"Do You Have Tigers?" Foreign Tourists Flock In and Sweep Up Goods... Traditional Accessory Shops Smile With 3.7 Billion Won in Sales [Report]

K-Pop Demon Hunters Drives Surge in Foreign Tourists
Traditional Craft Sales and DIY Experiences Soar in Insadong

"Do you have any with tiger patterns? What about magpies?"

On September 2, groups of foreign tourists were gathered in front of a traditional accessory shop in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Antoine (28), who said he was from France, held up a fan with a tiger design and laughed, "It looks like the tiger I saw in 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'." He added, "I came to Korea for the first time after watching K-Pop Demon Hunters. I want to try on the Grim Reaper costume and buy some of the norigae accessories that the members wore."

A foreign tourist visiting Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, is holding up a traditional fan. Photo by Sunjin Byun

Recently, as the Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters has gained popularity, there has been a noticeable increase in foreign tourists seeking out traditional crafts. On this day, the Insadong district, known for its concentration of traditional accessory shops, was bustling with tourists. K-Pop Demon Hunters, a film featuring K-pop stars battling evil spirits, has taken the world by storm.

According to real-time city data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government on September 3, sales in the Insadong commercial district last month reached approximately 3.717 billion won, with 167,701 transactions. This represents an increase of 8.3% and 18.4%, respectively, compared to January (3.431 billion won in sales and 141,595 transactions). Merchants selling traditional accessories unanimously agreed that they are experiencing the "K-Pop Demon Hunters effect."

Shin (61), who sells lacquerware and norigae, said, "Since last month, more and more foreign customers have been looking for fans and norigae with tiger or magpie designs, and it turns out it's because of K-Pop Demon Hunters. I think my sales have gone up by 20 to 30 percent since last month." Lee Soon-i (67), who runs the Korea Traditional Tourism Souvenir Shop, also said, "After K-Pop Demon Hunters, foreign customers kept asking for 'tiger, tiger,' so I quickly requested a manufacturer to supply tiger keyrings."

Thanks to the influence of K-Pop Demon Hunters, more people are also coming to try making traditional crafts like norigae themselves. Han, an employee at a norigae workshop, said, "These days, not only people in their teens and twenties but also many families are visiting. Perhaps because of the norigae worn by the K-Pop Demon Hunters group, reservations have surged and all classes for the next two weeks are fully booked." Kim Jio (21), who visited from Busan, said, "Making the norigae I saw on the K-Pop Demon Hunters stage myself was a unique experience."

Some traditional craft merchants plan to develop products that reinterpret traditional accessories in a modern way. Lee (49), who makes and sells traditional jewelry, said, "In the past, the customer base was limited, but after K-Pop Demon Hunters, inquiries from various age groups have increased. I plan to create keyrings and other items that capture Korean tradition with a modern sensibility."

A store selling traditional masks in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Sunjin Byun

Various products featuring traditional patterns sold at places like the National Museum of Korea are also in high demand. Not only are badges resembling the much-talked-about K-Pop Demon Hunters tiger character "Duffy" and magpie-tiger badges sold out, but blue tiger mother-of-pearl stickers and magpie-tiger tumblers are also experiencing a "sold-out frenzy."

Heo Kyungok, a professor of Consumer Industry at Sungshin Women's University, analyzed, "It appears that a new Korean Wave is sweeping through K-traditional crafts following K-Pop Demon Hunters. To move beyond simply selling souvenirs, a system is needed to continuously commercialize these products by incorporating modern design and storytelling."