[Report] Jamsil Lotte World Darkened by Dark Moon... Reason for 17% Increase in Visitors

Collaboration Between HYBE Original Story IP and Lotte World
Lotte World Transforms into a Massive Webtoon Stage
'ENHYPEN Effect' Boosts Attendance by 17% Compared to Last Year

As the red moon rose, Lotte World's 'Magic Castle' transformed into the 'Dark Moon Castle.' At the same time that the words 'DARK MOON' were projected onto the castle in English, it was bathed in a red glow. In front of the castle, illuminated by the red light, everyone was busy taking 'proof shots.' This was the scene of the 'Dark Moon Castle Mapping Show' (a show projecting images onto surfaces) held every day at 7 p.m. since the 1st of last month at Lotte World Adventure in Jamsil, Seoul.

Chinese national Xu Ying (right) is taking a certification photo with a photo card against the backdrop of the 'Dark Moon: Altar of the Moon' mapping show. (Photo by Oh Yugyo)

Lotte World transformed into the setting of Naver Webtoon 'Dark Moon: Dal-ui Jedan.' With over 100 million cumulative views, 'Dark Moon: Dal-ui Jedan' is an original story IP (intellectual property) by HYBE. The boy group under HYBE, ENHYPEN, was reborn as a webtoon. This is the first time HYBE has collaborated with an external brand using its story IP, and also the first time Lotte World Adventure in Jamsil has utilized a specific artist's IP. As ENHYPEN fans flocked in, Lotte World was thrilled. A Lotte World representative said, "During the first week of the event (September 1?7), the number of visitors increased by 17% compared to the same period last year," adding, "There are more visitors now than during the peak summer season."

Lotte World Felt Like an ENHYPEN Pop-up Store

Fans taking 인증샷 with a 'handsome' vampire (Photo by HYBE)

At the site, a 25-year-old Chinese visitor, Xu Ying, said, "I like ENHYPEN, so I came all the way here from Shanghai." She was holding a 'Dark Moon: Dal-ui Jedan' character photo card. It was a limited edition photo card available only by purchasing a special admission package during the event period (September 1?October 22). The package that included a chance to see ENHYPEN's Lotte World performance on the 28th of last month sold out early on the day of release.

Lotte World resembled a massive pop-up store for 'Dark Moon: Dal-ui Jedan.' On the first floor of Magic Castle, there was a gift shop selling official Dark Moon merchandise, and on the third floor, the 'Descelis Party Room,' a party space for the seven vampire boys from the webtoon, was set up. At the party-themed photo zone, fans from Asia, including China and Japan, as well as from Western countries like the United States, lined up to take photos. Most visitors were women in their teens and twenties. This demonstrated ENHYPEN's strong overseas popularity. ENHYPEN ranked 8th in U.S. CD sales last year and was the first 4th-generation boy group to perform at Tokyo Dome in Japan. Additionally, the full moon photo zone, a symbol of Dark Moon, was very popular, and a 'rental service' for school uniforms featured in the webtoon was also available.

Strengthening IP Power Through Synergy

Naver Webtoon 'Dark Moon: Altar of the Moon' Reborn in Reality (Photo by HYBE)

HYBE's original stories refer to unique story IPs that HYBE is attempting. These are stories created in various genres and formats based on artist IPs. This approach creates synergy with the artists. In the case of 'Dark Moon: Dal-ui Jedan,' important parts of the webtoon are revealed around ENHYPEN's comeback to increase interest, and 'teasers' related to the artists' activities are embedded within the webtoon. This allows fans to enjoy speculating about various elements while reading.

Not only ENHYPEN but also other HYBE artists such as BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, LE SSERAFIM, and ANTHEM are engaging with fans through webtoons and web novels based on original stories. 'Dark Moon: Dal-ui Jedan' has gone a step further by collaborating with SPAO to recently release fashion items and bringing the story to life through Lotte World. Hwang Bo-sangwoo, head of HYBE's Story Business Division, said, “We will continue to strive to deliver more diverse and immersive content experiences based on original stories to artists and fans who love stories.”