"Metamon, Metamon… sammanojjeon neun paseyo."
Around 11 a.m. on the 7th near Seokchon Lake in Songpa District, Seoul, a man speaking Korean with a Chinese accent approached and said this. After looking at the Pokémon card in his hand, he indicated he wanted to buy it with cash. The card was a 'Metamon promo card' that he had received for free after standing in line for an hour. The man transferred money via bank transfer, took the Metamon card, and left to find another seller.
Since the 'Pokémon Town 2025 with Lotte' event has been held around the east side of Seokchon Lake since the 25th of last month, it has been reported that resellers are buying Pokémon-related goods and selling them for profit. Many of the resellers encountered at the site appeared to be Chinese.
The name of the event is 'Transform! Metamon: Lapras & Pikachu.' Currently, 16-meter-high Pokémon character art balloons of 'Pikachu' and 'Lapras' are floating on the surface of Seokchon Lake. A similar art balloon appeared at Seokchon Lake last year, but upon closer inspection, the two characters look similar yet different. This year's art balloon is designed with the concept that 'Metamon,' which has the ability to transform into any Pokémon, has transformed into Pikachu and Lapras. According to Songpa District, it is estimated that 1.2 million people visited within the first five days of the event.
Lotte Group and Pokémon Korea are producing 'Metamon promo cards' featuring the appearance of the art balloons to distribute one card each for free to event visitors. This is a limited edition card issued only during this event. The cards are handed out after checking the account on the Lotte Group's shopping app 'Lotte ON' against an identification card at the prize exchange booth set up near Seokchon Lake. An event official noted, "If identity verification is not conducted, someone could create hundreds of Lotte ON accounts and collect Metamon cards."
The need for identity verification arises due to the high popularity of the Metamon card in China. Currently, on a second-hand trading site in China, the card is being sold for 468 yuan (approximately 90,000 won). If one receives one card for free, they could make 90,000 won, but since that is not possible, they aim to buy cards received by others for cash and gain profit.
Around 10 a.m. on the 7th, approximately 200 visitors were lined up about 100 meters in front of the prize exchange booth where the Metamon cards were being distributed. An hour later, after receiving the Metamon card and exiting, a reseller appeared about 10 meters ahead, seemingly Chinese. A young man in his 20s immediately sold the Metamon card to this reseller and joyfully remarked to his companions, "Oh, I sold it!"
Bargaining also took place. Around noon on the same day, there were three Chinese resellers near the prize exchange booth. One visitor rejected the price suggested by the first reseller who approached, saying, "I'll sell it for a higher price than that," and approached another reseller to state their desired price first.
It appears that the price of the Metamon card is decreasing as more supplies are being released over time. A Mr. Park, who participated in the event with his family on the 4th, said, "I handed over six cards to a Chinese reseller and received 270,000 won." The price was 45,000 won per card, but on the 7th it was about 35,000 won, meaning the price dropped by 10,000 won in three days.
Resellers are also gathering Metamon cards on domestic second-hand trading platforms. On Carrot Market, a post has been uploaded offering to buy 100 Metamon cards for 38,000 won each. After posting that they would sell a Metamon card for 35,000 won, two people contacted them within just one minute saying they would buy. By purchasing this way and selling on a Chinese site, one could earn over 50,000 won.
At the pop-up store set up at the event, 'waterball figures,' 'Lapras & Pikachu plush dolls,' and 'Lapras & Pikachu gimmick mascots' are being sold. These are limited editions available only this time, and like the Metamon cards, they are being traded online at inflated prices. The plush doll, priced at 38,000 won, is being sold for 65,000 won on Carrot Market, and the waterball figure, priced at 120,000 won, is on sale for 180,000 won.
As a result, 'open runs' are also occurring. Each item is stocked with 200 to 300 units daily, and Lotte has allowed individuals to purchase up to two items each. When the store opens at 10:30 a.m., all items are sold out by around noon. One employee noted, "People start lining up at 3 a.m." There are also posts on social media (SNS) like X (formerly Twitter) seeking someone to buy goods for them, offering 30,000 to 40,000 won.