[Content Commerce] 410,000 'Mildeok' Captivated by 'Seongdeok YouTuber'... Bullet Pen Sold Out Man

Yoon Jin-won, CEO of Geonbbang Store
Former National Shooting Athlete
Transformed into YouTuber After Shoulder Injury

"Aiming a knife and shooting to cut a bullet, live firing of an anti-tank rocket launcher (RPG-7), shooting a 12-gauge shotgun..."

There was an abundance of firearm-related video content commonly seen in the military. On the YouTube channel 'GeonbbangTube,' run by a former shooting athlete, the main focus is on firearm experiments, shooting education, and military information. Content that military and weapon enthusiasts, known as 'mildeok (military otaku),' would find interesting is regularly uploaded.

Yoon Jin-won, CEO of Geonbbang Store, was a shooting athlete for 10 years starting from middle school. He began shooting after receiving a BB gun as a gift from his younger sister. He ranked first nationwide in the high school division and was selected as a national team reserve. In university, he represented the national team, winning a team gold medal and an individual bronze medal at the World Championships. However, due to injuries to his right shoulder and trapezius muscle caused by long-term training, he had to end his athletic career.

Yoon Jin-won, CEO of Geonbbang Tube.
[Photo by Cafe24]

During his discouragement, Yoon’s attention turned to YouTube. In the early 2010s, domestic YouTube creators had not yet begun full-scale activities. Yoon explained, "I thought the era of video would come with the advancement of the internet, so I created a YouTube channel. I made shooting content based on my experience, and since there were not many people in Korea dealing with actual firearm topics in Korean, I was able to grow the channel quickly."

The background to GeonbbangTube’s current success lies in Yoon’s experience. Having both knowledge as a 'mildeok' and experience as a shooting athlete allowed him to create differentiated content from the start, surpassing 20,000 subscribers within six months of launching the channel. Yoon said, "Although mildeok and shooting athletes may seem similar at first glance, they are clearly different areas upon closer look. The key to popularity is that the content includes demonstrations of various firearms based on affection for military culture." Now with 410,000 subscribers, the highest view count for a single video reaches 12.87 million.

Another reason for GeonbbangTube’s popularity is 'diligence.' Yoon frequently travels to and from the United States, where firearm possession is legal, to film videos, producing and uploading more than 10 videos per shoot. He did not stop uploading even during his military service. Yoon said, "I filmed and edited nonstop during my leave, and whenever I got my phone during breaks, I edited on it."

Recently, Yoon has been expanding his content business into commerce. Since February this year, he has been operating 'Geonbbang Store,' a Direct to Consumer (D2C) shopping mall selling military-related goods using the e-commerce platform Cafe24. Recently, he linked the Geonbbang Store shopping mall with his YouTube channel through Cafe24’s 'YouTube Shopping Integration Service,' showcasing various products within the channel.

The main product lines range from simple merchandise (MD) items like 'bullet-shaped pens,' 'firearm disassembly mouse pads,' and 'Glock magazine lighter cases' to specialized products such as carbon hex ballistic vest plates and goggles with military-grade performance.

The primary customers are subscribers of the YouTube channel, with 90% of sales generated through YouTube. The organic combination of content and commerce is the key to the store’s popularity. Yoon said, "The bullet-shaped pens sold out instantly in the initial batch due to high demand, and the goggles are popular among older male demographics. I am satisfied because using the Cafe24 platform to link YouTube and the D2C shopping mall effectively increased the purchase conversion rate."

Geonbbang Store aims to become "the channel that first comes to mind when thinking of firearms" among military fans. Yoon said, "We carefully review all feedback and communicate closely with customers. I want anyone to be able to visit the shopping mall not just to buy something but to enjoy browsing interesting items."