Industry
Pokémon Cards: Korea trade rises elevenfold in six months
SNKRDUNK reports nearly twice as many sales of ungraded single cards at the same time, compared with the previous year period.
The number of Pokémon card products shipped to Korea via SNKRDUNK rose elevenfold between January and June 2026. This is according to a trend report from the marketplace operator SODA, which KAI-YOU picked up on September 8. At the same time, trading in ungraded single cards reached 196 percent of the previous year's period in the first half.
The Korea figure explicitly refers to transactions via SNKRDUNK and not to the entire Korean market. The comparison is also between January and June 2026, not two complete half-years. It covers boxes, boosters and single cards with delivery addresses in Korea.
Single cards increasingly become lifestyle objects
SODA links the development to a broader shift in how people engage with the Pokémon Trading Card Game. For so-called "Raw Cards," meaning single cards not sealed in a grading case, the number of SNKRDUNK transactions from January 1 to June 30, 2026 was 196 percent of the figure for the same period in 2025. According to the company, it is observing more buyers who select cards by favorite Pokémon or illustration.
A visible example of this came in July from TWICE member Momo. Photos showed a 2003 Suicune ex card behind her transparent smartphone case. Average daily SNKRDUNK searches for "Suicune" were 120 from July 1 to 19 and reached 3,355 on July 25. Nayeon's "Shibuya's Pikachu" card also became a topic of conversation; the corresponding search queries rose in one day from an average of 100 to 620.
These social media effects do not directly explain the previously measured Korea increase, however: the elevenfold shipping figure refers to January to June, while Momo's smartphone case only drew attention in July.
The report appears in a year with particularly many Pokémon activities. Recently announced were, among others, the worldwide animated film Pokémon: Wildcard, the Pokémon GO episode of Pokémon Horizons and the anniversary project Pokémon All Stars 1025.