S. Korea’s Love for Long Padded Jackets Extends to Government Officials

The popularity of this category of knee to ankle-length outerwear has continued to hold strong in the new year, so much so that the government is getting into the game. (Image: Democratic Party of Korea)

SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Long padded jackets, referred to as “long padding” locally, have become the target of feverish consumerist activity ever since the Winter Olympics-inspired goose down jackets sold out on the online Olympics and Lotte Department stores last November.

In a year in which the fashion industry claimed an absence of major hit items, long padded jackets belatedly took off as the “it” clothing item of the year.

The popularity of this category of knee to ankle-length outerwear has continued to hold strong in the new year, so much so that the government is getting into the game.

President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party of Korea (Democratic Party) recently held a highly successful internal sale of long padded jackets that were designed by its party members. The jackets, designed by the Democratic Party’s social media division, were reported to have sold out online in only an hour and forty-five minutes.

In a year in which the fashion industry claimed an absence of major hit items, long padded jackets belatedly took off as the “it” clothing item of the year. (Image: Yonhap)

The sale of the jackets was aided by a sample that was previewed earlier in the month, whetting the party members’ appetites for the official release. On the morning of January 16, all 600 jackets — 450 black and 150 white — found new owners, while many prospective buyers, up to 600, were left empty-handed and disappointed.

The jackets were modestly priced at 109,000 won, roughly one-third the cost of a typical down jacket on the market. They feature a simple design, with strips of velcro on the left shoulder for the wearer to attach badges as he or she pleases, and a jacket lining in blue, the party’s color.

Fresh off its success, the Democratic Party’s social media division revealed in an interview with Yonhap News that it is considering producing more jackets as well as entering into different product categories.

S.B.W. (sbw266@koreabizwire.com)