[News] Kim Yu-na Dolls to Hit Market Next Year.

[News] Kim Yu-na Dolls to Hit Market Next Year.
Cr. - http://english.chosun.com/

Molded figurines of skating queen Kim Yu-na and actor Ryoo Si-won will be available on the domestic and export market next fall, according to Seoul. The municipal government has signed agreements with two firms to provide a subsidy of W150 million to manufacture the dolls (US$1=W1,077).

Celebrity dolls are a huge industry in the U.S. and Japan, and are gradually gaining in popularity here. Dolls resembling actors Bae Yong-joon, Song Seung-hun, Lee Byung-hun and the cast of MBC's popular TV show "Infinite Challenge" are already available.

"Kim Yu-na is one of the most sought-after models in the advertising industry, and Ryoo Si-won has been hugely popular in Japan since the Korean Wave first hit the country", a city official said.

"With this subsidy for manufacturing celebrity dolls, we hope the industry will be able to explore new business opportunities overseas".

The city also plans to provide support for manufacturing dolls of K-pop bands TVXQ, Kara and Girls' Generation.