포켓몬빵

Pokemon Bread (Korean: 포켓몬빵, pronounced roughly as 'Po-ket-mon Bbang')

Pokémon Bread gained significant popularity when it was first released in 1999 and has consistently been loved every time it was re-released. Especially during its re-release in February 2022, it sparked explosive popularity by evoking nostalgia for the past, leading to product shortages.

Pokémon Bread generally refers to bread manufactured by SPC Samlip that contains Pokémon "ttibbu-ssil" (sticker seals, also known as Decochara Seals). The core of this meme lies in the collecting craze for the 159 types of Pokémon ttibbu-ssil randomly enclosed within the bread, rather than the taste of the bread itself. Buying bread to get ttibbu-ssil, the joy of obtaining a desired sticker, or the effort to find rare stickers are key elements of the meme.

When it was first released in 1999, it was popular mainly among children and teenagers. After its re-release in 2022, adults in their 20s to 40s who loved Pokémon in their childhood emerged as the main consumer base, feeling nostalgic. Additionally, many celebrities authenticated their Pokémon Bread purchases, garnering interest from all age groups.

Pokémon Bread is a snack that became a cultural phenomenon in South Korea, primarily driven by the desire to collect the enclosed Pokémon stickers rather than for the bread itself. Its re-release in 2022 tapped into widespread nostalgia, leading to immense demand and product scarcity, making it a prominent topic across various online communities and social media.