The line outside a toy wholesaler in Seoul’s Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street on a recent weekend looked more like one outside a trendy cafe than a decades-old market.
Shoppers crowded around bins of squishies, comparing textures and squeezing them before making their choice. Nearby, others tested clicking keycap toys and cracked the wax shells of stress balls, delighting in the crisp popping sound.
Most of the customers were not children. They were adults in their 20s and 30s.
Just a few subway stops away, Dongmyo’s flea market was equally packed. Young couples rummaged through piles of second-hand clothing, browsed vintage cameras and hunted for retro trinkets.
Dongmyo and Dongdaemun may seem to be riding separate trends, but both are benefiting from the same shift: young consumers are seeking inexpensive experiences that offer quick emotional satisfaction.
In Dongdaemun’s toy district, that satisfaction often comes in the form of “mallang-i”, soft squeezable toys that range from donut and dumpling shapes to capybaras and cartoon characters.
Prices typically range between 2,000 won (RM5.36) and 3,000 won, making them a cheap form of entertainment.
“I was surprised by how many people are here to shop for mallang-i,” said Kim Na-yeon, a 24-year-old college student.
“I buy mallang-i because they come in so many different shapes and textures. Most of all, they are cheap compared to the pleasure I get from them,” she said.
Koh Hyo-kyung, a 30-year-old office worker, said she bought several squishies after discovering the area through social media.
“They help relieve stress,” she said. “At work, I often find myself kneading them. It’s a cheap way to release stress.”
Merchants say the change has been dramatic.
Lee, 70, who has operated a toy shop in the district for decades, said young women in their 20s and 30s were rarely seen in the area until recently.
“A year ago, there were almost no young women here,” he said. “Then I think people started posting about the area on social media, and now the number of adult customers has more than tripled.”
According to Lee, the most sought-after squishies and wax-coated stress balls often disappear from shelves within minutes of being displayed on weekends.
“Sales have increased significantly. The popularity is so strong that even neighbouring stores are changing what they sell,” he said.
The phenomenon is part of a broader rise in popularity of so-called fidget toys among adults.
Fidget toys are objects designed to engage repetitive hand movements and sensory stimulation through touch, sound or motion.
Squishies slowly regain their shape after being squeezed, while wax balls provide the satisfaction of cracking a hard outer shell.
Psychologists say such products can offer temporary stress relief by engaging the senses and redirecting attention.
“The appeal lies in the immediate sensory feedback they provide,” said Choi Young-eun, a professor of psychology at Chung-Ang University.
“When people squeeze a squishy toy or crack a wax-coated ball, they receive an instant tactile response. That can briefly redirect attention away from stressful thoughts and create a feeling of relief or satisfaction.”
Experts say the phenomenon is also tied to the rise of “micro-pleasures” – small, inexpensive experiences that deliver a sense of reward without requiring a significant financial commitment.
“Younger consumers are increasingly seeking moments of happiness that are both accessible and affordable,” said Lee Hong-joo, professor of consumer economics at Sookmyung Women’s University.
“A squishy toy costs only a few thousand won, but the process of choosing it, touching it and sharing it on social media creates value beyond the product itself.”
The toys also tap into growing nostalgia among younger generations. While millennials might associate stationery shops and toy stores with childhood memories, many members of Generation Z are discovering such spaces for the first time through social media.
Whether that momentum proves temporary or transformative may depend on whether visitors continue to see the district not merely as a place to buy the latest viral toy, but also as a destination worth returning to long after the trend has passed. — The Korea Herald/ANN
