Hair Tie Promoted by Erling Haaland Turns Out to be 'Made in Chuncheon'

The hair tie worn by Norwegian national team star striker Erling Haaland during the 2026 FIFA World Cup is drawing attention after it was revealed to be a product manufactured by a company in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.

The hair tie that Haaland wore in every match during the World Cup is the KKNEKKI, produced by Dooji, a company located in the Namsan Industrial Complex in Chuncheon.

The product is highly regarded for not easily stretching or slipping even during intense movement and sweating, leading to record-breaking sales recently.

KKNEKKI, which means string or cord in the Gyeongsang dialect, is a brand developed by CEO Cho Hyun-tae, who is originally from Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province.

CEO Cho signed a licensing agreement with a Norwegian company in 2015 to enter the European market. Based on exclusive rights and core technology, the Chuncheon factory is currently handling a surge in orders.

The connection with Haaland began during a Premier League match.

After confirming that Haaland was using his product, CEO Cho produced and delivered a custom hair tie for the star, matching the colors of the Manchester City uniform that Haaland plays in.

[Interview: Cho Hyun-tae / CEO of the hair tie company: No matter how many hair ties there are in the world, I can immediately recognize the ones I made. I was so moved when a famous player wore our hair tie like that. I have been in this business for 40 years, and it has been very rewarding.]

In particular, the Haaland Edition, which features colors personally selected by Haaland during the World Cup, has become so popular that it has sold out.

Haaland even promoted the hair tie himself during an interview with a media outlet.

[Interview: Cho Hyun-tae / CEO of the hair tie company: (Haaland) said that this hair tie was made by a craftsman in Korea and that his performance improves whenever he uses it. That comment made it even more famous.]

CEO Cho stated, "It is meaningful that my technical skills have been recognized in the global market," adding, "As a citizen of the Republic of Korea, I feel a great sense of pride."

Following this case, the city of Chuncheon plans to expand support for overseas market development and global marketing for companies located in its industrial complexes.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Lee Ui-seon | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.