Seoul’s Mythical Guardian, ‘Haechi’ Picks Up Own Paddle as Korea’s Pickleball Boom Gets Mascot
Seoul’s official mascot, Haechi, has joined the pickleball craze, which says rather a lot about how quickly the sport has embedded itself in South Korea. WOW Management Group announced on 7 October that it has launched two pickleball paddles featuring Haechi, the mythical guardian creature that doubles as the capital’s mascot, in a move aimed squarely at getting newcomers through the door.
Both paddles are lightweight and built with a wide-body shape, a design choice meant to make the game easier on beginners. The company has pitched them at children, women, and first-time players, the groups most likely to feel intimidated by a sport that looks simple from the outside but rewards a bit of practice. Buyers can pick up a single paddle if they’re just starting out or opt for a full set containing two paddles, two balls, and a carrying case. The Haechi range is available through Happickle, a dedicated pickleball online store, as well as major online shopping sites and Seoul My Soul souvenir shops, including those at the DDP and Seoul Gallery.
Why Korea, and Why Now
Pickleball arrived late in South Korea, but it’s making up for lost time at some pace. Community estimates cited by The Korea Herald put the number of Korean players at roughly 5,000 back in 2023. Since then, interest has climbed sharply, with Google Trends data showing search activity rising through 2024 before surging toward the end of 2025. What was once a quiet pastime for older recreational players has broadened into something considerably more mixed, drawing office workers, foreign residents, and former tennis players alike.
Cho Min-jung, a former Korea Tennis Association board member who converted her own indoor tennis centre into a pickleball venue, told The Korea Herald that worsening economic conditions have nudged more people towards sports demanding less time, money, and physical strain than tennis. Foreign communities already familiar with the game from overseas have helped too, with Korean American players building spreadsheets and community guides to help others find courts, which in turn drew more local players in.
Celebrity attention hasn’t hurt either. BTS members Jin, V, and RM talked about playing pickleball during a livestream, with videos of the group playing overseas circulating widely online, echoing the kind of celebrity-driven interest the sport has enjoyed in the United States.
Courts, Retail, and a Growing Infrastructure
The infrastructure is trying to keep pace. Seoul opened a 14-court complex at Gwangnaru Hangang Park in April, one of the city’s largest dedicated pickleball facilities to date, though demand is still outrunning supply in many public spaces. Retail has caught on to the trend as well. FILA and Lotte Department Store opened the FILA Pickleball Club at Lotte World Mall in Songpa, featuring the country’s first regulation pickleball court installed inside a retail venue.
Against that backdrop, a beginner-friendly paddle wearing the face of Seoul’s most recognisable mascot looks less like a novelty and more like a sensible bet. For a market still in its early growth phase, lowering the barrier to entry is precisely what the sport needs next.
