Seoul partners with Musinsa for customizable city-branded T-shirts
Summary
Seoul Metropolitan Government is launching a print-your-own-shirt service with Musinsa Standard at the retailer’s newly opened Myeong-dong flagship store on Sept. 8. Shoppers can buy a plain cotton crewneck for 29,900 won and customize it with 30 heat-transfer stamps. The designs include Seoul’s slogan, Seoul My Soul, local landmarks and the Soul Friends mascots. The city says the collaboration is meant to present Seoul as a fashion capital that values individuality and diversity.
Key Facts
- The print-your-own-shirt station will be placed at Musinsa Standard’s newly opened Myeong-dong flagship store.
- The plain cotton crewneck costs 29,900 won, or about $22.
- Buyers can choose from 30 heat-transfer stamps, including the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the Han River and the Soul Friends mascots.
- To launch the service, all four full-body mascot costumes will appear at the Myeong-dong sales floor at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8.
- Kim Hyung-rae, director of communications for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said the collaboration lets people experience Seoul as a fashion capital that respects individuality and diversity.
A promotional image of Seoul and Musinsa Standard's T-shirt collaboration / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
If you have ever left a global capital with a cheap, screen-printed cotton shirt that began peeling off before you've even cleared customs, a partnership between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and a Korean fashion retailer is looking to change that by offering lasting, wearable souvenirs.
On Sept. 8, Seoul is launching a print-your-own-shirt service in partnership with Musinsa Standard. The print-your-own-shirt station will be located at the retailer’s newly opened Myeong-dong flagship store.
For 29,900 won (roughly $22), shoppers can purchase a plain cotton crewneck and customize it using 30 heat-transfer stamps. The designs range from the city’s official slogan, "Seoul My Soul," to graphic renderings of local landmarks like the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Han River. Also up for grabs are graphics of the city's official mascots, "Soul Friends" — a quartet of mythic creatures featuring a white tiger, blue dragon, red phoenix and black tortoise.
The city government has previously slapped its logos on everything from craft beers and cosmetics to convenience store snacks in a tireless quest to transform municipal branding into a lifestyle aesthetic. Instead of picking a standard souvenir off the shelf, buyers get to customize their own shirt, placing Seoul’s official city stamps wherever they want.
The choice of Myeong-dong is no accident. The district has long served as Seoul’s retail heart, where streams of international tourists navigate towering beauty shops and street food stalls. By embedding a customizable fashion lab inside Musinsa’s multi-story complex, city officials are hoping to convert transient foot traffic into walking billboards.
To inaugurate the service, all four full-body mascot costumes hit the Myeong-dong sales floor at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8 for a rare joint public appearance and photo-op. For a city government determined to sell its vibe to the world, standing next to a giant plush blue dragon while ironing a logo onto a gray T-shirt might just be the ultimate 2026 souvenir.
"This collaboration allows people to experience the charm of Seoul as a fashion capital that respects individuality and diversity," said Kim Hyung-rae, director of communications for the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Whether the municipal slogans appeal to trend-focused shoppers remains an open question, but the customizable option offers visitors an affordable, personalized souvenir from their trip.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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