Unlikely Seoul souvenir becomes next big trend on Japanese social media

A Seoul cap has gone viral on Japanese social media, turning a municipal souvenir into a fashion item. A Japanese user’s Sept. 7 post about the Seoul My Soul Belt Cap drew 2.7 million views without paid promotion. Seoul said the attention has also boosted interest in Korea and highlighted the global appeal of city-focused design.

The post on Sept. 7 drew 2.7 million views, 32,000 likes, 7,900 reposts and 9,300 bookmarks.

The Seoul My Soul Belt Cap was released on Sept. 3 through a collaboration between Seoul’s SEOUL MY SOUL city brand and traditional fashion brand ONGO.

Seoul released its first Seoul Goods Top 10 ranking based on international shoppers’ purchases across online and offline sales channels this year.

The Seoul Sticker Collection ranked first in combined online and offline sales at DDP Design Store, followed by postcards showing Seoul’s historic gates and palaces.

At the Seoul Gallery shop at Seoul City Hall, more than 22 percent of visitors were from abroad, according to Kim Hyung-rae, Seoul’s public relations planning officer.

Published Sep 23, 2026 2:13 pm KST

Updated Sep 23, 2026 5:41 pm KST

A Seoul My Soul and ONGO collaboration cap is drawing attention from Japanese social media users after a post featuring the cap recorded 2.7 million views / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

A sleek cap featuring Seoul’s official logo has become an unlikely viral sensation in Japan, racking up millions of social media views and turning municipal merchandise into a sought-after fashion statement.

A Japanese user posted a photo of herself wearing the Seoul My Soul Belt Cap on Sept. 7. The post recorded 2.7 million views, 32,000 likes, 7,900 reposts and 9,300 bookmarks without any paid advertising or promotions, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

The cap, released Sept. 3 through a collaboration between Seoul’s SEOUL MY SOUL city brand and traditional fashion brand ONGO, combines modern headwear with details inspired by Korean traditional knotwork.

Seoul said the post’s popularity in Japan has also generated interest in Korea, illustrating how products built around local designs can spread beyond their intended market through social media.

The city government on Wednesday released its first Seoul Goods Top 10 ranking based on international shoppers’ purchases across online and offline sales channels this year.

The analysis found that consumers in their 20s and 30s formed the core customer base, with products incorporating Seoul landmarks and distinctive city-focused designs drawing the strongest interest from foreign visitors.

At DDP Design Store, the Seoul Sticker Collection ranked first in combined online and offline sales, followed by postcards depicting Seoul’s historic gates and palaces.

Small goods priced below 10,000 won ($6.78) were among top-selling items, while a 99,000-won collaboration raincoat inspired by traditional Korean robes sold out quickly.

At six Seoul My Soul shops, character products featuring Haechi and Soul Friends, including figurines, magnets and ballpoint pens, were popular.

The Seoul Gallery shop at Seoul City Hall, which opened in February, saw more than 22 percent of its visitors coming from abroad,

Kim Hyung-rae, Seoul’s public relations planning officer, said international interest in the products showed that Seoul-focused designs have global appeal.

"The viral popularity of our cap on Japanese social media, coupled with international sales data, shows that Seoul-inspired design is a compelling cultural product in its own right," said Kim. "By expanding collaborations with small businesses, local designers and private brands, we will continue to release merchandise that captures the city's culture and narrative, transforming from a city souvenir into a brand that people around the world genuinely want to wear and own."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

一顶首尔主题的帽子在日本社交媒体上爆红，将原本的市政府纪念品变成了时尚单品。一位日本用户9月7日发布的关于这顶“首尔我的灵魂腰带帽”的帖子，在没有付费推广的情况下，获得了270万次浏览。首尔方面表示，此次走红也提升了人们对韩国的关注度，并凸显了以城市为主题的设计在全球范围内的吸引力。

9 月 7 日发布的这篇文章获得了 270 万次浏览、3.2 万个赞、7900 次转发和 9300 次收藏。

首尔 My Soul 腰带帽于 9 月 3 日由首尔城市品牌 SEOUL MY SOUL 与传统时尚品牌 ONGO 合作推出。

首尔市发布了首份“首尔商品十大排行榜”，该排行榜基于国际购物者今年通过线上和线下销售渠道的购买情况。

在 DDP 设计商店，首尔贴纸系列在线上线下综合销售额排名第一，其次是展示首尔历史城门和宫殿的明信片。

据首尔市公共关系策划官员金亨来（音译）称，在首尔市政厅的首尔画廊商店，超过 22% 的访客来自国外。

发布于2026年9月23日下午2:13（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月23日下午5:41（韩国标准时间）

Seoul My Soul 与 ONGO 联名推出的帽子在日本社交媒体上引发关注，相关帖子浏览量已达 270 万次 / 图片由首尔市政府提供

一顶印有首尔官方标志的时尚帽子在日本意外走红，在社交媒体上获得了数百万次的浏览量，并将市政商品变成了炙手可热的时尚单品。

9月7日，一位日本用户发布了一张自己戴着首尔“我的灵魂”腰带帽的照片。据首尔市政府称，该帖子在没有任何付费广告或推广的情况下，获得了270万次浏览、3.2万个赞、7900次转发和9300次收藏。

这款帽子由首尔城市品牌 SEOUL MY SOUL 与传统时尚品牌 ONGO 合作推出，于 9 月 3 日发布，将现代帽饰与受韩国传统结饰启发的细节相结合。

首尔方面表示，该帖子在日本的流行也引起了韩国的关注，这表明围绕本土设计打造的产品可以通过社交媒体传播到目标市场之外。

首尔市政府周三发布了首份“首尔商品十大排行榜”，该排行榜是根据今年国际购物者通过线上和线下销售渠道的购买情况评选出来的。

分析发现，20多岁和30多岁的消费者构成了核心客户群，融入首尔地标和以城市为主题的独特设计的产品最能吸引外国游客的兴趣。

在 DDP 设计商店，首尔贴纸系列在线上线下总销售额排名第一，其次是描绘首尔历史城门和宫殿的明信片。

售价低于 10,000 韩元（6.78 美元）的小商品位列畅销商品之列，而一款售价 99,000 韩元、灵感源自韩国传统和服的联名雨衣也迅速售罄。

在首尔的六家 My Soul 商店里，以獬豸和灵魂伙伴为主题的角色产品，包括小雕像、磁铁和圆珠笔，都非常受欢迎。

位于首尔市政厅的首尔画廊商店于2月份开业，其中超过22%的顾客来自国外。

首尔市公共关系策划负责人金亨来表示，国际社会对这些产品的兴趣表明，以首尔为中心的设计具有全球吸引力。

“我们的帽子在日本社交媒体上的爆红，以及国际销售数据表明，首尔风格的设计本身就是一种极具吸引力的文化产品，”金先生说道。“通过扩大与小型企业、本土设计师和自有品牌的合作，我们将继续推出能够展现首尔文化和故事的商品，使其从城市纪念品转变为世界各地人们真心想要佩戴和拥有的品牌。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。