Trends

3 K-Trends Bigger Abroad Than in Korea: Peppo, ROKA Tees, Olive Young Tote

AI-generated image of a canvas tote bag, an instant noodle packet and cute stickers on a wooden table. A thin white line traces the bag next to a handwritten note reading 'Hotter abroad'.

AT A GLANCE

Peppo
Buldak mascot; 99% of its YouTube subscribers are overseas (Design Compass)
ROKA tee
Army-issue 'ROKA' T-shirt, about 10,000 won, popular with overseas K-pop fans
Olive Young tote
3,000 won, about 1.78 million sold (August 2026 report)

Some everyday items in Korea have become “Korean-vibe” must-haves overseas. Here are three: Buldak’s mascot Peppo, the ROKA T-shirt and Olive Young’s tarpaulin bag, with figures I could check. Checked on: 2026-10-13

The hero image is AI-generated and is not a photo of real products.

1. Peppo, Buldak’s new mascot

Peppo is a red chick created by an affiliate of Samyang Round Square, the maker of Buldak noodles. In the story it hatched from a red egg laid by Buldak’s current mascot, Hoochi. It appeared on packaging for a product aimed at the US market, and 99% of its YouTube channel subscribers are overseas, per a Design Compass report. The channel reportedly passed 150 million cumulative views within a year.

An official online goods store, Peppoworld Shop, opened in August 2026 with plush dolls, plush keyrings, sleep masks and mochi stress balls.

2. The ROKA T-shirt

“ROKA” stands for Republic of Korea Army. Idols returning from military service were seen wearing the plain gray army shirt, and it became a fashion item for overseas K-pop fans. BTS fans, who call themselves ARMY, find the printed word especially meaningful. It costs about 10,000 won, and breathable, stretchy fabric is another reason fans give.

3. Olive Young’s tarpaulin bag

It’s a 3,000-won waterproof shopping bag sold at Olive Young, Korea’s big beauty and lifestyle chain. It launched in January 2025. As of an August 2026 report, about 1.78 million had been sold, through roughly 150 stores in tourist districts such as Myeongdong, Hongdae and Seongsu. Stock varies by store.

Sales figures are as of each report. The tote’s cumulative number keeps changing, so check for a newer figure if you need it.

A closer look

Why was Peppo created? According to Design Compass, Samyang Foods is considering replacing Hochi, the character on Buldak packages since 2014, with Peppo, though it isn’t final. Peppo was created by Samyang Ani, a content-commerce affiliate of Samyang Round Square. As Buldak grew popular abroad, copycat products imitating its look and characters increased, and the report says a distinct character was needed to stand apart. The US-market “Swishy Buldak” mixes sweetness and heat at a lower spice level as an entry-level Buldak, with Peppo as its friendly face. Views across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok add up to more than 180 million.

Where did the ROKA T-shirt start? According to a Daum News report, about ten years ago women waiting for partners in military service shared army PX T-shirts as gifts and took couple photos, and it spread from there. Today teens through middle-aged people wear them as workout wear, pajamas and couple tees, and Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps versions are popular too. With no brand logo, anyone can wear one. The report says genuine PX items sell the most and copies are common.

Why is the tarpaulin bag a hit? MTN says Olive Young joined the trend after Trader Joe’s and Costco tarpaulin bags sold out in the US. It’s a light, tear-resistant waterproof fabric and a large size that holds a lot. At 3,000 won each, 1.78 million bags works out to roughly 5.34 billion won in sales. In March Olive Young also released logo goods: two daily totes at 29,900 won and three iconic shoulder bags at 17,900 won.

How to try them

  • Tarpaulin bag: look in Olive Young stores in tourist areas.
  • ROKA tee: available on online fashion platforms. Check size reviews first.
  • Peppo goods: browse the Peppoworld Shop online.

To see what visitors actually buy, read our foreign tourist spending post and the ramen and K-beauty exports to India post.

Sources (checked on 2026-10-13)