"I've seen it so much on social media, it's so cool that they sell it here!"

Around 2 p.m. on June 24, a foreign tourist expressed delight while speaking at a large clothing store in Myeong-dong, Seoul.

As if meeting a welcome face in an unexpected place, they held "it" and repeatedly snapped photos with their friends.

"It" was none other than banana milk.

A store employee said, "Banana milk is so popular among foreign tourists these days that we brought in a refrigerator and started selling it, and it's selling incredibly well."

At the time, 90% of the customers in the store were foreigners.

Foreign tourists' love for "K-banana milk" is growing hotter by the day.

Just as gopchang (grilled tripe) restaurants sold "Dubai chewy cookies" (du-jjon-ku) during the craze that once swept the nation, businesses across all sectors are jumping into selling banana milk to meet the demand as it captivates foreign tourists.

On June 17, a post on Threads stating, "I know the 'chubby' banana milk is incredibly popular among tourists, but I can't believe it's displayed like this at a certain clothing store in Myeong-dong" (hi***) garnered 560,000 views.

Comments on the post included, "I went to a convenience store recently and saw many foreigners buying 'Ttung-ba' (chubby banana milk) and coffee to mix them together."

Last month, a video on Threads showing foreign tourists sweeping up banana milk stacked on convenience store shelves and inventory boxes in South Korea went viral.

Banana milk is also popular as a "welcome drink."

"A," who runs an Airbnb for foreigners in Myeong-dong, said, "I've been providing banana milk as a welcome drink for foreign guests since the beginning of this year, and the response has been great."

They added, "At first, I prepared bottled water or juice, but after seeing videos of foreign tourists drinking banana milk at Korean convenience stores trending on social media, I switched to it because I wanted to gift them a cute piece of Korean culture."

In reviews of accommodations in the Hongdae and Gwanghwamun areas mainly visited by foreigners last month, banana milk was prominently mentioned, with comments like, "There also a cute little banana milk prepare in the fridge," and "There's a communal kitchen with banana milk available at all times."

Foreign tourists met in Myeong-dong shared that they became curious about banana milk after seeing it on social media or in K-dramas.

Previously, a video titled "Hazelnut coffee & banana milk" posted in December 2023 by YouTube user 'biteswithlily' accumulated 9.5 million views.

The video shows how to make a "banana milk latte" by mixing banana milk with a pouched hazelnut Americano coffee inside a Korean convenience store.

Last month, Hailey Bieber, wife of American pop star Justin Bieber, made headlines by posting a photo on her Instagram of herself enjoying a banana milk latte at a convenience store during her visit to South Korea.

In addition, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang boosted interest in banana milk by handing it out to citizens and students who gathered to see him during his visit to South Korea this month, following a previous visit in October last year.

Chinese tourist "B" (24), met at the Myeong-dong clothing store, smiled and said, "I came to buy accessories, but I saw this yellow jar milk that I often see on Xiaohongshu (the Chinese version of Instagram) in the store, so I grabbed it right away. It tastes really delicious."

Irina Damov (32) from Romania said, "I decided to try it while in Korea because many travelers recommended the famous combination of mixing iced Americano and banana milk. Banana milk is easy to find anywhere, cheap, and constantly appears in online travel content, which seems to make it popular among tourists."

Banana milk was also selling like hotcakes at a large beauty and drugstore in Myeong-dong.

Foreigners picking out cosmetics in the packed store naturally added banana milk from the refrigerated shelves to their shopping baskets as if it were a routine step.

Pratham from Australia smiled and said, "I already knew about banana milk through the Korean dramas I usually watch, and I've wanted to try it whenever I came to Korea for a long time."

Due to this popularity, it was easy to see dozens to hundreds of banana milk bottles occupying prime spots in the center of large K-food marts and convenience stores in Myeong-dong, and employees sweating as they constantly restocked the empty shelves as the milk flew off them.

A convenience store employee surnamed Choi said, "Banana milk, along with triangular gimbap (samgak gimbap) and sandwiches, disappears in an instant as soon as we stock them. About 80 to 90% of our customers are foreign tourists, and many of them take proof-of-purchase photos or videos right after paying."

Herby (27) from Hong Kong said, "I think the reason most people like Korean banana milk is that the shape is very cute. They sell banana milk in Hong Kong too, but that shape is rare, and most of it is in paper cartons."

Grace (34) from Australia also smiled and said, "The process of buying ingredients like banana milk one by one at a convenience store and mixing them myself was really fun, and the cute bottle shape made the experience even more special."

On June 25, culture critic Kim Hern-sik analyzed, "Bananas are a familiar ingredient to foreigners, so there is little aversion to the taste, and banana milk has the symbolism of being a representative beverage that Koreans have enjoyed for a long time. This perfectly aligns with the tourism demand of foreigners who want to experience the real lifestyle of Koreans like a local."

He added, "While K-food in the past centered around formal meals like kimchi or bulgogi, young foreign tourists today respond much more to light foods that can be eaten casually, such as snacks, desserts, and street food."

(Photo: Screenshot from Threads user 'zero_view0630', Yonhap News)