I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
Korean goods boom triples direct overseas buys
A scene from "KPop Demon Hunters" / Courtesy of Netflix
By Park Ung
Fueled by the global rise of K-pop and the recent buzz around Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” overseas demand for direct purchases of Korean goods is surging.
According to secondhand marketplace Bungaejangter (Bunjang), the platform’s global transaction volume in the first half of this year jumped 333 percent year-on-year, while the number of transactions surged 345 percent over the same period.
“The number of direct overseas purchases of Korean goods through the platform jumped 78 percent from the same period last year, while total transaction value rose 56 percent,” said Cho Sun-joo, head of the platform’s data division.
The company attributed the recent surge in global demand for Korean products in part to the popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters.”
The Netflix animation has gained immense global popularity, drawing 37 million views in less than a month since its June release. As of Sunday, its soundtrack ranks No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200, underscoring the film’s worldwide cultural impact.
Reflecting this global popularity, the top 10 countries by sales spanned diverse regions, including the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and France, in that order.
By item category, idol photo cards were the most traded, followed by dolls and figurines, albums, posters and photobooks, clothing and fashion accessories, and other fan merchandise — with all top-ranking items tied to K-pop.
In particular, the company said merchandise from the National Museum of Korea — some featuring traditional folk paintings that inspired the show’s tiger and magpie characters — has sold well overseas, with items such as music boxes and AirPods cases widely purchased in the United States and Singapore, respectively.
“Global interest in Korean goods is expanding beyond star merchandise to encompass a wider range of Korean culture,” a company official said. “We plan to continue improving our services so that global users can more easily and quickly purchase items related to Korean content and culture in line with growing international demand.”