As Korea’s character IP industry evolves, content companies are transforming traditional holidays into powerful merchandising windows. This Lunar New Year, IP leaders like SAMG Entertainment and Choirock Contents Company are reimagining cultural heritage as a global product strategy—bridging fandom, collectibles, and cultural storytelling for worldwide consumers.

SAMG Entertainment Launches Hanbok-Inspired “MyPing” Line

On February 11, SAMG Entertainment—best known for Catch! Teenieping—unveiled its Lunar New Year-themed merchandise, including a custom figure line titled “MyPing in Hanbok.”

The limited series reinterprets Korean traditional garments with contemporary design sensibility, featuring options such as hanbok dresses, ayams, ribboned daenggi hairpieces, and royal gonryongpo robes. Each design integrates K-heritage motifs and hand-painted color palettes to emphasize collectible value for both domestic and overseas fans.

Alongside the figures, SAMG introduced 26 new merchandise items influenced by the aesthetics of Korean ink-wash painting (sumukhwa). Products include patchwork-patterned handkerchiefs, dancheong-style card sets, and traditional costume stickers—blending cultural artistry with modern lifestyle products.

The release aligns with SAMG’s shift toward participatory IP experiences, allowing fans to customize, collect, and display rather than merely consume its characters.

Choirock Contents Company Expands Toy Innovation Through Phoenix Man and Hello Carbot

On the same day, Choirock Contents Company, creator of Hello Carbot, launched two flagship toys: Phoenix Man’s “Exstarion”, a four-stage combination robot, and Hello Carbot Bigport, a transformable tank-and-robot character debuting in Hello Carbot Season 17 (Warrior 2) premiering February 15.

Exstarion consists of three modular vehicles—a battleship (Excruise), a helicopter (Expello), and an airplane (Explane)—which can combine or operate separately. Design features like a helicopter landing deck and dual-level jet windows enhance play realism.

Bigport, meanwhile, is engineered for tactile interactivity: the tank mode includes functional wheels, a rotating 360° turret, and double-barrel mechanics. Choirock’s focus on combining authentic mechanical play with recognizable animation characters underscores its continued investment in franchise-led innovation.

How K-IP Firms Are Monetizing Culture Through Seasonal Merchandising

These Lunar New Year launches reveal how Korean IP companies are systematizing cultural motifs into scalable product ecosystems. Instead of short-term holiday sales, firms like SAMG and Choirock use seasonal cycles as testbeds for sustained IP expansion—turning local traditions into globally recognizable brand assets.

The integration of K-heritage themes with digital-native IPs reflects the industry’s broader ambition to differentiate within the saturated global animation and toy markets. Such strategies strengthen export readiness and licensing potential, especially across Asian and Western markets increasingly receptive to Korean character design and storytelling.

Industry Voices on Cultural IP and Fan Economy Expansion

An SAMG Entertainment spokesperson stated that the company aims to build “an IP business model where characters are not merely consumed but co-created and experienced by fans.” This signals the firm’s intention to deepen user engagement beyond broadcast and retail channels.

Choirock’s releases further emphasize mechanical design and collectible appeal, aligning with a domestic trend where animated IPs increasingly drive toy engineering and cross-media storytelling.

Why The Lunar New Year Launch Matters for Korea’s IP and Startup Ecosystem

Korea’s character IP industry has become one of the most dynamic intersections of culture and commerce. As companies like SAMG and Choirock merge traditional aesthetics with modern manufacturing and storytelling, they illustrate a model of cultural scalability—a blueprint for how creative startups can expand into global consumer ecosystems.

These cases highlight how K-content firms integrate cultural authenticity, toy innovation, and fan economy principles to compete with Japan’s and the U.S.’s established IP markets. The approach also supports Korea’s government-backed push for content export diversification, positioning character-driven startups as key players in the creative economy.

A New Phase of K-Merchandising

Korea’s evolving IP strategy shows that culture can serve as both inspiration and infrastructure.

As the line between fandom, collectibles, and cultural heritage blurs, firms like SAMG and Choirock are shaping a new phase of K-merchandising—where tradition becomes a scalable business model connecting Seoul’s creativity to global consumer markets.

Key Takeaways on Korean IP Lunar New Year Strategy

• SAMG Entertainment launched “MyPing in Hanbok” and 26 K-heritage goods integrating traditional Korean aesthetics with character IP design.
• Choirock Contents Company debuted new toys “Exstarion” and “Bigport,” aligning with its latest Hello Carbot season.
• Korean IP firms are turning cultural holidays into global merchandising opportunities, blending tradition with modern consumer trends.
• The strategy reflects Korea’s broader ambition to export IP-based culture and strengthen its creative industry’s international footprint.
• Seasonal releases are evolving into sustainable IP growth models, linking fan engagement, heritage design, and manufacturing innovation.

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