'Lucky Vicky' star Jang Won-young joins the craze: the 4,000-won joy item causing sell-outs in Dongdaemun [Trend Recipe]

According to The Financial News, Dongdaemun General Market in Seoul, which had been relatively quiet for some time after COVID-19, has recently come back to life. A new hobby called "bolkku"—short for decorating ballpoint pens—has taken off among people in their teens and twenties, sharply increasing the number of visitors looking for related accessories. The floors that sell these materials are packed even on weekday afternoons, crowded with everyone from young children and their parents to couples in their twenties.
Bolkku uses a special type of pen that is about half the length of a regular ballpoint pen and has a long, thin stick attached to the back end. This back stick functions like the string used for making bracelets or necklaces, and various decorative parts are threaded onto it to create a "one-of-a-kind pen." People mainly use character charms and large beads to design their own unique ballpoint pens. The material cost per pen is around 4,000 to 6,000 won, making it relatively inexpensive to create a finished product. The trend is gaining popularity because it allows people to express their individuality by incorporating their favorite idols or characters.
Industry insiders on the 7th explained that this phenomenon is an extension of the "decorating culture" that spread before and after COVID-19, now taking on new forms. It began with "dakku" (decorating diaries) using stickers and masking tape, then expanded to "shoe decorating" with Crocs jibbitz, bag decorating with keyrings and charms, "phone decorating" with raised stickers, and "tumbler decorating" by adding various ornaments. As this culture of creatively decorating almost every everyday item has spread among teens and people in their twenties, the phrase "byeoldakku," meaning "you decorate just about everything," has also emerged.
This byeoldakku culture is also spreading rapidly within idol fandoms. Recently, Ive's Jang Won-young shared photos of her diary decorated in her signature "Lucky Vicky" style, while her groupmate Rei posted a picture holding a phone adorned with beads and stickers, drawing strong interest from fans. Within fandom communities, posts imitating the decorating styles used by idols are appearing one after another.

Among these trends, bolkku is currently drawing the most attention. It appeals to a wide range of people, from elementary school students who use stationery frequently to university students, and it is popular as an activity that parents and children or couples can enjoy together. A woman in her twenties, identified by the surname Kim, who visited Dongdaemun Market for the second time after getting into bolkku, said, "To be honest, bolkku is hardly practical. Pens decorated like this are inconvenient to write with, but it doesn't cost much, and I feel attached to them because it feels like I've created something that's uniquely mine."
A woman in her fifties, identified by the surname Choi, said, "I originally came to look for accessory parts, but I saw a crowd and decided to buy the materials and try making one myself. There are so many types that it's a shame to stop at just one, so I'm planning to come back next time with my daughters."
localplace@fnnews.com Kim Hyun-ji Reporter