Gen Z Finds Identity in Keychains

“I feel empty without a keychain in my bag.” Park (Dept. of Language and Information) chooses a keychain that matches her outfit every morning before leaving the house. She chooses a simple metal keychain for a neat monochrome look and a colorful doll keychain for a cute T-shirt with a character on it. Park always has three or four keychains in her bag. Recently, keychains have become an indispensable item in the daily lives of Generation Z (Gen Z). They have established themselves as a representative item that goes beyond simple decoration to express personal taste and emotions.

The keychain, invented by American inventor Samuel Harrison in 1922, has lost its necessity with the spread of digital door locks in modern times. Instead, it has been reborn as an essential item that embodies the sensibilities and tastes of Gen Z, such as fashion items, tourist souvenirs, and celebrity goods. Beyond being a simple accessory, keychains have expanded into corporate merchandise, resale, and gacha culture, becoming a trend that bridges play and consumption. “Channel PNU” took a closer look at the keychain craze that has become a part of young people’s daily lives since 2022.

■ Keychains becoming part of everyday life for Gen Z

It is commonplace to decorate bags and cell phone cases with keychains. Park (Dept. of Language and Information) said, “When I attach keychains to my bag, I attach about three or four keychains that match my outfit for the day.” She continues adding, “Keychains are essential for adding a touch of style.” Park’s bag, cell phone, and AirPods case were also decorated with colorful keychains.

Their affordability and endless variety align with the consumption culture of Gen Z. Lee (Dept. of Social Welfare, 22) said, “Since they’re affordable, I buy an average of two to three per month. I usually buy them at accessory shops or when I find cute ones, or at exhibitions to commemorate the event.”

During a one-hour survey of Pusan National University's Busan campus on September 4th, “Channel PNU” easily spotted one or more keychains of various sizes on students' bags and phone cases. The types were diverse: character keychains, travel souvenir keychains, and keychains obtained from gacha machines. Jung In-woo (Dept. of Environmental Engineering, 25), who carries a Ganadi keychain from the recently popular "CU Ganadi Banana Milk" that caused sellout chaos, said, "I visited every convenience store in the area to get this keychain." She continues adding, "I attach different keychains to each of my bags." Kim Min-jung (Dept. of Education, 24), who has an MBTI keychain on her bag, also said, "I bought it because MBTI-themed products seemed special."

The popularity of keychains has also boosted derivative products like "carabiners" for hanging keychains and "transparent keychain pouches" for protection. Carabiners are originally climbing gear used to connect ropes during rock climbing. They emerged as a complementary item when existing rings proved too weak and frequently broke under the weight of multiple keychains. Colorful carabiners in star, heart, and clover shapes have appeared, along with spiral designs that can hold even more keychains. Lee (23, Yeonje-gu, Busan) said, "When you hang multiple keychains on one ring, they bump into each other and risk breaking or getting lost, so I use sturdy carabiners." She continues adding, "Carabiners come in various designs too, which helps maximize the appeal of keychains."

Transparent keychain pouches are also gaining popularity because their clear material allows keychains to remain visible while reducing damage. Particularly for expensive keychains or idol merchandise keychains that are difficult to obtain, protective pouches have become essential. They offer additional appeal by allowing users to put other items inside or decorate the pouches themselves. Kwon Seo-hyun (Dept. of Education, 21395) said, "It's useful because it protects keychains and I can also carry other belongings like transit cards inside."

The popularity of random draws, known as “gacha,” also contributed to the purchase of keychains. “Gacha” is a random draw system where the consumer doesn’t know what product they will get, creating uncertainty and anticipation that leads to consumption, and a repetitive structure where dopamine is released when checking the results. Most gacha products are character goods such as keychains, dolls, and figurines, which further fuel the keychain-collecting craze. Park said, “Among keychains, I especially like those that can be obtained through gacha.” She continues adding, “The moment when you get what you want is joyful and fun.”

Recently, China’s “Pop Mart” released a limited-edition random box featuring its popular character “Labubu,” which has gained significant popularity. The combination of rarity and the unique fun of the gacha system has caused resale prices to skyrocket, with some items trading for over 1 million won, making it a representative example of the keychain craze. Lee said, “These days, many doll vending machines have opened, so I visit them when I’m bored and try to get my favorite character keychains.”

■ The growing popularity of keychains

According to a search and analysis of “keychain popularity” using the news big data analysis system “Big Kinds,” the keychain craze in Korea began in earnest in 2022. At that time, convenience stores and retailers continued to collaborate with characters, along with the popularity of “Pokémon bread,” which contained Pokémon stickers inside. Centered around the convenience store chain 7-Eleven, random keychains featuring characters such as Pokémon, Sanrio, and Crayon Shin-chan were released, leading to widespread popularity. This trend gained further momentum in 2023 with the expansion of character pop-up stores featuring Disney, Chunbae (Korean name of the character Claude from the Korean webtoon “Meow Man,” Maru (From the webtoon “Maru is a Puppy,” and Bellygom. In particular, brands like Monamhee and Jellycat, which feature keychains as their main products, gained significant popularity. In July 2023, a collaboration pop-up store between the denim brand Levi's and Monamhee at the Jamsil branch of Lotte Department Store saw a rush of customers, and the limited-edition collection keychains sold out immediately, sparking widespread attention.

Keychains have become an essential marketing item for large companies across various industries, including food, sports, and aviation. In 2024, SPC Group’s Baskin-Robbins collaborated with Monamhee to launch new menu items and limited-edition keychains. The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) produced keychains featuring Everland’s “Racing & Friends” characters and sold them on KakaoTalk's “Gift” platform, where they sold out in an instant due to high demand. Asiana Airlines also joined the trend by holding events in February and May 2024, giving away keychains featuring the popular character “Bellygom” to customers who purchased airline tickets. In 2025, the trend has spread to the beauty and coffee industries. Olive Young, Ediya Coffee, Compose Coffee, and O'Sulloc Tea included keychains featuring popular characters from Japan’s Sanrio Characters brand in their merchandise packages. In particular, Ediya Coffee's “Pochaco DIY Doll Keychain (2 types)” could be purchased for 8,900 won after buying 8,000 won or more worth of drinks at the store, but it was traded at over 20,000 won on resale markets such as Naver Store, showing its high popularity.

■ Keychains, the connecting link of loose communities

Experts attribute the popularity of keychains to their “visibility.” They explain that keychains allow people to express their tastes and preferences at a low cost, and that this has led to the formation of a new type of “loose community” among people who share the same keychains. Park Eun-A (Prof. of Psychology, Daegu University) said, “Keychains are highly visible items that allow people to show their tastes at a low cost. They enable people to follow trends while satisfying their desire for differentiation, and they are linked to emotional satisfaction, which is why they have become popular consumer goods.” Kim Si-Wol (Prof. of Consumer Information Science, Konkuk University) analyzed, “Consumption has a strong personal aspect, but at the same time, there is a psychological desire to pursue a sense of belonging while also seeking differentiation within that group. Keychains can help form social relationships or partially satisfy the desire for a sense of belonging.”

Prof. Park also explained that the random selection purchasing method of keychains is a manifestation of the desire for control in play culture. Prof. Park said, “It combines the satisfaction of being able to obtain what you want from your preferred category with the ‘expectation of luck’ that comes from random selection.” She further analyzed, “Young people who feel unable to control their lives due to employment difficulties and intensified competition seek a sense of achievement by obtaining the keychains they desire through small playful interactions.” And she continues adding, “This is an example of internal control deficits manifesting as external control behaviors.”

Meanwhile, there are also concerns about the overheated craze for keychains. Prof. Kim pointed out, “The excessive consumption seen in products like Labubu starts with self-satisfaction, but it resembles the overheated consumption of Japan's bubble economy era, when camping outside luxury stores and rushing in at opening was a daily occurrence.” He emphasized, “Since consumption ultimately stems from the consumer’s choice, we must not forget that the consequences must also be borne by the consumer.”

Reporter Lim Seung-Ha

Translated by Channel PNU