SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters is fueling a rush in South Korea’s secondhand market. Action figures, badges, and other show-themed goods are moving quickly on resale platforms as fans look for items tied to the animation's tiger and magpie characters.
Released in June, the animation follows a K-pop idol group that secretly fights demons in Seoul. It blended mythology, music, and action and built major buzz. It became the first South Korea–themed Netflix title to pass 300 million cumulative views, and its soundtrack song "Golden" held the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 for seven straight weeks.
According to industry data provided by secondhand trading platform Bunjang, listings tagged with "magpie and tiger" on the popular ecommerce platform rose 357 percent between June 20 and September 29 compared with the previous three months, while total transaction value increased 164 percent. Items using the tiger-and-magpie motif, which draws on traditional folk art, have been especially active.
During the same period, transactions using the keyword "National Museum of Korea" increased by one thousand percent, and total sales rose by 573 percent. The museum's magpie-and-tiger badges and related items have sold out at times, sending buyers to secondhand channels.
Beyond the domestic rush for show-linked goods, Bunjang's cross-border activity has also climbed. Bunjang's data shows its overseas service, Bunjang Global, topped two million monthly active users by mid-September and is on track to exceed 2.2 million by month’s end, about five times higher than the 430,000 users recorded a year earlier.
In the first half of the year, total transaction value rose 333 percent from a year earlier, while the number of transactions increased 345 percent. Much of the recent demand comes from overseas buyers seeking K-pop photo cards, limited-edition collectibles, and handmade items with traditional patterns seen in K-pop Demon Hunters.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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