Open-run lines form at Yongsan Pokémon pop-up for limited editions; imports of Japanese toys surge 75% to record high as characters like Chiikawa win over consumers in their 20s and 30s
"You're telling me the Talking Dancing Ditto is sold out? No way."
Shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday, shoppers clutching oversized boxes filled the Dopamine Station at IParkmall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The boxes held 40-centimeter "Welcome! Pikachu!" plush dolls, sold at the Academy Science Pokémon Concept Store, a pop-up marking the Pokémon franchise's 30th anniversary.
The Pikachu pop-up required advance reservations, yet long lines formed well before each entry slot. Visitors included not only children with their parents but also groups of friends and couples. Jang, a 27-year-old who has been a Pokémon fan for 18 years, said she had reserved a spot specifically to buy the limited-edition Pikachu doll. "It's a limited product, so it's worth purchasing," she said.
Visitors browsed merchandise featuring popular characters such as Pikachu and Ditto, snapping photos and hunting for limited-edition items. The "Welcome! Pikachu!" dolls, priced at 78,000 won (about $50), sold out quickly, and the Talking Dancing Ditto had already sold out by 11 a.m. A staff member said reservations were taken in groups of 100 per time slot, adding that daily stock levels for limited items vary and some products sell out in the morning.
The Pokémon card shop on the eighth floor was equally packed. A notice at the entrance read: "Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion pack products are sold out." Inside, the card game zone was filled with players ranging from elementary school students to adults.
Japanese character IP merchandise was drawing just as much attention. Stores inside Dopamine Station selling goods tied to Japanese characters such as Chiikawa and Monchhichi saw a steady stream of visitors. What was once a market driven largely by students has expanded to include adults in their 20s and 30s with greater spending power, fueling rapid growth in the overall market.
Imports of Japanese toys have been climbing sharply. Korea Customs Service trade statistics show that imports of Japanese toys from January through April this year totaled $22.76 million (35.3 billion won), up 75.4 percent from $12.97 million in the same period last year — the highest figure for that period since records began in 2020. Sales at Academy Science, which sells Pikachu merchandise and plastic model kits, rose 4.5 percent last year to 27.3 billion won.
Popular items are now fetching premiums on the resale market. The "Welcome! Pikachu!" doll is listed on secondhand marketplace Bunjang for 86,000 won, while an unopened Magikarp AR Card has been posted for 90,000 won.
Lee Hong-ju, a professor of consumer economics at Sookmyung Women's University, said character merchandise consumption is growing as psychological factors — emotion, fandom and nostalgia — combine with economic uncertainty. "Limited-edition products in particular stimulate the desire to collect and the appetite for experiential consumption," she said, predicting the trend will continue.
siuu@heraldcorp.com
