Explosive Response to Japanese User's Photo... 'Seoul Goods' Reimagining City Image Gain Popularity

Main Purchasing Demographic: Consumers in Their 20s and 30s
Offline Sales Dominated by Landmarks, While Haechi Merchandise Leads Online
Gaining Popularity Among Japanese Users Without Paid Advertising

'Seoul Goods,' a stylish reinterpretation of Seoul's traditional and urban imagery, is emerging as a new 'K-item' with millions of views on Japanese social networking services (SNS). The city's products, which once focused on small souvenirs, are now expanding into fashion, lifestyle goods, and character merchandise, reflecting changing consumption patterns among foreign tourists.

The most eye-catching product is the 'Seoul My Soul Belt Cap' released on the 3rd. It is a collaboration between Seoul's city brand 'SEOUL MY SOUL' and the traditional knot fashion brand ONGO, combining the knot designs of hanbok with a modern hat design. The selling price is 63,000 KRW. Seoul City

On September 23, Seoul Metropolitan Government revealed its first-ever 'Top 10 Seoul Goods' list, based on foreign customer purchases from both online and offline channels this year. Shoppers in their 20s and 30s led the surge, with clear differences in best-selling products depending on the sales platform. The standout item was the 'Seoul My Soul Belt Cap' released on the 3rd. This product is a collaboration between Seoul's city brand 'SEOUL MY SOUL' and the traditional knot fashion brand ONGO, blending the knot motifs of hanbok with a modern hat design. The cap retails for 63,000 won.

The response in Japan was explosive. On September 7, a Japanese user posted a photo of themselves wearing the belt cap on X (formerly Twitter), which garnered 2.7 million views without any advertising or promotional push. The post received 32,000 likes, 7,900 retweets, and 9,300 bookmarks. It's believed that the design, which allows people to actually wear traditional elements instead of simply featuring a city logo, captured the interest of young Japanese consumers.

Foreign purchasers' preferences were divided between 'simple, easily bought souvenirs' and 'collectibles unique to Seoul’s design.' The combined online and offline sales leader at the DDP Design Store was the 'Seoul Sticker Collection: 50 Types,' which sells for 3,000 won. Following closely were the 'Four Great Gates & Four Great Palaces Postcards,' 'Kongkong Postcard,' and magnets featuring Namsan and Gwanghwamun. Most of the top-selling items were small products priced under 10,000 won. Factors driving popularity included their affordable price and ease of carrying, in addition to their ability to provide an immediate physical memory of one’s Seoul experience.

Online, however, character-based goods such as the Haechi Playing Cards, Baekho plush keyrings, and Haechi & Soul Friends Woodblock Tower proved strong sellers. While offline shoppers focused on commemorating visits to specific locations, online buyers favored items with the appeal and versatility of these characters.

Even higher-priced items with distinct Korean identity and design found eager buyers. The 'Durumagi Raincoat,' made in collaboration with small business owners and priced at 99,000 won, sold out completely. At the Seoul Gallery in City Hall, which opened in February, the 59,000-won 'Punggyung Nacreware Box' has enjoyed steady sales. Foreign visitors now account for more than 22% of this store’s clientele.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon posing with three artists who participated in the production of Seoul Goods collaboration works (from left ▲Artist Hong Wonpyo, ▲Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon, ▲Artist Lee Sara, ▲Artist Artnom). Photo by Yonhap News

The popularity of Seoul Goods did not happen overnight. For example, the Haechi & Soul Friends plush keyring sold out its initial run of 2,000 units within just four days of launch. Expanding its range to food, 'Seoul Ramen' has been exported to 19 countries, with sales exceeding 1.66 million packs, and 'Seoul Bread' surpassed 40,000 sold units within a month of release.

Seoul Metropolitan Government is also increasing collaborations with private brands. Recent joint products include stamp-custom T-shirts with Musinsa Standard, 'Joseon Royal Court Dessert Set' with Cheong Kwan Jang, and 'Seoul Snack Rice Chips.'

Other local governments are likewise linking city symbols to products and tourism content. Daejeon City generated 2.3 billion won in sales in just six months from seven collaborative products built around its mascot 'Kumdori' with local businesses. By selling Kumdori ramen, keyrings, and lifestyle goods at tourism hotspots, they have revitalized this longstanding character as one of the city's core intellectual property (IP) assets.

Busan City, too, has promoted its 'Boogi' communication character by holding exclusive pop-up stores in the Seoul metropolitan area and introducing 70 products from 11 local SMEs. These range from daily necessities such as towels and bath scrubbers, to plush keyrings shaped like Busan fish cakes and seed hotteok, and even seaweed snacks, blending regional industry and tourism imagery. Such cases show that city goods are no longer just simple advertising items printed with logos, but are evolving into a genuine industry encompassing fashion, food, characters, and local businesses. Especially with examples like the belt cap, user-generated photos posted online are reaching millions, positioning SNS as both a testbed and a promotional channel for international reaction to urban merchandise.

Seoul aims to elevate 'SEOUL MY SOUL' to a level where it instantly evokes the city's identity and charm, similar to New York’s 'I♥NY.' Under the theme 'When hearts gather, it becomes Seoul,' the brand uses a heart, exclamation mark, and smile symbol to express Seoul's spirit, experiences, and joys. Kim Hyungrae, Seoul’s Director of PR Planning, commented, "The belt cap, which became a sensation on Japanese SNS, and the foreign purchase data both demonstrate that 'Seoul-style design' is now being consumed as competitive content. We will continue to showcase goods that embody Seoul's culture and stories."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.