In Korea, photo booths aren’t just “a place to take pictures.” They’re a whole hobby. The frame design, the concept, the vibe — a good one can pull an hour-long line on a Saturday.

Right now, one booth is all over everyone’s feed: Lost Technology Pictures, an independent photo booth that opened near Hapjeong Station in Seoul.

Your photo comes out as a trading card

The concept is built around Pokémon cards, which are having a massive moment in Korea right now. Your photo prints out looking like a trading card.

Here’s the twist: you don’t pick your frame. It’s assigned at random — and each frame has a different drop rate, labeled things like “Normal,” “Rare,” and “Super Rare.” It’s basically unboxing a card pack, except the card has your face on it.

Predictably, a lot of people shoot again and again until they pull the frame they want — there’s even a Korean slang term for collecting every version of a set.

You write the card text yourself

The other detail worth calling out: you can customize the card’s name and description. Couples give each other ridiculous “move names,” friend groups immortalize their inside jokes. Same booth, completely different results every time — which is exactly why the reviews keep multiplying online.

It only opened last month, and it’s already pulling 60+ minute weekend waits. Their official Instagram passed 1,000 followers within a week of launching.

Why it works: Pokémon cards are everywhere in Korea right now

This booth landed at exactly the right moment. Pokémon cards are genuinely trending here — people who never cared about Pokémon are pulling random packs for fun, and some are collecting cards as an investment. As a result, that glossy holographic card look has become a design trend of its own.

As one 27-year-old in Seoul put it: “Reviews kept showing up in my feed, so I knew it was a thing. Since the frame is random, there’s this gacha thrill to it.”

If you want to go

• Where: Near Hapjeong Station, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Tip: Weekend afternoons get long lines — go on a weekday or early in the day
• Best for: Couples and friend groups. Think of your card text before you go — it makes a huge difference

Looking for a Seoul date plan? Grab food, walk around Hapjeong, then pull a photo like it’s a card pack. Not a bad afternoon at all.

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Source: Careet Trend Letter vol.318 (Sep 8, 2026), “Trending items of the week” — careet.net