Naver Webtoon Opens Relay Pop-up Store for "Monsters I Raised" with "Dungeon Break: Yongsan" Concept on the 23rd
Naver Webtoon announced on the 23rd that it has selected Monsters I Raised as the third work in its popular webtoon IP relay pop-up store series and will operate the "Dungeon Break: Yongsan" pop-up store at Dopamine Station on the 3rd floor of iPark Mall Living Park in Yongsan, Seoul from September 23 to October 15.
Monsters I Raised is a contemporary fantasy hunter story in which Han Yu-jin, an F-rank hunter who was only holding back his successful S-rank hunter brother Han Yu-hyun, regresses after his brother's death, earns the title of "Perfect Guardian," and saves the world alongside the S-rank hunters he raises. The work is based on a web novel by author Keun-seo and has surpassed 780 million cumulative global views, maintaining strong popularity.
This pop-up is structured around the setting of an unidentified gate opening at Yongsan Station, allowing visitors to directly experience the world of Han Yu-jin, an F-rank hunter, and the S-rank hunters he raises in an offline space.
At the venue, visitors can find 50 new merchandise items being revealed for the first time, including acrylic stands, can badges, and keychains, as well as single volumes, collecting cards titled "Monsters I Raised Highlight Pick," and 10 types of photo cards available only through on-site kiosks during the pop-up period. Merchandise from popular works such as Maru is a Puppy and Today is Wednesday for Women will also be sold.
Three games that can only be enjoyed at the venue have also been prepared. Visitors who participate in or win games will receive special perks such as character wallpapers and hunter certificates, and customers who purchase 70,000 won or more will receive an epoxy sticker pack as a purchase benefit.
The pop-up store will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and will operate during the Chuseok holiday period from September 24 to 26 during the same hours.
The previous second pop-up, Tears for the Withered Flower, exceeded 1 million won in maximum payment per person and received an enthusiastic response, with random trading cards selling out early and requiring additional production.
Meanwhile, Naver Webtoon has been expanding popular IPs discovered on its platform (on-platform) into animations, games, and merchandise on external platforms (off-platform), and strengthening a virtuous cycle in which these IPs expand their fandoms and lead back to the platform.
Within the on-platform space, Naver Webtoon has expanded reader touchpoints through digital services such as AI story chat "byUs" based on creator approval and "character chat." This relay pop-up store in the off-platform sector is also a continuation of the on/off-platform linkage strategy that webtoon entertainment has pursued.
With this achievement as momentum, Naver Webtoon plans to flexibly present pop-up store spatial configurations, merchandise, and events tailored to the characteristics and fan responses of each work, thereby extending the lifecycle of webtoon IPs.