#1. Saturday evening in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul. Four groups were waiting in line in front of a store. Two groups were foreign tourists, and the other two were Koreans. The store specializes in humorously capturing facial features through caricatures. A couple in their 20s, dating for five months, shared, “We came because it seemed like a fun and different way to spend our date,” adding, “Unlike instant photo booths, we love the personal touch of the artist’s hand.”
#2. Tuesday afternoon at a caricature shop in Myeong-dong, Seoul. A Taiwanese tourist family sat in front of a caricature artist, who quickly sketched their smiling faces on A5 paper in about five minutes. Delighted with their caricature, the family said, “A friend who visited Korea recommended getting a caricature. It’s the best souvenir from our Seoul trip.”Caricature shops are thriving in vibrant districts popular with young locals and foreign tourists, such as Yeonnam-dong, Myeong-dong, and Seongsu-dong. Over 10 shops operate in Yeonnam-dong, four in Myeong-dong, with more preparing to open. The trend is also expanding nationwide to cities like Gyeongju, Jeonju, and Busan.
Among South Korea’s MZ generation, caricatures gained popularity after a scene in the TV show “Home Alone” went viral. In the show, Lee Chan-hyuk of AKMU drew a caricature with his mother after hearing her say that she had taken an instant photo with his sister, Su-hyun. For foreign tourists, caricature shops are becoming a “must-visit course” during their stay in Seoul.
The first dedicated caricature shops emerged around 2020. Yang I-jung, founder of Acorn Caricature, considered South Korea’s first caricature specialty shop, and president of the Korea Society of Caricaturist Artists (KOSCA), shared, “During the COVID pandemic, I was looking for something fun to do and finally decided to open a shop I had long imagined.”
The quick popularity among young people stems from their familiarity with instant photo booths. “I was a bit tired of taking regular instant photos, but caricatures felt fresh and fun,” said Lee Seon-young, 32, who recently visited a caricature shop with friends in Yeonnam-dong. As instant photos become overused, caricatures are emerging as an alternative.
Caricature popularity is spreading across all age groups. A staff member at Myeong-dong Caricature, which has been open for a year, said, “Nearby banks and securities firms are also major clients,” adding, “Some order team portraits for framed gifts or caricatures of new hires. We also get requests for pets drawn alongside their owners, using photos rather than needing the pets in person.” Caricatures can be printed on various products, such as mugs for female staff or tumblers for executives.
Caricature prices depend on the number of people. A single person costs 9,000 won, two people 18,000 won, and three people 27,000 won. Generally, the cost ranges from 7,900 to 15,000 won per person, which is higher than instant photos, which cost around 4,000 won for two basic prints. Lee said, “It feels worth it for a personalized piece of art.” A Chinese tourist shared, “In European cities like Paris or Florence, getting a portrait done costs between 30 to 60 euros (about 44,000 to 88,000 won), which is much more expensive.”
Another appeal is the quick turnaround. Acorn Caricature advertises “one-minute sketches,” with most pieces completed in about five to seven minutes, making them almost as fast as instant photos.
