Online Mobile Shopping Reaches 13.6707 Trillion Won
Direct Distribution by Mid-to-Large Character License Holders Expands
Direct Production and Distribution by Influencers and Creators Spreads
Excerpted from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "2022 Leisure White Paper." The contactless consumption culture that spread due to COVID-19 from 2020 continued in 2021. According to Statistics Korea's "December 2021 and Annual Online Shopping Trends," December 2021 internet shopping transaction value was 18.4052 trillion won (up ~15.8% year-on-year); mobile shopping reached 13.6075 trillion won (up 22.9%). Character product online/mobile distribution by mid-to-large character license holders expanded significantly, alongside specialized platforms recruiting influencers and creators to produce and distribute character products online.
Roy Visual (Robocar Poli) entered direct online distribution in first half 2021, reorganizing distribution with Academy Science focusing on offline-only. The Pinkfong Company created a 45 billion won fund for new character development. Key industry changes: (1) Copyright holders directly distributing online, bypassing licensing intermediaries; (2) Platform companies (Kakao, Naver's LINE) directly operating character merchandise e-commerce; (3) Influencer/creator-based character product production via platforms like Wadiz; (4) Large-scale online character IP platforms emerging as dedicated marketplaces. Major direct distribution channels: KakaoFriends Store (online/offline); LINE FRIENDS Store; Pinkfong official store; Roy Visual's Robocar Poli store. The shift reflects COVID-driven permanent behavioral changes in consumer purchasing habits — online character product discovery and purchase becoming the norm rather than exception.
