South Korea’s toys market moves at two speeds: when a new character or show becomes popular, children create short spikes in sales, while adults keep demand steady through collecting and display‑focused purchases.
The demographics of South Korea’s toys market are changing
South Korea has fewer children and more seniors each year, and this changes who stands in the toy aisle. According to World Population Prospects 2024, children aged 0 to 14 made up 10.57% of the population. By 2026, that share is projected to dip below ten percent to 9.82%. At the same time, the 65 and over group already represents 19.27% in 2024 and is projected to reach 21.43% in 2026.
In 2024, people in Korea averaged 5 hours 8 minutes of daily leisure, with more than half of that time spent on media such as television, video, and online content. For children and teenagers, this screen-led leisure means fewer minutes for physical play. This means that toy makers face tougher competition for attention, giving an edge to formats that serve as décor, identity, or quick-hit dopamine (e.g., figures, premium plush) rather than traditional playsets.
Adults are already active buyers. Character-based intellectual property (IP) is not only for children in Korea. In a 2024 survey conducted by the Korea Creative Content Agency (N=1,400), 44.7% of people in their 20s and 46.5% of those in their 30s reported using character products at least weekly. Among buyers, 64.9% purchased plush dolls, and 43.2% purchased figures or model kits. This adult engagement is a core structural driver behind South Korea’s two‑speed toys market: children create short, hit‑driven spikes, while adults sustain steady demand in display‑friendly, collector formats.
Timed drops generate excitement among kidults
South Korea is a mobile-first e-commerce market. In June 2025, mobile purchases accounted for 77.8% of total online shopping value. This figure covers all e-commerce, not only toys, but it can explain how limited toy launches clear quickly when they move through phones.
Brands use pop‑ups and flagships to stage timed drops. In‑person reveals, ticketing at opening, and tight batch sizes concentrate demand into a short window. Staff manage lines, verify purchase limits, and create photo‑ready displays so collectors share the experience. This format turns attention into same‑day sell‑through and builds anticipation for the next wave.
Official apps and brand‑run online stores close the loop. Push alerts announce dates and product lists. Digital waiting rooms, reservations, or lotteries manage fairness. Fast checkout and local payment options reduce friction. Because most online value already flows through mobile, these tools move scarce inventory quickly and leave a clear trail for restocks and after‑sales support.
Brands then keep momentum in department‑store “kidult zones” (curated displays that extend discovery) and let consumer‑to‑consumer resale platforms absorb overflow and anchor perceived value between drops.
Toys are becoming part of everyday routines
Adults now provide the steady baseline in South Korea’s toy market. Their engagement with character goods is habitual, and they tend to purchase display‑first formats, such as plush that feel like companions and figures or model kits that sit on desks and shelves. These formats invite small, frequent “treat” buys between children’s hit‑driven releases.
Brands are reorganizing around this demand. LEGO Korea says more than one‑fifth of its sales come from adults and that it expanded its adult‑focused lineup by about 40% in 2024. Kidult‑focused players are increasing quickly. POP MART Korea recorded about KRW 34.8 billion in revenue in 2024, nearly triple the year before, and Bandai Namco Korea posted roughly KRW 80.6 billion in revenue, about one‑third higher than a year earlier, with operating profit also increasing.
For brands, this adult baseline favors products designed for display and collection. Clear series logic, numbered waves, and shelf‑friendly packaging help collections grow over time, while buildable or customizable elements keep engagement high without needing new hit content.
Korean adults are turning to small toys to escape from daily pressures
Adults in Korea often frame plush as emotional companions and treat figures as display‑ready collectibles. As one Naver Blog user said, “In this stressful reality, more adults find comfort through plush toys.”
Attention turns into purchases with content and drop clocks
Two timing mechanisms convert attention into sales in South Korea. Children’s demand follows the arc of a program or character. When an episode or clip peaks, retailers announce small allotments and fixed release windows. Stores issue queue tickets at opening, apply per‑customer limits, and the day’s stock clears within hours. Short, staged replenishments bridge the period until the next content beat.
Adult collections are often organized by calendars. Brands number waves and collaborations, ship blind‑box series as complete sets, and set up pop-ups for figures and premium plush. Collectors return to complete checklists, trade duplicates, and refresh displays. A clear timetable and set sizes keep the habit regular even when no new content is airing.
Why does this work in Korea? Compact, photogenic items fit small homes and social sharing. Shoppers accept scheduled releases and caps as fair. The two clocks together produce rapid sell‑through at children’s peaks and steady repeat purchases from adults between those peaks.
Case studies of attention turning into sales
Teenieping showed how fast children’s demand converts to sales. Homeplus restocked about 1,200 Auroraping Castle House playsets on December 23, 2024, and they sold out the same day. Some Emart branches issued queue tickets at opening, and resale listings rose to three to seven times the original price.
Large in‑person activations also turn awareness into purchases. Pokémon Town 2024 ran at Lotte World Mall, Jamsil, using same‑day, on‑site registration only. The rule created morning queues and scarcity for exclusive items, with media previews and on‑site coverage emphasizing capsule draws and open‑run turnout.
Adult collectors keep stores busy between these child‑led peaks. POP MART locations in Korea continued to draw crowds in 2025 even after Labubu offline sales paused, as shoppers still lined up for other drops, collaborations, and series. The depth of this adult baseline shows up in company results as well. Bandai Namco Korea, which operates Gundam Base and model‑kit lines, reported about KRW 80.6 billion in 2024 revenue, around one‑third higher than a year earlier, with operating profit more than doubled.
Together, these cases show the mechanism at work: short, scheduled releases and event‑style experiences create immediate sell‑outs for children’s favorites, while the adult collector base sustains traffic and revenue between peaks through ongoing drops and series.
