  We present results from the first phase of the Seoul National University
Bright Quasar Survey in Optical (SNUQSO) as well as its basic observational
setup. Previous and current large-area surveys have been successful in
identifying many quasars, but they could have missed bright quasars due to
their survey design. In order to help complete the census of bright quasars, we
have performed spectroscopic observations of new bright quasar candidates
selected from various methods based on optical colors, near-infrared colors,
radio, and X-ray data. In 2005/2006, we observed 55 bright quasar candidates
using the Bohyunsan Optical Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) on the 1.8 m telescope
at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory in Korea. We identify 14
quasars/Seyferts from our observation, including an optically bright quasar
with i=14.98 mag at z=0.092 (SDSS J003236.59-091026.2). Non-quasar/Seyfert
objects are found to be mostly stars, among which there are five M-type stars
and one cataclysmic variable. Our result shows that there still exist bright
quasars to be discovered. However, at the same time, we conclude that finding
new bright quasars in high Galactic latitude regions is very challenging and
that the existing compilation of optically bright quasars is nearly complete in
the northern hemisphere.
