Who I am
I'm Areum Seo — a localization professional, project manager, linguist, and builder working across Korean, Japanese, and English. I came to Tokyo on a MEXT scholarship, completed a master's in applied linguistics at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and spent years teaching Japanese at Waseda and Korean at JCFL before moving into industry.
My professional work spans localization QA, translation, project management, and language operations — with past experience at Amazon Japan, where I received a Customer Obsession Award. My expertise runs across linguistics, gaming, technical docs, marketing, and entertainment.
Lately I've been building. Python, SQL, Streamlit, Snowflake, GitHub. I hold a SnowPro Associate certification and have been earning credentials in data engineering and generative AI in Coursera. I don't call myself a developer yet — but I ship things, and I keep going.
What I've built
Text Diff Tool
A lightweight Streamlit app for comparing source and revised text — visual diffing that actually makes sense for localization review.
Experience
Localization Project Management
Managing multilingual workflows, stakeholder expectations, quality processes, and delivery timelines across languages and teams.
Translation, Interpretation & Achievement
Cross-lingual communication work across Korean, Japanese, and English — review, adaptation, and quality improvement.
View more →Tool Building & Automation
Bringing structured PM thinking into practical tooling — building utilities that make language work less painful and more trackable.
Publications & Research
Academic work in linguistics, language education, and assessment — developed during graduate study in Tokyo.
View more →Other work
Media & Reporting
Tokyo correspondent work and selected video reporting. Language-first coverage of culture, society, and place.
Browse archive →Photography
Selected photography work developed through long-term practice. Quiet, deliberate, seasonal.
View on Instagram →Flower Arrangement
Flower arrangement work developed through long-term practice. Quiet, deliberate, seasonal.
View on Instagram →