Most people would agree that 2024 was the year of purse pals, a.k.a trinkets, a.k.a plushie bag charms. It’s almost a given to find someone with a plush doll hanging on the side of their bag. However, you might not realise that K-pop fans have long carried cute mascots with them, even before it was considered a trend.
Many K-pop groups, including BTS (방탄소년단) and TWICE (트와이스), have their official representative mascots that are specially designed, either by or for the group. Oftentimes, fans will purchase these characters to show their love for their idols. Here are some of the most popular and most recent K-pop idol mascots:
BTS – BT21/Hip Hop Monsters
Out of all the K-pop groups, BTS might have the most popular official mascots. “BT21” is a collaboration between the group and LINE Friends and all seven members took to designing each of the characters. “BT21” has since gained a following on their own and has collaborated with multiple brands, including UNIQLO and Converse
However, many newer fans might not know that, before BT21, BTS had another set of mascots named “Hip Hop Monsters”. The characters were animal versions of each member and had a webtoon depicting stories of the idol group. Unfortunately, it seems the “Hip Hop Monsters” mascots have been discontinued to make way for their successors.
TWICE – Lovelys
TWICE also has their own official mascots named “Lovelys”, which are unique creatures with heart-shaped ears. Each “Lovely” is named after a TWICE member and is differentiated by its representative colour, which it shares with its respective member. The mascots have their own personalities and were also featured in TWICE’s music video for their Japanese single “BDZ”.
SEVENTEEN – MINITEEN/BONGBONGEE
Nearly ten years after their debut, SEVENTEEN (세븐틴) launched their first mascot characters “MINITEEN” in late 2024. Each of the 13 characters is designed by the members and has their own names, mannerisms, and so on. The group has also released short animations featuring the characters, depicting their daily lives as a group.
However, the idol group does have another mascot named “BONGBONGEE”. This genderless character was created by member Mingyu and is said to represent CARATs (SEVENTEEN’s fans) as it was inspired by the group’s official lightstick design. The adorable mascot often appears in SEVENTEEN’s concert, amusing fans with its antics.
Stray Kids – SKZOO
Stray Kids‘ (스트레이 키즈) SKZOOs are also arguably one of the most popular mascots in K-pop. These adorable animal characters are created by the members of the boy group and are said to represent each of them. SKZOO was first introduced to fans in 2020 and now comes in many forms, from plushies and keychains to chatroom stickers.
DAY6 – Denimalz
DAY6 (데이식스) is another JYP Entertainment group to have their own set of mascots. Denimalz was first introduced to MYDAYs in 2018 as part of the band’s fan meeting merchandise. However, the characters were so popular that they started making more appearances. Now, the characters come in many different versions and even have exclusive outfits.
