"Let's Do Our Best Like Magikarp"... SKT Hosts Pokemon Run Event at Hangang Park

About 5,000 Participants Joined the Event

"Part of Experience Marketing"

"Let's do our best like Magikarp!" On May 5, at the "Pokemon Run 2026 in Seoul" running event held at Ttukseom Hangang Riverside Park in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, participants wearing hats featuring Magikarp from the popular animated series Pokemon began running at the host's signal. From parents holding their children's hands to fans who love Pokemon, everyone donned Pokemon merchandise and ran along the Han River. Since the event was a fun run with no time records, participants alternated between running and walking to complete the course. Those who finished took commemorative photos in front of the Pokemon character Pikachu.

On the 5th, people gathered at the 'Pokemon Run 2026 in Seoul' running event hosted by SK Telecom at Ttukseom Hangang Riverside Park in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Provided by SK Telecom

This event was organized by SK Telecom to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pokemon's debut and held on Children's Day. Tickets were sold through SK Telecom's online mall, T Direct Shop, and all 5,000 tickets were sold out within 30 minutes of opening. SK Telecom also announced that it provided an additional 100 tickets by drawing 50 customers who pre-ordered the Galaxy S26. The morning event featured an 8-kilometer course, while the afternoon event was a 5-kilometer course.

SK Telecom explained that the event was organized as part of its "experience marketing" strategy. In addition to the Pokemon Run, SK Telecom has offered promotions such as entry tickets to the Chuncheon Marathon and meal vouchers for restaurants run by chefs appearing on the Netflix variety show "Black and White Chef 2" as part of its experience marketing efforts. Kim Inseong, head of the Sales & Marketing Innovation Team at SK Telecom, said, "It is no longer easy to compete solely on mobile device performance or simple benefits. We have entered an era where the limited experiences a customer can feel have become crucial. In seeking out what customers love, we have shifted toward experience marketing initiatives like the Pokemon Run."

On the 5th, people are running at the "Pokemon Run 2026 in Seoul" running event hosted by SK Telecom at Ttukseom Hangang Riverside Park in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Photo by Byungseon Gong

SK Telecom also set up a joint booth with Samsung Electronics under the concept of a "Pokemon Run Training Center." At the booth, participants could record their completion through an evolution event and a finishers’ Pokedex event. In addition, participants could borrow a Samsung Galaxy Watch to track their heart rate, pace, calories, and more in real time while running.

The booth also hosted a variety of prize events. SK Telecom gave booth visitors vouchers worth between 50,000 and 200,000 won for use when purchasing smartphones from the Galaxy Brand Zone on T Direct Shop. Samsung Electronics awarded prizes such as Galaxy Watches and the latest wearable devices like the Galaxy Buds 4 to customers who tried the Galaxy Watch and participated in the event, with winners selected by lottery.

Kim added, "By offering special experiences to Galaxy S26 pre-order customers, we are providing value that goes beyond simply purchasing a smartphone—value that only SK Telecom customers can enjoy. We will continue to plan new initiatives related to experience marketing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.