The Labubu effect: Crowds continue at Korea's Pop Mart stores despite lack of iconic toy

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The Labubu effect: Crowds continue at Korea's Pop Mart stores despite lack of iconic toy

Published: 01 Jul. 2025, 07:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The Pop Mart store in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, is packed with people. [WOO JI-WON]

No Labubu, no problem. The most sought-after plush toy may have vanished from Pop Mart branches in Korea, but the stores are still swarming with people.

In the middle of central Seoul's Myeong-dong neighborhood — known for the sweet scent of batter wafting from street stalls, flashy storefronts vying for attention and tourists dragging suitcases across lanes — one store stood out as the busiest.

It was Pop Mart.

Inside the China-based collectible toy retailer’s brightly lit store on Friday, people stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Various languages could be heard from every corner, and shelves overflowed with colorful, palm-sized plushies — some adorably creepy — along with figures, key chains and mystery boxes.

The Pop Mart store in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, is packed with people. [WOO JI-WON]

“I came after my friend introduced me,” said Yancy, a tourist from the United States who was browsing the figures. “I’m really into figurines, so I came specifically.”

Even without the blind box lineup of the wildly popular fluffy Labubu plushies, the store was packed with people, particularly international tourists. Blind boxes are mystery packages where shoppers don’t know which figure they’ll receive until they open it.

A wide range of collectibles, including Skullpanda, Molly and collaborations with Disney, are on sale at the Korean branches. According to staff at the Myeong-dong branch, the most sought-after characters at the store now are Crying Baby and Hirono — both created by independent artists under Pop Mart’s in-house IP program. That was clear during visits to the store on Wednesday and Friday, with the largest crowds gathered around those displays.

So, what’s driving the frenzy even after the store's most iconic character has disappeared from shelves? The answer: a broader selection of other toy lineups, limited global access to products, favorable exchange rates and an ever-expanding universe of collectible characters.

Labubu has gone but the frenzy hasn’t

On June 17, Pop Mart Korea announced it would suspend sales of Labubu toys, modeled after a sharp-toothed creature designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung for his “The Monsters” series in 2015 and produced by Pop Mart, over safety concerns.

Blackpink's Rosé is seen holding a Labubu doll in her instagram story. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Blackpink’s Lisa is seen holding a Labubu doll in an interview video posted by Vanity Fair on Nov. 13, 2024. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

After celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Blackpink’s Lisa and Rosé were seen with Labubus, the toys' fame skyrocketed. Fans began camping outside stores for release-day drops at branches in Myeong-dong and at Coex in southern Seoul, which eventually drew complaints from nearby businesses.

“Labubus were sold on a first-come, first-served basis, so people camped outside. But it got too crowded, so the Chinese headquarters decided to stop sending them to Korea,” said an employee at the Myeong-dong branch.

But the crowds never left.

“The number of people coming in is just like before,” said another store worker. “Except now, we don’t see tents.”

And this isn’t just a Korea-specific phenomenon. Due to long lines, crowd surges and scuffles, Pop Mart also halted in-store Labubu sales in the United Kingdom on May 22. Despite this, a video reposted by PopmartUK on Instagram on Sunday still showed long queues forming outside British branches.

A video reposted by PopmartUK on Instagram on Sunday shows long queues forming outside British branches.[SCREEN CAPTURE]

In other countries where Pop Mart stores continue to sell Labubu toys, the hype is even more intense. The launch of snack-themed Labubu dolls drew a queue of around 160 fans at Pop Mart’s Ion Orchard store in Singapore on Saturday, according to The Straits Times.

Even without its best-seller, Pop Mart’s ever-expanding universe of collectible characters at its Korean branches is keeping the crowds coming. While Labubus became an instant trend after celebrity endorsements, Pop Mart's other characters remain less mainstream — leaving more stock available. The company’s constant rollout of new items and character series also keeps collectors engaged and coming back for more.

"I bought two boxes of Hirono, one for myself and one for my friend," said Asha from Russia, who has more dolls at home. “We both collect Hirono. They’re creepy but cute.”

“Myeong-dong doesn’t have that many varieties because so many tourists come here,” she added. “But other Korean branches, like the one at I’Park Mall, have more.”

Korea’s Pop Mart advantage

The popularity of Pop Mart branches in Korea with tourists can also be attributed to its limited presence abroad. Korea has eight branches — four in Seoul alone — many conveniently located in tourist-heavy areas like western Seoul's Hongdae area and Coex.

“My country doesn’t have Pop Mart,” said Stephanie, a tourist from Slovakia, who held an armful of doll boxes. “I am buying them because my mom asked me to.”

Sam from Australia, who spent a long time snapping photos and sending them to a friend before purchasing a few boxes of figures, said, “I bought these as a gift. My friend told me to get some from Korea."

Slovakia has no offline store, while Australia — which is around 77 times Korea’s size — only has 11 physical stores.

Favorable exchange rates are another incentive, said Stephanie: “The won is cheap compared to my currency.”

A single Mickey Mouse figure from the 'Disney: Childhood of Boundless Imagination' series costs £13.50 ($18.50) in the U.K., while it is priced at 15,000 won in Korea, according to Pop Mart’s regional websites. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Take the "Disney: Childhood of Boundless Imagination" series of figures, for example. A single Mickey Mouse figure, when bought in the United States, retails for $16.99, about 23,400 won at current exchange rates, according to Pop Mart’s official website. But it costs 15,000 won in Korea, which is roughly $10.99 — a 35 percent discount.

The same toy in Australia costs 22 Australian dollars ($14.38) and £13.50 ($18.50) in the U.K., according to the Pop Mart websites in those regions.

Even in neighboring Asian markets, Korea remains one of the cheapest places to buy Pop Mart toys. In Japan, the same figurine sells at 1,650 Japanese yen ($11.45) and in Singapore, it costs 15.90 Singapore dollars ($12.48).

Problems involved

While Pop Mart’s popularity remains high, confusion is growing among collectors due to the lack of a clear purchasing system — despite perks like shorter queues. Fans online have voiced mounting frustration over inconsistent stock, limited releases and unclear announcements, both online and in-store.

After halting regular Labubu sales, Pop Mart Korea hosted an online lottery system, selecting winners who could come to the store and pick up their Labubu in person. The winners had arrived to the store, and many in line were seen holding Labubu boxes. But the system had some problems.

Pop Mart Korea hosted an online lottery system for the Monsters series. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

More than 10,000 fans had participated the draw, but confusion followed.

One Instagram user said she took part in the lottery after the original post stated that pickup was available from June 21 to 25. But a notice she later received said pickup was only allowed on one specific date, and not anytime during the five-day period. “I live overseas,” she wrote on Pop Mart Korea's post. “Now I can’t get it at all.”

Others criticized the company for announcing the event exclusively on Instagram while also failing to provide clear details. One parent pointed out that children under 15 were allowed to enter the draw, but were blocked from making purchases when they went to the store. “My kid cried because they couldn’t buy it at the store,” the parent wrote. "Make the guidelines more clear."

Pop Mart clarified that the lottery item was classified as a "Pop Issue" product — a label used for newly released or high-demand items. These products are restricted to customers aged 15 and older, as they are marketed toward adults and young adults, and require self-authentication due to reselling concerns, according to a staff member at Pop Mart’s Suwon branch. Regular items can be purchased by customers of all ages.

The parent, however, said the confusion was driving people toward resellers, as children can’t make purchases themselves and are instead forced to turn to secondhand platforms.

With the boom in Pop Mart toys, led by Labubu’s meteoric rise, reselling and counterfeits have become growing concerns. At a recent auction in Beijing, a human-sized Labubu figure sold for 1.08 million yuan ($150,500).

Labubu Highlight Series is sold as much 519,000 won on June 29 on the online resale platform Kream. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korea wasn’t an exception. A sealed "Labubu Highlight Series" case that originally retailed for 126,000 won sold for as much as 814,000 won on the online resale platform Kream. As of June 29, listings remained as high as 520,000 won.

A wave of counterfeits has also emerged.

One recent victim was Wonhee, a member of girl group Illit, who revealed on the fan platform Bubble that she had accidentally purchased a fake Labubu. “I was cheated,” she wrote. “This is really not it.”

Girl group Illit member Wonhee reveals on Bubble, fan platform, that she accidently bought a fake Labubu [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Another Instagram user shared a video on Saturday showing 13 dolls she bought from a stationery store in Korea. Each came with a barcode — but none scanned correctly. All were fake.

Pop Mart has issued warnings about counterfeits through its official website, urging customers to purchase only through verified sales platforms.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]

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The Labubu effect: Crowds continue at Korea's Pop Mart stores despite lack of iconic toy

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