Korea Minting Corp. launches 'Money Wind Fan' heritage goods

Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. has officially launched a new K-heritage goods item — a handcrafted fan made from currency byproducts, dubbed the "Money Wind Fan."

The corporation said Tuesday it is launching the fan through its official online shopping mall, after the product drew strong interest during a crowdfunding campaign on the platform Tumblbug last month, achieving a funding rate of 10,974 percent.

The Money Wind Fan is a product under the corporation's upcycling brand Moneymade and is the third currency goods item developed through Moneylab, an open-innovation platform designed to turn public ideas into commercial products. The launch marks another commercialization milestone for Moneylab, which aims to expand new uses for currency byproducts.

The fan features "Irworobongdo," a classic Joseon royal court painting depicting the sun, moon, five mountain peaks, pine trees and waves — imagery long associated with abundance and prosperity. The motif also appears on the 10,000-won ($7) banknote, and a currency designer at the corporation created the fan's design directly, reinforcing the connection between traditional culture and banknote art.

The product name carries layered meaning: it combines the Korean wish for "money to flow in abundantly" with the phrase "a money wind is blowing," merging both ideas with the fan's physical function to express a hope that wealth and good fortune will come one's way.

Particularly notable is the use of currency byproducts as a design element on a handcrafted fan made entirely by artisans. Incorporating currency byproducts into an everyday object enhances both the fan's practicality and its symbolic value.

President Seong Chang-hun thanked the public for their support during the crowdfunding campaign. "We will continue to develop a variety of products that add new value to currency byproducts, so that people can enjoy currency goods in their everyday lives," he said.