Maria Yeoa

Researcher with 3+ years of experience who enjoys tackling challenges and finding ways to solve them,with exceptional adapability to unfamiliar settings and working across industries, cultures, and environments.

User Researcher

@

LINE PLUS

Apr 2025 - May 2026

Seoul, Korea

  • Led end-to-end research projects for LINE Messenger, serving 20M+ users, from designing through to reporting, using usability testing, user interviews, and surveys.

  • Developed AI-powered research tools: Data dashboard that replaced a £8,000 external subscription, interview-summarising chatbot, user-persona chatbot for drafting ideas.

User Researcher

@

LINE PLUS

Apr 2025 - May 2026

Seoul, Korea

  • Led end-to-end research projects for LINE Messenger, serving 20M+ users, from designing through to reporting, using usability testing, user interviews, and surveys.

  • Developed AI-powered research tools: Data dashboard that replaced a £8,000 external subscription, interview-summarising chatbot, user-persona chatbot for drafting ideas.

Associate Research Manager

@

Macromill Embrain

Jun 2024 – Mar 2025

Seoul, Korea

Managed global market research projects in the FMCG sector, covering new product testing, concept testing, advertising effectiveness, and brand performance tracking through quantitative surveys and gang studies using Korea’s largest proprietary research panel, qualitative focus group discussions and depth interviews.

Associate Research Manager

@

Macromill Embrain

Jun 2024 – Mar 2025

Seoul, Korea

Managed global market research projects in the FMCG sector, covering new product testing, concept testing, advertising effectiveness, and brand performance tracking through quantitative surveys and gang studies using Korea’s largest proprietary research panel, qualitative focus group discussions and depth interviews.

Associate Research Manager

@

Korea Research International

Apr 2023 - Jun 2024

Seoul, Korea

Managed global research projects in the electronics and automotive sectors, including expert interviews for TV product strategy, hybrid gang studies for TV concept validation in the North American market, brand performance tracking studies.

Associate Research Manager

@

Korea Research International

Apr 2023 - Jun 2024

Seoul, Korea

Managed global research projects in the electronics and automotive sectors, including expert interviews for TV product strategy, hybrid gang studies for TV concept validation in the North American market, brand performance tracking studies.

External Relations Intern

@

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Mar 2021 - Aug 2021

Seoul, Korea

Produced operational reports, monitored media coverage, and conducted refugee-related research to support stakeholder engagement and UNHCR initiatives in Korea.

External Relations Intern

@

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Mar 2021 - Aug 2021

Seoul, Korea

Produced operational reports, monitored media coverage, and conducted refugee-related research to support stakeholder engagement and UNHCR initiatives in Korea.

Skills

UX research

Customer research

Usability testing

User survey

Depth interview

Prototyping

Reporting

Publication

Publication

Purungilbook, 2019

As part of a research project led by the Centre for Social Innovation Education and Research at Seoul National University, I conducted mixed-method research, including candidate interviews and a citizen survey, to understand how citizens of Anyang, where I used to live, evaluated key issues and candidates when deciding how to vote.

Education

Education

MSc in International Politics

2019 – 2020 · SOAS University of London

May 2021 - Aug 2023

BSc in Political Science & Arab Studies

2013 – 2018 · Myongji University

May 2021 - Aug 2023