Stray Kids Turn November 11 Into a K-POP Single As Pepero Day Goes Global

Stray Kids are taking their role as Pepero ambassadors one step further, turning one of Korea's most recognizable yet unofficial holidays into a K-POP track.

The group is set to release their digital single "11월 11일 (November 11th)" at 1 p.m. KST on September 10 across domestic and international streaming platforms. Created in collaboration with Lotte Wellfood, the track arrives ahead of Pepero Day on November 11 and forms part of the brand's increasingly global push around the Korean celebration.

Rather than simply appearing in another advertisement, Stray Kids have become directly involved in the music behind the campaign. Member HAN participated in both writing and composing "November 11th," which pairs a refreshing band sound with lyrics centered on sharing Pepero and expressing affection toward someone close.

That involvement gives the collaboration an unusual position somewhere between a commercial campaign and an actual Stray Kids release. The song is available through regular music platforms rather than existing solely as background music for an advertisement, allowing Pepero's marketing to enter the same spaces where fans would ordinarily encounter the group's music.

Moreover, "November 11th" reflects Lotte Wellfood's broader attempt to export Pepero Day itself as the company described the project as a form of "cultural marketing" intended to naturally introduce overseas consumers not only to Pepero but also to Pepero Day.

There are already signs that this strategy is expanding as Lotte Wellfood's Pepero Day campaign grew from 15 regions in 2024 to 35 in 2025. Pepero exports also reached approximately 87 billion won last year, up around 25% from 70 billion won the previous year.

The company renewed Stray Kids' global ambassador contract earlier this year and plans to expand its marketing beyond the Americas and Southeast Asia into Europe, East Asia and India.The single therefore sells something slightly bigger than Pepero itself, packaging a Korean commercial tradition in one of the country's most internationally recognizable cultural formats: K-POP.

With "November 11th" sitting on global streaming platforms months before Pepero Day arrives, November 11 may become a little more recognizable outside Korea too.