Kangwon Land brings 'Dooly the Little Dinosaur' villain to Hongdae pop-up

Kangwon Land is opening a pop-up store in central Seoul featuring Ko Gil-dong — a character from the comic "Dooly the Little Dinosaur" — to promote its four-season resort facilities to a wider audience.

The company announced Monday that the "2026 Pop-up Store in Hongdae — Ko Gil-dong's Unfamiliar Kangwon Land" will run from Saturday through Oct. 11 on the first and second floors of Star Square in Mapo-gu's Hongdae district. The store will be open daily from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The pop-up draws on a parallel between Ko Gil-dong — a devoted family man widely miscast as South Korea's quintessential villain — and Kangwon Land, a resort whose public image has long been dominated by its casino. The concept uses the familiar character as a vehicle to show visitors a different side of the company.

The pop-up comprises eight themed zones, including a replica of the Ssangmun-dong apartment building from the comic, a High1 Water World area, a High1 ski resort zone, an OX quiz corner, a guestbook station and a lucky shop. Visitors can complete missions at each zone to learn about Kangwon Land's facilities, experiential offerings and community programs.

Ko Gil-dong imagery and Kangwon Land content have been placed throughout the space to encourage photo opportunities and hands-on engagement. All visitors and mission participants will receive gifts and giveaways, including clickers, beach towels and resort stay vouchers.

"We designed this pop-up to share the many charms and stories of Kangwon Land in a friendly and entertaining way," Kangwon Land Chief Executive Kim Do-gyun said. "We will continue a range of promotional activities to introduce a new side of Kangwon Land through the beloved character of Ko Gil-dong and to establish ourselves as a company that communicates more closely with the public."