"Today's Tradition 6th Generation," a startup based on Korean traditional culture, held a pop-up exhibition and distribution consultation in Seongsu-dong.
– Creating practical business opportunities for traditional culture startups through exhibition and distribution consultation sessions.
The success of the Netflix original animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters" has led to a surge in interest in Korean traditional culture and historical tourism. The National Museum of Korea surpassed 5 million cumulative visitors this year, setting a record in its 80-year history. Furthermore, interest in traditional culture in general, including Korean crafts and traditional culture experience programs, is growing significantly both domestically and internationally.
During this time, a special pop-up store opened in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Hosted by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, the 2025 Today Traditional Youth Startup Support Program, a pop-up and exhibition evaluation and distribution consultation meeting was held on the 17th in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. This event provided a platform for traditional culture-based startups to connect directly with consumers through exhibitions and pop-up stalls.
The event showcased a variety of traditional cultural products, including an exhibition and sale of handicrafts, upcycled goods based on traditional cultural IP, traditional unsweetened makgeolli, and modern traditional liquors made with grain syrup. The "Hanbok Runway Board Game," featuring a competition between two hanbok designers, drew particular attention as it allowed participants to create and compete in a variety of hanbok designs. Visitors could also participate in hands-on programs such as traditional liquor tasting, natural stone keychain making, and traditional cultural goods making, allowing them to experience the charm of traditional Korean materials firsthand.
A total of 16 companies participated in this event, showcasing brands that reinterpret traditional Korean culture in a modern way. The participating companies are as follows:
* Participating startups
△ Ancient to Today (Korean Heritage Fusion K-Beauty Brand 'Omia')
△ Woncha (traditional tea for diabetes prevention based on oriental medicine)
△ Gongsa-sa Yangjo (traditional liquor based on Jocheong)
△ Recording Korea (development of traditional culture tourism content)
△ Atelier Darin (traditional fusion jewelry brand)
△ Studio Shinyu (Korean-style furniture and prop manufacturing)
△ Moving Museum (Traditional DIY Hobby Kit)
△ Playback (upcycled goods based on traditional culture IP)
△ Hachi (Dancheong pattern fashion brand)
△ Transcendence (Haenam rice unsweetened makgeolli)
△ Mulmaru (Production of goods based on traditional fabrics)
△ Cox (traditional ceramics technique living item)
△ Crow (Jewelry that fuses tradition and modernity)
△ Joy Hunter Games (traditional theme board game)
△ Hwansuldang (making brass seals from waste plastic)
△ There are also hand-made dream (traditional pattern art kits), etc.
The event was also livened up with cultural experiences and creator participation. In particular, Mai, a creator in the "Hyeon" category of Miss Chunhyang 2025, who loves Korean culture and enjoys hanbok and kimchi, attracted attention by visiting. Mai toured the venue, visiting booths of participating startups and experiencing various traditional cultural products, thereby promoting the beauty of Korean traditional culture both domestically and internationally. Singer Choi Seung-ryeol's congratulatory performance and a traditional Korean dance performance followed, creating a cultural festival-like atmosphere where experiences and attractions intermingled.
To support the participating companies' market development, experts from various distribution channels attended and conducted one-on-one consultations with the companies. Topics covered the entire distribution channel, including distribution, commerce platform entry, and overseas market expansion. Participants included not only overseas exporters, such as VinRetail, Vietnam's largest conglomerate Vingroup; K-BOX, which operates a Korean product sales space (K-Content Zone); and LINKTO, a Southeast Asian online commerce platform; but also domestic distribution vendors.
KT Creatorfactory provided consulting and connection programs to support SMEs and small business owners. Startups participating in "Today's Tradition" will be connected to the "Panpandaero" program, an integrated distribution platform that supports market innovation and growth for SMEs and small business owners. KT Creatorfactory, in collaboration with the Korea SMEs and Startups Distribution Agency, operates the "Sodam Square Boramae" center, which supports the digital capacity building of SMEs and small business owners.
Company X and Yellow Punch, the key market development support organizations that hosted this event, plan to continue operating customized support programs for traditional Korean startups to develop new markets, offering diverse opportunities for participating brands. This event is expected to serve as an opportunity for Korean traditional culture companies to increase brand awareness and explore new markets through pop-up store experiences and distribution consultations.
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