Visiting Korea? You need an Olive Young bag as proof.

Tourists carry Olive Young's tarpaulin reusable bag in Myeongdong, central Seoul. [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
If you stroll through tourist-heavy neighborhoods in Seoul, such as Myeongdong, Hongdae or Gangnam, you’ll see many people carrying the same white-and-green tote bag bearing a familiar brand name: Olive Young.
 
The tarpaulin-made reusable bag, sold at the Korean beauty retailer for 3,000 won ($2), has transformed into a proof-of-visit souvenir for tourists — not quite on the same level of popularity as Trader Joe’s tote bags are to Korean visitors to the United States, but close.
 
“Foreign tourists, rather than Korean consumers, are the dominant buyers of the reusable bag,” said an Olive Young staff member at the Gangnam Town branch in southern Seoul. “It's especially popular with Japanese visitors.”
 
With foreigners spending over 1 trillion won at Olive Young just last year, the relatively large bag, measuring 20 inches in width by 15 inches in height and made with sturdy materials, is suitable for holding dozens of K-beauty products.
 

Olive Young's tarpaulin reusable bags at the Olive Young Myeongdong Town in central Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN]

 
“I’ll have to carry around the things I bought from Olive Young for the whole day, and this bag feels more sturdy than a normal shopping bag,” said Vicky, a tourist from Hong Kong, while carrying the bag, now filled with mask packs and cosmetics.
 
“A paper bag wouldn’t have been enough to carry all the things I bought,” she added.
 
With Olive Young's regular paper bags costing 100 won, the reusable option costs 30 times more at 3,000 won. Despite the price, Olive Young sold over 300,000 of them from January to August last year alone. 
 

Olive Young's reusable bag on display at the Olive Young Gangnam Town branch in southern Seoul. [PARK EUN-JEE\]

 
The design of the Olive Young reusable bag is very minimalist. Constructed with thick, white tarp, a waterproof material mostly used to protect outdoor items from rain, the bag features the brand name alongside neon green and coral pink accents — colors that represent the K-beauty retailer.
 
Olive Young first began selling the bag in four of its key branches, including the Myeongdong Town branch in central Seoul, starting in January last year before expanding operations to 130-plus stores around the country, including those in Busan and other locations where tourists are more likely to visit, according to the retailer.
 
But the bag is not just a by-product of foreigners’ heavy spending. Not only is the tote durable, but it’s also surprisingly practical and thoughtfully made. There are zippers to close the bag tightly and protect the items inside, and two shoulder straps — one short and one long — allow wearers to either clutch the bag in one hand or wear it on their shoulder.
 

“The things I bought from Olive Young are like 10 times the cost of the [reusable] bag, so it’s worth it in my opinion,” said Caroline, who came from the United States.
 
The bags, just like those of Trader Joe’s, are also unavailable online and only sold in Olive Young’s brick-and-mortar stores, cementing them as ultimate proof that you’ve been to Korea.
 

Olive Young's reusable bag listed on Ebay [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
On eBay, Carousell and Chinese marketplaces, some Olive Young reusable bags are being sold at 10 times the original price. A Chinese seller on Xianyu, an Alibaba-made marketplace platform, had a dozen on sale, commenting that the bag is “convenient and holds a surprising amount of things.”
 
“I wouldn’t throw it away. It feels like a waste to just throw away such a nice bag,” Alex from Indonesia said. “I’ll bring it back home and use it as a shopping bag there.” 

A seller on Xianyu, a Chinese marketplace platform operated by Alibaba, listing Olive Young's reusable bag for sale [SCREEN CAPTURE]

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]