• Your brand is already well known in South Korea. Do you have any plans to break into the European market?
K : Yes, I intend to launch my brand in the European market because I would like to expand my field of activities

• To do so, are you going to keep the same strategy that you are using in South Korea like, for instance, by looking for collaboration with local celebrities ?
K : Yes. Actually I am currently working on a collaboration between BMW and Hello Kitty

• We can say without a doubt that Sakun is a very unique brand that people can easily recognized based on some recurring elements such as the cats’eyes. Why did you choose this element?

K : To better understand these elements, you have to understand the name brand. The name ‘Sakun’ is the association of ‘Sa’ which means ‘thoughts’ and ‘Kun’ which means ‘group’.  So to sum up, the origin of the brand is like a ‘ group of thoughts’. The brand SAKUN is the fusion of a group of thinkers, everybody share their ideas. It has been 13 years since I’ve started and about 2 years since the Sakun character exists The Sakun character is inspired both from the Dokkaebi which is a gobelin from the Korean mythology and from the Tchanzun totem which is a lucky charm.  The signification depends on the country as the Dokkaebi is considered as a guardian angel in Korea whereas in Japan he is considered as a vengeful spirit. So Sakun is the incarnation of those two emblems with a more personal touch.  For example his mouth gives the impression that he is going to attack. But on the contrary he doesn’t have any pupils, nor ears which shows that he will never listen or see something that will not satisfy him. It’s more like an expression of my teenage years . On the contrary, the SmileCat character is inspired from my first girlfriend and the relationship between Sakun and SmileCat is directly inspired from the symbiotic relationship between Rodin the sculptor and his wife Camille Claudel, who was also a sculptress. They were two scary people but they were complementary

• A little bit like the Ying and the Yang

K: Unlike Sakun, SmileCat has pupils; he is watching us and smiles at us. It’s a character that comfort us.  When I met my girlfriend, my life changed and this kind of story affects each products. My products are directly inspired by the Korean culture. I don’t try to be original but I do my best so that my brand can complete the person who is wearing it.  There is a high identification to mystic symbols too. During the creation process of my characters, there is always a research or a signification, but it can also be an instinctive thought.  For example, the ears on the caps shows some listening skills, a communication with the other one.  The duck cap is inspired by the woman in charge of the marketing in my company. I got inspiration from real people that I meet or that I know. Some bags have been inspired by my dog

• The masks that you are selling have a very unique packaging. Have you decided to put them in a box instead of a more classic packaging?

K : It’s true. To be more precise it’s a medication box. When I create something, I will design it as something ‘alive’. I will put myself in the shoes of the person that will wear this mask.
When someone is wearing this kind of mask, it’s because the person feels weak and sick. That’s why I decided to put the ‘saving’ mask in a tube that has the design of a medication box

• Your sweat suits are very popular. Especially since Crayon pop wore these items during their promotion

K : Yes. At first those clothes were not intended for Crayon pop but for Girls’ Generation. Crayon Pop wore it first. Actually I would rather Girls’ Generation (laughs)

• The famous figurines that you created based on the collaboration with Cool Rain are limited or will you continue to manufacture them?

K : We are still manufacturing them. In the retail points, I intend to launch my products in December in collaboration with LOTTE

Big Thank to SAKUN to answer all our questions !