Minhyeong is the reason TeaBuy Korea is able to exist. He does much more than procure the teas. His deep and insightful conversations with the producers and tea ware artists lay the foundation for many of the things I am able to bring to you in my posts. You, who are the clients of TeaBuy Korea and Morning Crane Tea, are fortunate to have such a dedicated person on your side.  Obviously, I am too.  Are you a retail shop or tea wholesaler? You can source any Korean tea directly through Mr. Lee. Ask me how. 

Arthur Kyung Jae Park 

Who am I? By my less than official count, I began Morning Crane Tea about 12 years ago when I offered Korean teas for the first time. I am a retired university professor and tea ware artist who simply wanted to know more about Korean tea. I was making tea ware, exhibiting it internationally and was reasonably successful, but there was a profound personal need to really understand tea itself. I asked myself this question, “How can I create the highest quality tea ware and not have a deep understanding of Tea?” At the same time I realized the search for the answer to that question would breathe a breath of life into my efforts to promote Korean arts and culture in general, through my work at Morning Earth Korea. 

I began Morning Earth Korea, (note Earth not Crane) or at least the concept for it, in the late 1990’s and began my interest in and research  into Korean Tea two decades before that in the late 1970’s when I was on sabbatical studying Korean Ceramics in Korea. All of what I am doing now evolved from my pottery Morning Earth that traces its beginnings two decades before that.  A decade later, in different years, I was fortunate to study with two different Japanese Cultural Treasures in ceramics Hamada Shoji and Inoue Manji. So I have been around a while. 

That is also why you see an image of me as a potter not a tea master. I have only been studying Korean tea since the late 70's. When I understand it more I may change that image.  I remember when my ceramics sensei, Hamada Shoji, told me it takes at least 20 years to understand ceramics and then ten years to forget it, so one can be closer to nature. My serious pursuit of Korean tea is similar, but it has only been for 12 years.     

Well, here we are, Minhyeong, a young enthusiastic man and I, an old, still enthusiastic, man beginning a new adventure - TeaBuy Korea. I hope you will take this adventure with us.  How long it lasts depends as much on you as on us. 

To ask questions contact us here. To join TeaBuy Korea 2018, check out our offerings here. 

Thanks for being with us on our journey.