[Challenges Left by K-Pop Demon Hunters]⑥Only 1,000 Magpie Tiger Badges Reminiscent of "Duffy" Produced Per Week... Urgent Need for Industrialization and Export Measures

Sales in July Surged to 80 Times the First Half’s Volume
The Tide Has Come In, But There Are No Oars
Global Demand, Small-Scale Production
Urgent Need for Industrialization of Museum Merchandise

The "Magpie Tiger Badge," a museum merchandise item from the National Museum of Korea that recorded 560 million won in sales in July, is currently the most sought-after and difficult-to-obtain product. This item, reminiscent of the character "Duffy" from the Netflix original animation K-Pop Demon Hunters, is produced by Jiphyeonjeon, a small company with only two employees. Despite explosive interest from a global fandom, both domestic and international consumers are unable to purchase the badge due to the company's limited capacity, which maxes out at 1,000 units per week.

The success of K-Pop Demon Hunters has proven that museum merchandise utilizing Korean traditional cultural heritage has global potential, but it has also exposed structural limitations in keeping up with demand. The supply shortage continues due to a production base centered on small and medium-sized manufacturers and gaps in institutional support. This has led to calls for urgent measures to industrialize and export these products.

Sales in One Month Surged 80 Times Compared to the First Half... The Water Has Come In, but There Is No Oar

According to data submitted by Assemblyman Park Suhyeon's office from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 38,140 Magpie Tiger Badges were sold in July, generating 558.76 million won in sales. This figure exceeds the total sales volume for the entire first half of the year (465 units) by more than 80 times. All ten rounds of pre-orders sold out early, and it will be difficult to find the badge at offline stores until the end of the year.

The popularity has also led to an increase in visitors to the National Museum of Korea. From July 27 to August 2, the weekly number of visitors reached 269,503, setting an all-time record. While interest from overseas fans has grown and many foreign visitors have come to the museum, a paradoxical situation is unfolding where even those who visit in person struggle to get their hands on the popular merchandise.

On August 1st, citizens lined up to enter the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The core issue lies in production capacity. Jiphyeonjeon, the manufacturer, says that it is difficult to ramp up production due to the labor-intensive nature of the process and contractual issues with partner factories. Since Jiphyeonjeon secured the planning and production rights for the product through a National Museum Culture Foundation contest, both intellectual property (IP) and production authority belong to the company. The foundation is only responsible for distribution and promotion and cannot directly coordinate production. A foundation representative explained, "The Magpie Tiger Badge was selected in last year's contest, so the IP belongs to the company, and the foundation only receives supplies from that company. We cannot work with other companies besides the selected one."

This issue is not limited to the Magpie Tiger Badge. The "Gat Cup," which was selected in this year's contest, sold 240 units in July and generated 9.87 million won in sales, but is already sold out. Other popular items, such as the "Gat Brooch," are also either sold out or experiencing shipping delays, and some products are being resold at a premium on secondary markets. A foundation representative lamented, "Since most participants are one-person or small businesses, the production volume they can handle is limited. We want to meet demand when it arises, but it's not easy." A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official added, "It's difficult to expand factories in a short period, and quality control is also necessary."

Global Demand, Small-Scale Production... Industrialization of Museum Merchandise Is Urgent

Riding the wave of popularity, the "Duffy" plush doll produced directly by Netflix has also been well received, but some have expressed disappointment. Online communities have commented, "It's only at the level of a freebie," and "The cuteness from the animation is gone." In particular, criticism has been raised that the magpie sitting on top of Duffy in the animation is missing from the plush, failing to capture the traditional meaning of Hojakdo. Some fans have even argued that Chinese-made replicas more accurately reflect the original design.

This, in turn, demonstrates that Korean traditional cultural heritage-based merchandise has the potential to meet the expectations of a global fandom. Industry insiders warn, "If we fail to capitalize on this opportunity, global platforms like Netflix could once again seize the initiative."

In the cultural sector, there are calls to discover more items among the works housed at the National Museum of Korea that can be commercialized. Last month, Megi Kang, director of K-Pop Demon Hunters, visited the National Museum of Korea and toured the exhibits with Director Yoo Hongjun. When Director Yoo explained in front of the Moon Jar, "The Moon Jar is made by joining two royal bowls, so while it is round, it is not a perfect circle," Kang responded, "I didn't know that detail, but it feels new to me. It gives me ideas," expressing admiration. This shows that while there is ample potential for industrializing museum merchandise, the reality is that the production base and distribution structure are not keeping pace.

On the 21st of last month, Megi Kang, director of the Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which was previewed at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is watching the video with Director Yoo Hongjun at the Digital Immersive Video Hall. Photo by Yonhap News

This situation has led to calls for a systematic manual to respond to surges in demand. The recent craze has proven that Korea has enough museum merchandise items with global appeal, but the lack of systematic production capacity remains a stumbling block. According to data submitted to Assemblyman Park's office, in the case of consignment products like the Magpie Tiger Badge, the foundation seeks to expand production in consultation with the manufacturer and provides financial support if necessary to stabilize supply. However, the current situation reveals the limitations of responding systematically to sudden demand spikes.

The foundation has announced plans to establish supply stabilization measures and a demand surge response manual for each product, but concerns remain that such efforts will be ineffective without institutional support. Experts agree, "Systematic support measures, such as expanding production infrastructure and improving the distribution structure, must go hand in hand." Ultimately, if Korea fails to build a system to "row when the water comes in" by expanding production infrastructure and improving distribution, the Korean museum merchandise industry could miss out on a global opportunity right before its eyes.