[Diary Point = Reporter Choi Seung-jin] “Hyunbaek core” combines “Hyunbaek,” a shortened name for Hyundai Department Store, with “normcore,” a style defined by understated, comfortable clothes. It evokes the polished ease of a rich daughter who seems at home in a department store: muted colors and clean silhouettes instead of flashy logos.
Comedian Kang Yumi posted a video titled “Hyunbaek Core” on her YouTube channel in late October. It contrasts the crowds at pop-ups, the food hall and photo spots with the quiet clothing stores, poking fun at the spending habits and class-consciousness on display inside department stores.
The joke is about more than what people wear. The video shows visitors seeking out trendy places for photos and lining up for popular desserts, while weighing the price of expensive clothes and putting off a purchase. It turns a familiar habit into comedy: treating the department store not only as a place to shop, but also as a destination for things to see and photos to post.
The meme draws on the department store’s image of ease
“Hyunbaek core” resonates in part because department stores have cultivated distinct images. Hyundai Department Store has built a polished, relaxed feel by attracting younger shoppers and expanding experiential spaces such as pop-ups and exhibitions. People visit department stores not just to buy things, but also to express their tastes and lifestyles.
Kang’s satire does not simply celebrate that image. It sets the appeal of luxurious clothes and an unhurried air against the reality of shoppers hesitating over purchases or following trends just to take photos. “Hyunbaek core” can describe a look to emulate, but it can also be read as a comment on the divide in department-store spending and the urge to show off.
Consumers also shape a brand’s image
Some have raised concerns that repeated online jokes about a brand or its customers could affect the brand’s image. However, no evidence has been found that Kang’s video changed department-store sales or purchases from any particular brand. Reports have noted an increase in secondhand listings after other satirical videos in the past, but that cannot be treated as an outcome of this one.
For anyone looking to borrow the look, “Hyunbaek core” is less a rule that calls for expensive clothes than a meme for describing basic pieces, a calm mood and understated style. The video caught on not because of the price of the clothes, but because it also asks what people choose to buy—and what they want to show—at a department store.