"A 200-Million-Won Collection for 2 Million Won?" Gangnam Has a Meltdown Over Lee Sang-hwa's Pokémon Cards

[Financial News] Former national speed-skating team member Lee Sang-hwa staged a hidden-camera prank to make it appear that she had sold all of the Pokémon Trading Card Game cards collected by her husband, Gangnam. The prank drew attention after his card collection was estimated to be worth approximately 200 million won.
On the 15th, YouTube channel "Neighborhood Friend Kangnami" released a video showing Lee Sang-hwa staging a situation in which she had secretly disposed of Gangnam's Pokémon TCG collection.
Lee Sang-hwa, who was preparing the hidden-camera prank, urgently called in the production staff and declared, "I'm going to sell the cards." She said Gangnam kept buying Pokémon TCG cards whenever he visited Japan and had failed to keep his promise to stop buying them.
After taking out the cards that filled three drawers, Lee Sang-hwa said, "If you break a promise, I'll sell them without hesitation." She then visited a card shop herself to have the cards appraised and determine their actual value.
The appraisal came in far higher than Lee Sang-hwa had expected. Pokémon TCG boxes were valued at around 200,000 won or more, while unopened boxes were appraised at 850,000 to 1 million won, with the highest value reaching about 2.3 million won. Some individual cards were worth more than 10 million won. Luigi Pikachu was valued at approximately 12.5 million won, while a 20th-anniversary Pikachu was appraised at about 15 million won. Some rare cards were said to be worth around 20 million won.
After examining all of Gangnam's cards, the card shop estimated that it could purchase the entire collection for approximately 200 million won. Lee Sang-hwa, who had simply intended to tease her husband, was also surprised by the unexpectedly large amount.
The actual hidden-camera prank began after the appraisal. While Gangnam was away, Lee Sang-hwa hid the Pokémon TCG cards around the house and created the impression that they had all been sold.
When Gangnam returned home and could not find the cards, he asked Lee Sang-hwa, "Honey, where are the Pokémon cards?" After Lee Sang-hwa replied that she had already sold them, Gangnam initially thought it was a joke but gradually began to look serious.
Gangnam's reaction intensified when Lee Sang-hwa said she had sold them for 2 million won. Believing that cards valued at approximately 200 million won had been sold for a fraction of their worth, he searched throughout the house and eventually even dropped to his knees on the floor.
Lee Sang-hwa added that she had "sold them to a middle school student through Karrot." Gangnam demanded the buyer's contact information, saying he would find the person himself. When Lee Sang-hwa asked whether he would continue buying cards, he promised, "I won't buy any more. I won't buy any even when I go to Japan."
The cards had not actually been sold. It was a hidden-camera prank prepared by Lee Sang-hwa and the production staff, and Gangnam's Pokémon TCG collection remained safely inside the house.
After the prank ended, Lee Sang-hwa also prepared a gift for Gangnam. She personally selected a Pikachu card that she thought he would like and gave it to him.
After learning that his cards were safe, Gangnam protested to the production staff, saying, "This isn't a hidden-camera prank. It's a crime. It's fraud." However, he immediately smiled after seeing the Pikachu card Lee Sang-hwa had prepared. Gangnam expressed his gratitude, saying, "It's worth more than 5 million won," and, "I'm genuinely touched. Where could I find a wife like you?" He once again promised not to buy any more Pokémon TCG cards this year.

Meanwhile, it had previously been revealed on television that Gangnam had been steadily collecting Pokémon TCG cards.
When Gangnam recently appeared on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's "Radio Star," he revealed that he was collecting Pokémon TCG cards without Lee Sang-hwa's knowledge. He showed a Pikachu card that he said was worth more than 10 million won and explained that a 1999 version of a rare card of the same type as one in his collection was worth approximately 800 million won. Gangnam said, "I'm not collecting them as an investment. I'm collecting them for fun," but added that he "would never sell them" even if someone offered a high price.

Gangnam and Lee Sang-hwa became romantically involved after meeting through Seoul Broadcasting System's "Law of the Jungle in the Last Indian Ocean" in 2018, and they married in October 2019.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter