Korean Pokémon Cards (KTCG): The Next Big Thing?

19th June 2025 EDT FEATURES

Korean Pokémon Cards (KTCG): The Next Big Thing?

If Korean cards do indeed become as big as their Japanese and English counterparts years from now: we'd just like to say "we called it first".

Some of the most notable Pokémon TCG product releases in 2025 so far, which have drawn the attention of many in the community, not counting whole expansion sets, have been neither Japanese-exclusive nor English-exclusive items, but Korean-exclusives instead.

The first of these were the Terastal Festival ex Playmat Set and Terastal Festival ex Collection Set; both were released in South Korea on 26 February.

Korean Pokémon Cards (K-TCG): The Next Big Thing?

The Playmat Set included a playmat with a design based on the Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] logo, four Korean Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] booster packs, and a Korean promotional version of the Umbreon ex card from Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] featuring an illustration exclusive to the Korean version.

The Collection Set, meanwhile, included a card album, a reference guide listing all the cards in Terastal Festival ex [SV8a], four Korean Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] booster packs, and a Korean promotional version of the Espeon ex card from Terastal Festival ex [SV8a]. Once again, the illustration was a Korean-exclusive one.

Ditto P [SV-P 173] [KR] (Pokemon Town 2025 with Lotte)

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Following these was a promotional Ditto card released as part of the Metamong Project event which ran from 25 April to 18 May. It was distributed at any of the event’s six Ditto QR Stamp Rally locations for as long as stocks lasted.

It’s clear by now that there’s a considerable amount of fan demand for Korean Pokémon TCG cards. But just how did we get here, and what does the future hold for Korean cards and products, also known as “KTCG”? Well, here’s a rundown.

History of the Pokémon TCG in South Korea

In retaliation for Japanese aggression during World War 2, Japanese pop culture was banned in a then-unified Korea at the end of the war. This ban would only be lifted in 1998 by then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung; this, in turn, allowed the Pokémon franchise to enter South Korea. However, while the Pokémon video games, anime, and manga took off almost immediately, the TCG took longer to find its footing.

Until 2010, only two KTCG sets had ever been released in South Korea: the Gen 1 set Expansion Pack in 2000 (a full four years after its debut in Japan) and the Gen 3 set ADV Expansion Pack in 2003.

It wouldn’t be until 2010 when the TCG would become a permanent fixture in South Korea with the release of Gen 4 KTCG set Start of an Adventure. For the remainder of Gen 4, KTCG releases would be separate from Japanese and international ones.

Since the release of Gen 5 sets Black Collection [BW1] and White Collection [BW1] in 2011, Korean sets have been the same as Japanese sets but translated into Korean; however, they are released on the same day as each set’s international launch rather than the Japanese one.

Why Have Korean Pokémon Cards (KTCG) Become Popular?

In general, Korean cards are of a similar quality to their Japanese and English counterparts while not costing as much. This doesn’t just apply to single cards, but to booster packs and boxes as well. Thus, for the same amount of money that it costs to buy a single English or Japanese booster box, a KTCG booster box as well as several other booster packs can be purchased.

Korean cards are also less prone to price fluctuations. This makes them viable choices for new collectors who might not be as familiar with the Pokémon TCG market because by purchasing KTCG items, the new collector would be less likely to overpay for a card which would experience a steep value decline at some point in the future. This price stability is another reason why Korean cards have seen increased interest from fans. (There is, however, a possible notable exception. Read on to find out more.)

However, anyone seeking to capitalize on the recent popularity of Korean cards and purchase some for themselves should be wary of two key points. Firstly, those planning to sell their Korean cards should take note that KTCG cards don’t fetch anywhere near as high a value as their English or Japanese counterparts do. This is due to the relative lack of demand on the open market for Korean cards—though this could potentially change years from now if Korean cards continue to rise in fan appeal as they have been.

Additionally, those purchasing Korean booster packs or boxes should be aware that these products have worse pull rates in Korean than they do in Japanese or English. As such, landing a chase card straight from the pack is much less likely; however, this is mitigated by the aforementioned lower cost associated with directly purchasing that card in Korean as a stand-alone single card.

What Does the Future of Korean Pokémon Cards (KTCG) Hold?

Following the recent increase in popularity of KTCG cards, the question has to be asked: will they continue on this path and remain major draws for many Pokémon TCG fans not only in South Korea, but beyond its borders as well?

In the immediate future, Korean chase cards are likely to remain viable options for those who might not be willing to shell out the big money for their usually more expensive Japanese or English counterparts. Despite lacking the mainstream popularity of cards in those languages, the heightened demand for them might eventually cause more and more buyers, especially those who aren’t overly concerned about what languages the cards in question are printed in, to consider them for their own collections.

However, if this elevated demand persists and continues to grow steadily, this might eventually lead to Korean cards’ respective price tags increasing in tandem. It’s certainly not out of the question that 5 to 10 years from now, KTCG cards’ prices (and thus their level of prestige among the community) might be on par with Japanese or English ones—and this is the “exception” we spoke of earlier.

While there’s no guarantee that such will be the case, a collection full of Korean Pokémon TCG cards could end up being worth significantly more in 2035 than it is in 2025.

While at the moment SNKRDUNK doesn’t sell any Korean Pokémon TCG products apart from the aforementioned Metamong Project Ditto card, we do have an extensive selection of Japanese and English items; we’ve also begun selling Simplified Chinese Pokémon TCG products. Do browse our selection and see what you might be taken by—and who knows? Perhaps someday SNKRDUNK will be a major seller of KTCG products too.

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