The official opening ceremony was held on 21 May.

Lotte Duty Free has partnered with the Korea Customs Service to launch a K-official mascot pop-up zone on the ninth floor of its World Tower store in Seoul. The official opening ceremony was held on 21 May.

The initiative coincides with the Korea Duty Free Festa and reflects a broader industry push to diversify foreign visitor traffic beyond Seoul and the wider metropolitan area, which currently accounts for more than 80% of inbound tourism demand in Korea.

The activation, which runs until 31 May, showcases character-based merchandise and tourism content from four Korean local governments. These include Daejeon’s “Kkumdori”, Jinju’s “Hamo”, Suncheon’s “Rumi & Ddungi”, and Yongin’s “Joayong”, alongside “Mata”, the mascot of the Korea Customs Service.

Designed as an experiential retail space targeting international travellers, the pop-up combines destination marketing with interactive consumer engagement.

The zone features themed merchandise displays, tourism promotion materials, character photo opportunities and customer participation events, including a roulette prize promotion offering local souvenirs and regional currency incentives.

A Lotte Duty Free representative commented: “We hope this pop-up zone will help introduce international visitors to the diverse appeal of Korea’s regional tourism destinations through the popularity of K-mascots.

“We plan to continue working with the Korea Customs Service and participating local governments on initiatives that support regional tourism and create new experiences for international travellers visiting Korea.”

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