'Yumi's Cells' Pop-up Store Reopens After 9 Years

연합뉴스 / 2024-05-10 10:30:53

▲ A poster of 'Yumi's Cells' Pop-up Store, provided by Naver Webtoon on May 10, 2024. The event runs May 10-23 in Yongsan iPark Mall in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- The popular webtoon 'Yumi's Cells' is reopening its official pop-up store after a hiatus of 9 years.

Naver Webtoon announced that from the 10th to the 25th, they will be operating the official 'Yumi's Cells' pop-up store at the Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul.

It has been approximately 9 years since the last official pop-up store was launched, with a focus on the intellectual property (IP) of 'Yumi's Cells' in 2015.

▲ A still photo of Korean animated film 'Yumi's Cells: The Movie', provided by CJ CGV and Lotte Cultureworks Lotte Cinea on April 8, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

'Yumi's Cells' depicts the daily life and romance of an ordinary 30-something office worker named Yumi. The webtoon gained popularity by illustrating the thoughts inside Yumi and other characters' heads with cute cells buzzing around.

With a cumulative view count of 3.5 billion, even after its completion in 2020, the webtoon has expanded into various IP extension projects such as dramas, theatrical animations, and is currently under development as a musical.

In addition to 'Yumi's Cells,' Naver Webtoon has recently opened webtoon pop-up stores and continues to collaborate with various brands to expand the influence of its IP.

In fact, the number of Naver Webtoon works that generate additional revenue from IP businesses increased significantly from 8 works annually in 2013 to 415 works annually in 2022.

Noh Seung-yeon, Head of Naver Webtoon's Global IP Business, stated, "We actively support the IP business to extend the lifespan of completed works," and explained, "As the webtoon market grows, collaborations between webtoon characters and various industries are increasing. Webtoon IPs, which have a massive fandom, are becoming more valuable."

▲ A still photo of Korean animated film 'Yumi's Cells: The Movie', provided by CJ CGV and Lotte Cultureworks Lotte Cinea on April 8, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)