[Global Hit Item] 'Yeongbuin Baek' Halli-K, Realizing Eco-Friendly Values

Vegan Upcycling Fashion Brand
Attracts High Interest from Overseas Buyers
Promotes Regional Cooperation through Job Creation

Kim Hyunjung, CEO of Halli-K.
[Photo by Cafe24]

"The Beanie Mini Tote Bag is a summer season product, but it became a hot topic when First Lady Kim Geon-hee carried it on her overseas tour, and it sold out completely."

Kim Hyun-jung, CEO of Halli K, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd, "As soon as it became known as the 'First Lady's bag,' all six color variants sold out, and sales for an entire year were achieved in just ten days, showing excellent results. The product gained popularity not only for its beautiful appearance but also because it is environmentally friendly, made using hanji paper and coffee sacks."

Halli K is a vegan upcycling fashion brand. CEO Kim decided to start the business in her mid-40s after living as a housewife raising three children. Currently, she operates a Korean and global direct-to-consumer (D2C) online store built on the e-commerce platform Cafe24. Kim introduced, "I returned to Korea from the United States about ten years ago and realized that fine dust pollution was so severe that it greatly disrupted daily life. This concern for the environment led me to start a business combining it with my passion for fashion." She added, "When I first proposed using coffee sacks as bag material, even the coffee factories were surprised at how unfamiliar it was. Before launching the product, we confirmed its marketability when the crowdfunding campaign raised over 3,800% of the target amount."

Halli K products are especially attracting interest from overseas buyers. Kim emphasized, "In North America and Europe, there is significant interest in vegan materials for animal lovers and vegetarians within the eco-friendly sector. Thanks to using hanji paper coated with a repair finish to make bags, we can meet this demand, and the fact that the parts that touch the hands are non-toxic has also received favorable reviews."

Based in Daegu, Halli K also promotes coexistence with the local community. Due to the nature of upcycling products, a lot of manual work is required, such as collecting jeans and dismantling them into fabric units, which creates jobs for local seniors. Kim stated, "Going forward, we will continue to hire and nurture young designers based in the region and create employment centered around senior clubs. We want to firmly establish ourselves not only as a representative brand of Daegu but also in the global market."