Korea’s “Ugly” Souvenir T-Shirts Are Suddenly the Must-Have Travel Item

Once dismissed as tourist-only souvenirs, Korea’s regional T-shirts are getting a major makeover and younger travelers are loving them.

Shirts featuring Gongju chestnuts, Tongyeong oysters, and Jeju tangerines are popping up across social media, with travelers wearing them during their trips and turning them into part of their travel photos.

Instead of simply printing a city name on a T-shirt, local brands are mixing regional specialties with internet memes, wordplay, and intentionally kitschy graphics. Many designs are also sold exclusively in the regions they represent, making them a limited travel find.

In Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, a shirt called “Gongju Bamti” has gone viral. The name combines the Korean word for chestnut with popular internet slang, while the shirt features a cute chestnut character in a quirky style.

Sold at Jeil Trading in Gongju’s Sanseong Market, the shirt has attracted crowds of younger shoppers after photos spread online.

Tongyeong has its own viral design. Local brand Tongyeong Agassi Club sells a shirt featuring two oysters arranged into a heart with “I ♥ TY,” a local twist on “I ♥ NY.”

Around 80% of the brand’s customers are tourists, according to a representative. “Travelers visiting Tongyeong come to the store, buy the shirt, and either wear it during the trip or post photos on social media,” the representative said.

Gangneung puts a local spin on “I ♥ GN” by replacing the heart with a potato, while Gyeongju uses graphics inspired by landmarks such as Seokguram Grotto

The trend has even reached K-pop.After Woni of girl group Lisenne made “Geoje Yaho” go viral, Kream teamed up with Kimssine Fruit and Lisenne for a “Yaho T-shirt” project featuring the members’ hometowns.

Woni also wore a “Geoje Gultone” shirt inspired by Geoje oysters in a YouTube video documenting Lisenne’s trip to the city.

The appeal lies partly in the intentionally rough aesthetic.

Bold fonts, obvious local references, puns, and quirky illustrations give the shirts a playful look. Friends and couples wear matching designs at tourist spots, while others show off their new purchases online.

The shirts have become more than souvenirs, they are part of the travel experience. Their limited availability adds to the appeal. If a shirt can only be bought in one region, getting one becomes part of the trip itself.