Labubu craze forces Pop Mart to suspend offline sales in South Korea following similar UK move

SEOUL, June 16 – Chinese toymaker Pop Mart has temporarily suspended offline sales of its popular Labubu plush dolls and keyrings at all outlets in South Korea, following a similar move in the United Kingdom last month.

The company’s Korean branch announced on Instagram Story that it would halt sales nationwide citing safety concerns, amid overwhelming demand from local shoppers and tourists.

“Due to concerns raised over potential safety incidents at offline sales locations, and with the safety of our customers as our top priority, we have decided to temporarily suspend the offline sales of all Labubu plush dolls and Labubu plush keyring series.

“We are doing our utmost to resume sales with better service to meet your expectations. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and kindly ask for your understanding. Thank you,” it said in the statement.

It did not specify when sales would resume.

Korea Times reported that in South Korea, prices for Labubu merchandise range from 15,000 won to 268,000 won (RM54 to RM957).

The brand currently operates seven official offline locations across the country, including four in Seoul, one in Busan, and two in Gyeonggi Province – Suwon and Anseong.

The plush toys, resembling a rabbit-like monster, have surged in popularity after endorsements from celebrities such as K-pop star Lisa, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa.

Their limited availability has drawn buyers from abroad to the UK, with Pop Mart — the distributor of Labubu dolls — seeing overnight queues and chaotic scenes outside its flagship stores.

In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne.

In California, The Sun reported a car break-in in which three Labubu toys were taken.