Seoul Goods Captivate Foreign Tourists After Garnering 2.7 Million Views on Japanese Social Media

[Financial News] Seoul Goods, the official souvenirs of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, are gaining popularity through word of mouth among overseas consumers. A photo of a hat featuring the Seoul Metropolitan Government's city brand garnered 2.7 million views on a Japanese social media platform, while souvenirs showcasing Seoul's landmarks and traditional culture are winning over foreign tourists. Interest is particularly strong among younger consumers in their 20s and 30s in products that capture Seoul's distinctive design and culture. On the 23rd, the Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled the 'Seoul Goods TOP 10,' compiled through an analysis of foreign purchase data from its online and offline sales channels this year. The analysis showed that products featuring Seoul's landmarks were popular offline, while household items incorporating characters and other content performed well online.
The SEOUL MY SOUL BELT CAP, launched in Japan on the 3rd through a collaboration between the Seoul Metropolitan Government's city brand 'Seoul My Soul (SEOUL MY SOUL)' and traditional Korean knot fashion brand ONGO, has recently become a sensation in Japan. A photo of the cap worn by a Japanese user and posted on X, formerly Twitter, on the 7th recorded 2.7 million views without any separate advertising or promotion. It also received 32,000 likes, 7,900 reposts, and 9,300 bookmarks, spreading rapidly among Japanese social media users. As the design incorporating traditional Korean knotwork attracted attention, its popularity in Japan also began to spread to South Korea.
Seoul Goods are official products that the Seoul Metropolitan Government has produced since 2024 with the goal of creating city souvenirs like New York's 'I Love NY (I♥NY).' The collection has expanded to include household items featuring the Seoul Metropolitan Government's characters, Hechi & Soul Friends, souvenirs showcasing Seoul's major landmarks, and collaborative products with private brands.
Consumer preferences varied by sales channel. The top-selling item in combined online and offline sales at the DDP Design Store was the 'Seoul Sticker Collection: 50 Designs.' Other small souvenirs priced below 10,000 won, including 'Postcards of Seoul's Four Great Gates and Four Great Palaces,' 'Kongkong Postcards,' and the Namsan and Gwanghwamun series of 'Instant Film Magnets,' also ranked highly. Online, character-based products such as 'Hechi Playing Cards,' 'White Tiger Plush Key Rings,' and the 'Hechi & Soul Friends Wood Block Tower' performed particularly well.
Higher-priced products also gained popularity by emphasizing distinctive designs. The 'Durumagi Raincoat,' worth 99,000 won and produced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with small business owners, sold out its entire prepared stock. At the Seoul Gallery store inside Seoul City Hall, which opened in February this year, the 59,000-won 'Landscape Mother-of-Pearl Box' has continued to sell steadily. Since the Seoul Gallery store opened, foreign visitors have accounted for more than 22% of its visitors.
At six Seoul My Soul Shop locations in Jongno, Myeongdong, Gwanghwamun, Gangnam Station, Yeouido Hangang Park, and the Seoul Gallery store, products in the 10,000-won range, such as Hechi random figurines, magnets, and ballpoint pens, have been popular. Rice chips, a collaboration product launched in May by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Pungsimdang, have also continued to sell steadily.
Collaborations with private brands are also expanding. This month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced 'Seoul Stamp,' a T-shirt customization service created with Musinsa Standard and featuring Seoul's major landmarks, city branding, and Soul Friends designs. The 'Joseon Royal Court Refreshment Table Set,' developed in collaboration with Cheong Kwan Jang, and Pungsimdang's four-variety gift set of Seoul Snack Rice Chips have also been selling well.
Kim Hyeong-rae, Director-General for Public Relations and Planning of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "The belt cap that became a sensation on Japanese social media and the foreign purchase data show that distinctly Seoul design is being embraced as competitive content." He added, "By expanding collaborations with small business owners, designers, and private brands, we will create a Seoul that people around the world want to own and use."

[email protected] Seong Cho-rong Reporter