'Pengsoo' rocks Seoul bourse

Penguin character Pengsoo shakes hands with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, when it visited the foreign ministry in the Government Complex Seoul to shoot a promotional video for the Korea-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in this Nov. 6 file photo. / Yonhap

By Park Jae-hyuk

Pengsoo, an EBS-owned outspoken penguin character that has become a YouTube star, has begun exercising its influence over the nation's stock market, since investors have gone all out to look for related stocks, according to analysts, Thursday.

The 10-year-old male penguin character which is 210 centimeters tall has attracted over 530,000 subscribers to its YouTube channel, Giant PengTV run by EBS.

The state-run educational broadcaster, which already saw a megahit with its previous penguin character, Pororo the Little Penguin, initially targeted children when it first came up with Pengsoo in April.

Young adults in their 20s and 30s, however, have been the actual viewers of Giant PengTV, because the penguin character's humor appeals to adults and shows empathy for salaried workers.

Adults have been enthusiastic about Pengsoo's bluntness, such as addressing EBS CEO Kim Myung-joong, the character's boss, without mentioning his title.

It also met Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Nov. 6, when it visited the foreign ministry to shoot a promotional video for the Korea-ASEAN Commemorative Summit taking place in Busan Nov. 25 and 26.

Amid its growing popularity, shares of companies considered to be related to Pengsoo have also risen sharply.

Uangel shares rose 26.55 percent, Monday, following a 6.48 percent increase Nov. 7 and a 9.98 percent increase Nov. 8.

The KOSPI-listed tech firm specializing in producing apps for children signed a memorandum of understanding with EBS in 2017 to use the broadcaster's content for its products, so investors expect Pengsoo to be used in Uangel's products.

YES24, which sells "Pengsoo goods," also saw a stock trading volume 10 times higher than usual, Monday.

"Investors are likely to search for companies that can benefit from Pengsoo, as they did when Pororo came into the world," Meritz Securities analyst Ha In-hwan said in a recent report. "If goods utilizing Pengsoo are released, expectations will grow further for companies that can benefit from the character."

As a Pengsoo emoticon went on sale on KakaoTalk messenger, Wednesday, some investors categorized Kakao shares as one of the Pengsoo-related stocks.

Food firms including Lotte Confectionery, Dongwon F&B and Binggrae, as well as budget carrier T'way Air and travel agency Modetour are also mentioned as companies that could benefit from Pengsoo, as they have asked to use the character in their promotional materials.

Some analysts, however, warned of risks in regarding companies as Pengsoo-related firms without a specific reason.

They said it was uncertain whether or not Pengsoo will continue to enjoy its current popularity.

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