Ten years ago, he acquired a small surf shop at Songjeong Beach in Busan. He was a businessman in his 30s running an advertising agency. Now, he has become the CEO of a marine lifestyle company encompassing surfing, running, F&B, and tourism content. In 2025, he launched the lifestyle platform 'Holic Jam.' This is the story of Shin Seong-jae, CEO of Surfholic.
“I used to run an advertising agency. It was a fairly large and stable operation, but I don’t think it was work I enjoyed doing. One beautiful summer day, I went for a drive to Songjeong for a cup of coffee, and I was captivated by the sight of a foreigner surfing so coolly that I decided to learn to surf. By chance, I ended up taking over a small surf shop, and that’s when the direction of my life changed.”
At the time, the shop was about 15 pyeong. Surfing was not a popular sport like it is today. Many people around me asked why I was quitting a stable job, but I saw potential instead. I thought, 'A new culture could be created by utilizing the space of the ocean.'
Surfholic focused on systematic surfing education from the very beginning. Instead of a simple "try-it-on" experience, they designed a curriculum where skills improve step-by-step. This became their differentiator. CEO Shin explained, "We saw an increase in customers returning to learn more than those who just tried it once and stopped." He added, "We established and operated our own reservation system from the start. Surfing lessons require managing various factors together, such as weather, time, class size, and equipment, rather than just making a simple reservation."
The turning point for the business was when surfing began to be viewed as a tourism content. As it was recognized not merely as a sport but as content connected to local tourism, the business direction expanded. The selection as a tourism venture company by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was also based on this trend.
“After being selected as a tourism venture company, I began to view the business from a broader perspective. While my focus before was on surfing education, I subsequently started viewing surfing as a tourism content. Although Busan is a marine tourism city, there aren't as many opportunities for tourists to actually participate as one might expect. As a private company, I want to play a role in creating marine content that can be experienced in Busan.”
Recently, Surfholic has been expanding its scope beyond surfing into a marine wellness space. A prime example is the Songjeong Runners Station, a space where runners can store their belongings, take showers, and build a community.
"There is more overlap between people who enjoy surfing and running than you might think. I realized that the experience of running, surfing, and relaxing while looking at the ocean can itself constitute a wellness lifestyle. Moving forward, I plan to continue creating spaces that foster a lifestyle enjoyed by the sea, rather than just a place for surfing."
In addition to surfing, Songjeong operates various spaces such as the casual restaurant 'Holly Lounge,' 'Songjeong Grilled Clams,' and the F&B brand 'Koko Hawaii.' CEO Shin explains that these are not separate businesses, but rather "a structure that creates a unified experience within the Songjeong region."
“Tourists don’t simply have one experience and leave. Where they rest, eat, and spend their time is important. I believe the key to the tourism industry going forward is locally based content.”
He views Songjeong as “Korea’s only urban marine lifestyle area.” There are waves for surfing, opportunities for running along the beach, and the chance to enjoy the Korean lifestyle when heading downtown. It is a unique space where trains and ocean scenery coexist.
In July 2025, the lifestyle platform 'HolikJam' was launched. It is not a simple reservation platform. It aims to be a 'platform that recommends what to do when going to the beach.'
“People often don’t know exactly what to do when they visit the sea. We are developing a platform that recommends and connects various ocean-related content, such as surfing, running, activities, spaces, and food. I believe that online platforms and data-driven services will become increasingly important in the tourism industry in the future.”
CEO Shin does not view the ocean merely as a space for making money. The philosophy that “the ocean belongs to no one but is a public space” underlies his entire business.
“I believe that through the ocean, people can have new experiences and their way of life can change a little. Surfholic wants to be more than just a company that teaches surfing; we want to be a company that creates ocean culture.”
Over the next 10 years, we will focus on two things. One is to expand ocean-centered lifestyle spaces. The goal is to create spaces that people visit to spend time by the sea, rather than places to come to learn surfing. The other is the growth of the HolicJam platform.
“I believe a structure will be created where spaces and platforms grow simultaneously. I think that when such spaces and platforms come together, a new marine tourism culture can be formed.”
A challenge that began 10 years ago in a 15-pyeong surf shop in Songjeong has grown into a marine lifestyle company encompassing surfing, running, F&B, and tourism content. Surfholic, which dreams of digitally connecting ocean culture through the HolicJam platform, what new marine tourism model will it create in Songjeong?
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