Daiso: Dollar store where K-pop fans find new sanctuary

Photocard decorating — once the niche culture of teenage K-pop fangirls — is now catching on among fans worldwide.

The trend involves embellishing collectible idol photocards with an array of materials, from glitter and beads to stickers, lace and miniature charms. Typically encased in clear plastic sleeves or vinyl holders, these decorated cards often evolve into intricate pieces of fan-made art.

At the center of this growing subculture is Daiso, a popular dollar store chain in South Korea that sells everything from nail clippers to housewares.

On a weekday afternoon at the 12-story Daiso store near Myeong-dong Station, a group of Vietnamese tourists were filling their shopping baskets with clear plastic sleeves and square cases displayed in the stationery section on the building's third floor.

Nguyen Mai, a 27-year-old Vietnamese woman who has been a fan of SHINee’s Minho for over a decade, planned to draw cherry blossoms on her transparent photocard cases using acrylic pens or glitter to match the spring season in Korea.

“My friends and I sometimes hang the photocard cases on our bags like accessories,” Nguyen told The Korea Herald, before heading off to look for markers.

From plastic cases and mini albums to keyrings, Daiso offers a variety of photocard-decorating items at affordable prices, typically ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 won ($0.70-$1.40), making it a popular destination for K-pop-related goods, especially among teen fans with thin pockets.

On one side of the same floor, two kiosks are set up where customers can create photocards of their favorite idols by transferring photos from their own devices via a QR code. They can also create stickers with small photos and the names of idols.

Duong Thao, a 26-year-old Vietnamese fan of girl group Blackpink, made several stickers with Jennie's face and her English name through the machine.

"I plan to put these on my photocard albums and lightsticks,” she explained.

At award shows or events where fans from various fandoms gather, she likes to put name stickers on merchs to identify who she's a fan of, she added.

The kiosks were installed through a partnership with Poluv, a local startup known for developing domestic sticker-making kiosks.

Under the slogan, "Daiso supports idol fandom," the budget-friendly chain store has been releasing various products and services for photocard enthusiasts. The company even produced its own molded figurines of BTS members in 2023 to cater to both domestic and international K-pop fans.

Driven by the growing popularity of these K-pop-related Daiso products, new businesses have emerged online where many local merchants take orders from foreign fans, mostly those in their teens and 20s, purchase the items on their behalf, and ship them directly.

With Daiso now a key shopping destination for K-pop fans and international tourists alike, its foreign sales have seen a significant boost. Last year, the total overseas card payments and transactions at Daiso stores nationwide grew by 50 percent and 42 percent, respectively, from the previous year.

Many young, digital-savvy K-pop fans visiting Daiso enjoy the analog spirit of personalizing photos with their own sketches and handwritten notes, evoking the fandom culture of the '90s, before the rise of social media.

The retro craze surrounding idol fashion and music has also found its way into fandom culture, according to Choi, an album designer at a domestic entertainment agency.

“For previous generations, photocards and related items evoke a sense of nostalgia. For Gen Z, they are entirely new items that they have to learn to use, which makes them feel fresh and exciting,” she said.

“Entertainment agencies are now releasing not just photocards but also lightsticks that fans can customize themselves. In the entertainment business, fandoms are the consumers, so it’s essential to create merchandise that meets their needs.”