Welcome to maru, the home we’ve built for New Zealand’s Korean community. Whether you’ve just landed in Auckland with a suitcase and a working-holiday visa, settled into life in Wellington years ago, or you’re raising a family in Christchurch, maru is the one place where buying, selling, finding work, and keeping in touch all happen in the same familiar space. It’s made by Half Full for Kiwi Koreans, and it’s built around the way our community actually lives here.
A marketplace with no fees and no commissions#
At the heart of maru is a used-goods marketplace where you can pass on the things you no longer need and pick up the things you do. People buy and sell electronics, furniture, kitchen gear, kids’ clothing, cars, and all the odds and ends that come with settling into a new country. What makes it different is simple: we charge no listing fees and take no commission on your sales. When you sell something, every dollar stays with you, and when you buy, you’re dealing with real members of your own community rather than faceless strangers. You can browse the marketplace any time to see what’s on offer near you, and if something you’ve had your eye on drops in price, maru will send you an alert so you don’t miss it.
Jobs and hiring within the community#
Finding work in a new country is hard, and finding the right person to hire can be just as tricky. maru’s job listings bring the two together, with roles at Korean-owned cafés, restaurants, shops, and businesses right across New Zealand. Job seekers can search openings by city and post that they’re available, while business owners can advertise positions to an audience that already understands the work and the culture. It’s a quieter, more trusting way to hire and be hired than the big anonymous job sites.
Talk, translate, and stay connected#
maru isn’t only about transactions. Real-time chat and community discussion let you ask a quick question, arrange a pickup, or simply meet other people going through the same chapter of life you are. Because our community spans both languages, maru includes English and Korean auto-translation built right in, so a message written in one language arrives readable in the other. It’s the small thing that lets a Korean-speaking parent and an English-speaking teenager, or a newcomer and a long-timer, understand each other without friction.
What you’ll find on maru#
- A no-fee marketplace — furniture, electronics, kids’ gear, cars and all the everyday odds and ends, listed by people just down the road.
- A community job board — casual, part-time and full-time roles at Korean-owned cafés, restaurants and shops across the motu.
- Built-in translation — write in Korean or English and let maru bridge the gap so nothing gets lost.
- Price-drop alerts — save an item you like and hear the moment a seller lowers the price.
- Real-time chat — agree on a time and place without ever swapping phone numbers.
Safe, moderated, and easy to join#
A community marketplace only works if people feel safe in it, so maru is actively moderated to keep listings honest and conversations respectful. If something ever looks off, our team is a message away at support@marucommunity.com.
Getting started in three steps#
- Have a look around. Browse the marketplace and jobs board to see what’s near you — no account needed to window-shop.
- List something or say hello. Snap a few photos of what you no longer need, or simply introduce yourself to the community.
- Meet, trade, connect. Chat to arrange a handover and enjoy dealing with people who share your language and your corner of New Zealand.
Getting started takes only a moment. Have a look through the marketplace, watch the jobs board, list the items gathering dust in your garage, or just introduce yourself. Thousands of members across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and beyond are already here, and we’re glad you’ve joined them.