A promotional image of Korean game company Nexon's new content featuring various Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and Kuromi among others / Courtesy of Nexon

Hardly anyone doubts that the characters made by Japanese entertainment company Sanrio are the most-sought-after collaborative partners for Korean brands today. From the iconic Hello Kitty to Cinnamoroll to Kuromi, these endearing characters are amplifying their presence here, captivating Korea's Millennials and Gen Zers, together known as the MZ Generation.

Korea's Daewoong Pharmaceutical recently joined hands with Sanrio to release the Cinnamoroll edition of its signature pimple patch, Easyderm Beauty. This rendition comes with a pouch featuring the adorable white dog Cinnamoroll — the second-most-popular Sanrio character in Korea as of 2024, after only Pochacco, a white dog with floppy black ears.

"Through this collaboration, we will keep expanding our points of contact with the MZ Generation and continue our collaborative marketing with different characters to entertain our consumers," Daewoong said in a statement, Saturday.

Korean game company Nexon also showcased on Friday a diverse range of game content featuring Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and Kuromi, for its mobile game, KartRider Rush+.

Their team-up made headlines a few days after the K League announced that it signed a business agreement with Sanrio characters to roll out limited-edition collaborative products ranging from uniforms to plush dolls.

The K League's new uniform featuring Sanrio characters / Courtesy of K League

The K Legaue began pre-order sales on Friday for a special uniform featuring Badtz-Maru, a male penguin character with spiky hair, and other popular Sanrio characters, which reportedly sold out in less than 30 minutes. The K League also plans to unveil more collaborative items in a pop-up store that it will open on Friday at Lotte World Mall in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District.

The popularity of Sanrio characters is nothing new in Korea. Hello Kitty, created in 1974, has been one of the most beloved characters here over the decades, with the "Hello Kitty 50th-Anniversary Special Edition" currently taking place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul.

The Hello Kitty exhibition, the largest of its kind to be held in Korea, celebrates the 50th birthday of Hello Kitty, who is not actually a cat, but a third-grade British girl named Kitty White, according to Sanrio.

"Hello Kitty being loved to such an extent for 50 years is because she resonates with people and that is remarkable," Tomokuni Tsuji, president and CEO of Sanrio, said in a 2023 interview with JAPAN Forward. Forbes' 2022 report said that Hello Kitty has generated $84.5 billion to date.

The ongoing exhibition not only presents the history of Hello Kitty and Sanrio, but also illuminates various kinds of concept art, vintage items and video materials related to the character. It also sheds light on other Sanrio friends, throwing visitors into the whimsical world of these endearing characters. The Hello Kitty exhibition is scheduled to run until Aug. 13.

Regarding Sanrio characters' popularity, numerous people note that they are not only visually appealing, but also evoke a sense of nostalgia. Many of these characters were created at least 20 years ago, when the members of today's MZ Generation were kids.

"They are reminiscent of my childhood memories," an internet user commented.