K-Secondhand Boom Goes Global: Korean Resale Platform Sees 280% Rise in International Trades
Creatrip Team
a month ago
South Korea’s leading resale app, Bunjang (번개장터), reported a surge in global users and transactions last year. Monthly active users rose 735% year‑over‑year, and international trades increased 280%. Items sold abroad included BTS merch to Paraguay, a K‑beauty device to South Africa, and a Faker photocards to Syria; K‑designer fashion labels like Glony and Three Times ranked high in women’s clothing. Domestic transactions also spanned long distances (e.g., an Adele LP traded across 574 km between Jeju and Yanggu), and cross‑generational deals were common—transactions with age gaps up to 50 years. The platform says users treat secondhand hunting as a hobby and a chance to score rare finds rather than only cost‑saving, with many purchases completed during weekday morning commute hours. Bunjang expects to continue growing as a K‑recommerce (recommerce) platform that makes cross‑border, fast and safe secondhand trading easy.
