Bunjang's secondhand market trade spikes following global partnerships

By Ko Dong-hwan

The secondhand market platform Bunjang is experiencing a surge in sales after expanding partnerships with used goods trading platforms in other countries, increasing its exposure to international consumers.

The company expanded its online market beyond Korea through Global Bunjang, a separate platform for international customers. Since its launch in July 2023, the platform's active user base has increased by 131 percent within a year.

Last year, Global Bunjang's total trade volume increased by 63 percent compared to the previous year, with trade growing by 46 percent.

The most popular goods traded on the platform were merchandise related to K-pop stars, "kidult" products, which are usually vintage toys catering to childhood nostalgia, and brand fashion items.

One of Bunjang's standout achievements in global partnerships was its agreement with Japan's Mercari in June 2024. This collaboration led to the introduction of a new Mercari section on Bunjang's platform, allowing users to explore the Japanese secondhand market. Within just eight months, Bunjang's trade volume and number of trades surged more than 35 times respectively.

In October of last year, Bunjang also began selling to eBay users following a partnership. Since then, the platform has seen a 1,105 percent increase in its overall trade volume overseas and a 1,553 percent surge in the number of trades.

Bunjang also signed a partnership with Russia-based online marketplace Joom, Japan-based online commerce platform Doorzo and online direct purchase platform Delivered Korea.

A Bunjang official said the company is expanding its global business around three key pillars: enhancing the Global Bunjang service, strategic collaborations with global platforms and expanding overseas sales channels.

“We plan to grow our platform to make it the world’s fastest and most convenient secondhand online trade ecosystem without borders,” the official said.