“Sugar packet circa 2025 – picked up on my recent flight for the Pyongyang International Marathon.”— Curated and contributed by Nick Bonner, Founder of Koryo Tours and author of ‘Made in North Korea: Graphics From Everyday Life in the DPRK’
Yunohana (湯の花)—literally ‘hot spring flowers’—refers to the mineral deposits that form naturally in Japan’s onsens. This Yunohana Onsen Powder packaging embodies that quiet alchemy: a mother and child soak in a minimalist ink-wash illustration. The design’s muted palette and generous negative space mirror the refreshed clarity of an onsen soak.
In 1984, Paldo launched Bibimmyeon to bottle the magic of Korea’s beloved cold, spicy noodles, and for their 35th anniversary, they decided to remix it. The commemorative packaging with its bold, ribbon-like stripes and dynamic typography feels like a gold-medal homage that is unintentionally Olympics-coded, yet undeniably celebratory. More clever still? This 2019 limited edition ‘괄도네넴띤’ (Gwaldonenaemttin) […]
Soju isn’t just Korea’s national drink—it’s a cultural phenomenon, and Jinro’s revival of its 1960s bottle design complete with the stoic, ever-watchful toad emblem taps straight into that nostalgia. But Jinro knows the 21st century moves fast: their juice box style packs let you squeeze in a quick hit of smooth, sweet-burning soju on the go. Tradition, […]
Murakawa’s tiny, palm-sized boxes are a masterclass in playful packaging. Designed to fit snugly in a child’s hand, each carton bursts with spherical gum balls, their colors a vibrant (if abstract) homage to the fruit flavor promised on the box. The graphics flirt with exaggeration: strawberries glow like rubies, and the oranges radiate neon sunshine.
Since 1946, Botan Rice Candy has been a tiny delight wrapped in nostalgia—chewy, faintly sweet, and dusted with edible rice paper that melts on your tongue. The packaging, a playful nod to tradition, still features that wide-eyed baby peering from a candy-striped kimono. Some joys never outgrow their wrappers.
This little white rabbit—and the soft, chewy, vanilla-milk caramel inside—has been a childhood staple since 1943. Its design hasn’t changed much, with bold primary colors bridging generations. If you look closely, you’ll spot the mischievous glint in the eyes of the Rorschach inkblot rabbits lining the wrapper’s border.
“All are equal in North Korea but some more equal than others, and the Kangsol brand is a pretty basic cigarette. If you have the money, you would go for something more upmarket like the Paekdusan cigarette whose hard packaging looked more like a Western brand. We filmed the Game of Their Lives (2002) about […]
“Not sure where I picked up the matches somewhere early 1990’s – almost every man in North Korea smokes, so not difficult to find. Contains tiny match heads on very finely cut wood sticks – not sure about the safety of keeping them so they had to go.”— Curated and contributed by Nick Bonner, Founder […]
“The Koryo Hotel is mainly for foreign visitors, local Koreans cannot visit unless high ranking or working with foreigners but it was one of the few places to buy imported goods as well as more upmarket local goods. This wrapping paper is from the mid 1990’s.”— Curated and contributed by Nick Bonner, Founder of Koryo […]
