Walk through Seoul on a cool October morning and you will notice something: a surprising number of people are wearing the same slim, glossy, softly quilted jacket. It is not a heavy winter coat. It is thin enough to fold into a tote bag and warm enough for a breezy walk along the Han River. Koreans call it 경량패딩 (gyeong-ryang pae-ding), literally “lightweight padding”, and this autumn it has become one of the country’s most intense shopping crazes.
It is also a different kind of trend from the snack and character fads we have covered lately, such as the Chiikawa craze or the tteok dessert boom. This one is about owning a specific, practical item that sells out, and it is one of the most useful things a visitor can shop for in late autumn.
A note on sources: figures below come from Korean press coverage between September and October 2026 and from retailer listings. Prices, colours and stock change daily, and some resale figures come from blogs rather than official sources, so treat everything as a snapshot and check the brand’s own channels before you buy.
In this guide:
- What Is a 경량패딩, and Why Is Everyone Wearing One?
- Why It Sells Out: The 2030 Shift
- The Jackets Everyone Is Chasing
- The Cheap Version: Convenience Store Padding
- Where to Shop in Seoul
- How Not to Overpay
- Quick Reference
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a 경량패딩, and Why Is Everyone Wearing One?
A 경량패딩 is a thin, light, down-filled or synthetic-filled jacket. Think of it as a puffer jacket that has been put on a diet. The fabric is slick, the quilting is narrow, and the whole thing packs down small. Koreans wear it in three ways:
- As a stand-alone jacket in early autumn and spring, when a coat is too much.
- As a layer under a wool coat or a heavier padded jacket in deep winter.
- As travel gear, since it weighs almost nothing in a suitcase.
Korean fashion press describes the category as “multi-season”. Autumn in Korea has felt shorter in recent years, and brands argue that a jacket worn across spring, autumn and as a winter mid-layer is an easier sell than a heavy coat worn for two months. Several business dailies in September and early October ran stories on the industry racing to capture this winter-season demand, with lightweight padding at the centre.
Why It Sells Out: The 2030 Shift
Two things have changed.
1. The image has flipped. For years, a slim quilted jacket was associated with middle-aged hikers and was the kind of thing you saw on a mountain trail on Sunday. A late-October report from Asia Economy ran with the headline “I thought it was a hiking jacket for older men”, and described how shoppers in their 20s and 30s are now filling their online carts with it. Colours and cuts have become far more varied, and it works as an outer layer in autumn and as an inner layer in winter.
2. Outdoor wear has become everyday fashion. The trend is often called gorpcore (고프코어): wearing hiking and trail gear as ordinary streetwear. Korean business press reported in September that searches for “아저씨 옷 아니야?” (“isn’t that an old man’s outfit?”) style outdoor clothing had jumped by about 167%, that September hiking searches were up roughly 130% year on year, and that gorpcore searches rose about 25%. Brands such as Arc’teryx and Salomon have been central to the look among younger shoppers, and Salomon has been expanding its physical presence in fashionable districts such as Seongsu and Hannam.
Add scarcity and you get a craze. Last year several lightweight jackets sold out within minutes of launch or traded above retail on resale platforms. This year, brands are bringing them back with new colours and materials. Korean press has framed the autumn as a test: can the same products still sell out, or was last year’s frenzy a one-off?
The Jackets Everyone Is Chasing
Here is what Korean outlets and retailers say about the main names. Prices are from retailer and price-comparison listings and are approximate.
New Balance Flying 77 Superlight
The most talked-about model. According to Korean business press, the hooded Flying 77 Superlight goose-down jacket sold out its first batch on its launch day, 9 September. A further batch arrived on 16 September, and the company said the charcoal colour sold out again afterwards. Listings put the standard hooded version at roughly ₩279,000 to ₩299,000, and a heavier hooded version on the official online store at about ₩379,000. Reports describe the filling as European goose down in an 80:20 down-to-feather ratio. Second-hand platforms show a very wide range of prices depending on condition.
Musinsa Standard
The house brand of Musinsa, Korea’s biggest fashion platform. Korean press reports that some colours of its lightweight padding were resold at more than double the retail price last year, and the brand has placed the jacket at the front of its autumn and winter campaign this season. It is the choice for shoppers who want the look without the premium brand price.
The North Face
The brand has launched a new version of its Summit Matterhorn Down Jacket, part of the wave of outdoor brands bringing back earlier favourites with revised colours and materials.
Salomon
Salomon’s autumn/winter 2026 lightweight padding, including the cross insulation and hooded down styles, is described on fashion blogs as another hard-to-find item this season, and second-hand sellers list some models around ₩349,000 to ₩379,000. Some blogs claim a retail price of about ₩320,000 and a resale price near ₩780,000, but those figures come from blog headlines and not from official sources, so do not rely on them.
The Cheap Version: Convenience Store Padding
Not every part of this trend is expensive. Korean convenience-store chain Emart24 launched a lightweight padded jacket at ₩34,900, according to Korean press. That is roughly a tenth of the price of the big-brand models, and it is a good example of how an item can become a mainstream trend in Korea: premium brands set the look, then mass retailers copy it at a price anyone can afford. We covered the same pattern in our guide to Daiso’s sold-out mania.
If you want a cheap, packable layer for a Korean autumn trip, this tier is worth a look. Do not expect the warmth or fabric quality of a goose-down jacket.
Where to Shop in Seoul
- Brand stores and department stores. New Balance, The North Face and Salomon all have stores across Seoul. Department stores in Myeong-dong, Gangnam and Yeouido carry outdoor brands and often run seasonal promotions.
- Musinsa. Musinsa’s online store lists nearly every model with sizes, reviews and stock status, which makes it the quickest way to see what is actually available before you walk into a shop. Our Seongsu-dong guide covers the neighbourhood where many fashion brands cluster.
- Seongsu and Hannam. These districts host flagship stores and pop-ups from fashion and outdoor brands. Check each brand’s Instagram for opening hours and special events.
- Outlets. If you are happy with last season’s colours, our premium outlets guide lists outlet malls near Seoul.
- Convenience stores. Emart24 is where to look for the budget version, subject to stock.
Tax refund: Tourists can usually claim a tax refund on purchases at participating shops by showing a passport. Rules, minimum spend and refund limits change, so ask at the till and keep your receipts.
How Not to Overpay
- Check the official store first. Brand websites and Musinsa show real-time stock. Restocks happen, and they are usually announced on the brand’s app or social channels.
- Treat resale prices with caution. Resale listings can be two or three times retail for popular colours. Waiting for a restock is often cheaper.
- Beware of counterfeits. Viral products attract fakes. Buy from authorised sellers and check the tags and stitching.
- Think about size and colour. Popular sizes go first, and colours like charcoal and light grey have been reported as the quickest to sell out. Black and darker neutral shades are often easier to find.
- Try before you travel home. Korean sizing for jackets can run smaller than Western sizing. Fit it in store.
Quick Reference
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| The trend | 경량패딩 (lightweight padding), a thin packable puffer jacket worn as autumn outerwear and winter layer |
| Who is buying | Increasingly shoppers in their 20s and 30s, driven by the gorpcore (hiking-as-streetwear) look |
| Why it sells out | Limited batches, last year’s resale hype, and brands launching in new colours |
| Main names | New Balance Flying 77, Musinsa Standard, The North Face, Salomon |
| Typical prices | Premium brands roughly ₩280,000 to ₩380,000; Emart24 version ₩34,900 |
| Best shopping places | Brand stores, department stores, Musinsa, Seongsu and Hannam |
| Best advice | Check stock online, avoid resellers, choose a less popular colour |
| Related reading | Seongsu-dong guide, Premium outlets near Seoul, Korean shoe brands, Korea trending now |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 경량패딩 mean? It means “lightweight padding”: a thin, light quilted jacket, usually filled with down or synthetic insulation, that can be worn alone in autumn or under a coat in winter.
Is a lightweight padded jacket warm enough for Seoul in winter? On its own, usually not for the coldest weeks, when temperatures regularly fall below freezing. That is why Koreans layer it under a coat. For late October to November it is often enough by itself. Our best time to visit Korea guide has seasonal temperatures.
Why do the jackets sell out so quickly? Brands release limited batches, demand is driven by social media and last year’s resale stories, and shoppers who missed out last year are determined to get one this year.
What is the cheapest way to try the trend? Look at mass-market versions, such as the ₩34,900 jacket launched by Emart24, or Musinsa Standard’s house-brand options, rather than premium brands.
Will the craze last? Korean fashion trends move fast, but this one rests on a practical product and a long-running outdoor-wear boom, so it may outlast most snack crazes. Stock should ease as brands release more batches.
Korea’s shopping manias are not always about sweets or toys. Sometimes the object everyone wants is a jacket that weighs less than a bag of crisps. If you are visiting this autumn, you will see it on half the people around you, and trying one on is one of the most practical ways to join the trend.
