Pepero Day 2026 in Korea: What It Is, What to Buy and How Visitors Can Join In on November 11

By the Korea Vibe Hopper team · Updated October 28, 2026

If you are in Korea in early November, you will notice it before you know what it is: towers of slim red boxes stacked by the door of every convenience store, character gift sets wrapped in cellophane, and signs with the word 빼빼로 everywhere. That is the run-up to Pepero Day (빼빼로데이, Ppaeppaero Dei) on November 11, a day when people in Korea hand chocolate-dipped biscuit sticks to friends, classmates, coworkers and partners.

This guide explains what the day is, where it came from, what is on the shelves for 2026, how to join in politely as a visitor, and the quieter rice-cake holiday that shares the same date. Details are as of October 2026, and we link every source at the end.

Key takeaways

Pepero Day falls on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. It is not a public holiday, so the gift-giving happens at school and at work.
A single box of Choco Pepero costs about 2,000 won at convenience stores (as of October 2026). One box per person is the normal gift; nobody expects more.
November 11 is also Farmers' Day and Garaetteok Day, when long white rice cakes are offered as a homegrown alternative to chocolate.

Contents

1. What Pepero Day is, and why November 11
2. Where it came from
3. What is on the shelves for 2026
4. Stray Kids and the global campaign
5. How to join in as a visitor
6. Garaetteok Day and the other November 11
FAQ
Conclusion
Sources

1. What Pepero Day is, and why November 11

Pepero is a thin biscuit stick dipped in chocolate, with a short bare end so you can hold it without getting chocolate on your fingers. Lotte (the company is now called Lotte Wellfood) has made it in Korea since 1983. The name plays on 빼빼 (ppaeppae), a Korean word for being very skinny, which suits the shape.

A visual pun on the date

Write November 11 as numbers and you get 11/11: four upright ones in a row, each looking like a single stick. That is the entire logic of the date. Pepero Day is often compared to Valentine's Day, but it is broader and lighter. Students give boxes to their whole friend group, office workers leave one on each desk in their team, and couples treat it as a small romantic occasion with fancier sets.

The flavors you will see

The classic is plain milk chocolate. Almond (chocolate rolled in crushed almonds) is the other big seller, and "Nude" turns the idea inside out with the chocolate filling inside the biscuit. White chocolate and cookie-coated versions, plus limited editions, fill out the shelves in November. If you have only tried Japan's Pocky, the sticks will look very familiar; we cover the difference in the FAQ.

Classic chocolate Pepero sticks, with the bare end for holding. Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Almond Pepero, the other best seller. Photo: Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

One almond stick, close up. Photo: Dinkun Chen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

2. Where it came from

Many people assume a marketing team invented Pepero Day. The usual story is different, though the details are fuzzy, and it is worth being honest about that.

Schoolgirls in the southeast

The account most Korean media repeat is that middle and high school girls in Busan and the surrounding southeast (Gyeongnam) region started swapping Pepero on November 11 in the 1990s, wishing each other to grow tall and slim like the snack. Sources disagree on the year: Korea Culture Now places it around 1993, Homes in Korea says early-to-mid 1990s, and Wikipedia notes that the exact origin is unknown and some doubt the schoolgirl story altogether. Homes in Korea reports that Yonhap covered the custom in November 1996 and that Lotte began using it in marketing from 1997, and quotes Lotte Wellfood saying the day "is not a culture the company created."

How big it became

Whatever the exact start, marketing turned a school fad into a national event. According to Homes in Korea, citing Korean reports, about half of Pepero's annual sales now fall in the September to November season,. Our honest read: it is a commercial day with a genuinely warm habit inside it. Both things are true, and Koreans joke about the "marketing day" side as much as anyone.

A store stand advertising a multi-buy deal for Pepero Day. Photo: Saipiny / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

GS25, one of the chains that sells its own Pepero Day sets. Photo: Striker9498 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

A CU store in Busan. Photo: hyolee2 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

3. What is on the shelves for 2026

The displays usually go up in late October and grow until the day itself. Here is what has been announced as of October 28, 2026.

Lotte Wellfood's 2026 seasonal lineup

Lotte announced ten seasonal packages on October 14, according to Financial News and Insight. Seven of them carry licensed designs:

Package	What is in it (as reported, October 2026)
Stray Kids packages (2)	Almond and White Cookie Pepero with Stray Kids artwork
Sanrio Characters packages (4)	Hello Kitty, Pochacco, Cinnamoroll and Hangyodon designs on Choco, Crunky and two assorted packs, with character stickers or bookmarks inside
Ganadi assorted 5-pack (1)	Five packs featuring the popular Ganadi puppy character, also with character goods inside
Gift sets	Sampler 6-pack, Carrier 4-pack and Gift 6-pack
Limited flavor	Pepero Double Rich Salty Vanilla, brought back for the season

There is also a purchase promotion. Spend 30,000 won or more on Pepero and you get a Stray Kids tarpaulin bag and keyring or a Ganadi hand mirror; include at least one Sanrio package in a 30,000-won purchase and you get one of four Sanrio shopping bags at random. Conditions and dates differ by item and are posted on Pepero's official Instagram, so check there before you buy for the freebie.

Convenience-store sets and prices

The plain 54 g Choco Pepero costs 2,000 won at convenience stores, up from 1,800 won in February 2025, according to Homes in Korea (as of October 2026). The big chains (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven and emart24) also sell their own character sets bundled with plush toys, keyrings and other goods. Homes in Korea counted about 150 sets at GS25 alone last season. You will also see multi-buy signs such as 2+2; many of these deals require a specific Korean card or payment app, which visitors may not have, so read the small print on the sign.

One practical point: popular sets sell out. Homes in Korea reports that Pepero sales at CU in the week before November 11, 2025 were up 1,453 percent against a normal week. Buy a day or two early rather than on the morning of the 11th.

A 7-Eleven in Busan. Photo: LERK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Inside a 24-hour convenience store in Incheon. Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Daiso stores sell DIY stick kits in the run-up to November 11. Photo: LERK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

4. Stray Kids and the global campaign

If you follow K-pop, you may have met Pepero through Stray Kids. The group has been the brand's global ambassador since May 2025, and in September 2026 released a Pepero collaboration single titled "November 11," filmed at Gyeongbokgung Palace and Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul.

What is happening outside Korea in 2026

According to The Herald Business (October 21) and Sports Chosun (October 26), Lotte Wellfood's 2026 global push includes:

A Times Square billboard in New York running through November 15, the fourth year in a row since 2023, and an ad at Koreatown Plaza in Los Angeles through November 14.
Stray Kids-themed ads in 14 Lotte Mart stores in Vietnam, campus sampling and a pop-up at Westlake Shopping Mall in Hanoi, a photo booth in Almaty, Kazakhstan on November 11, and a special Pepero pack in the Philippines in November.
A YouTube digital gift featuring Pepero products and characters, which Lotte says is the first time YouTube has launched a gift using a brand's IP.

The "PLAY WITH PEPERO" Instagram event

Fans in and outside Korea can post a photo or video of themselves with Pepero on Instagram using the required hashtags and submit the post link through the link on Pepero's official Instagram profile. Entries run until February 5, 2027. Lotte will draw 111 winners for a Stray Kids meet-and-greet in Seoul in April 2027, where the group is due to perform "November 11"; the 11 first-prize winners also get round-trip transportation and two nights' accommodation. Read the official rules before entering, especially on eligibility and travel terms. If you are hoping to see the group live rather than at a fan event, our guide to buying K-pop concert tickets in Korea as a foreigner covers the booking side.

5. How to join in as a visitor

You do not have to do anything on Pepero Day. But it costs very little, it is a friendly gesture, and Koreans tend to enjoy seeing visitors take part. Here is a simple plan.

Decide who it is for. A host family, a language-exchange partner, a guesthouse owner, your tour group or coworkers if you are working in Korea.
Buy a day or two early. Any convenience store will have the plain boxes near the counter. Pay with a card or a T-money card; our eSIM and T-money guide explains how to set one up.
Keep it uniform. In a group, give everyone the same simple box. Handing one person a lavish set while everyone else gets a stick box is the classic office faux pas.
Add a short note. A sticky note with "Happy Pepero Day" or 빼빼로데이 축하해요 (Ppaeppaero dei chukahaeyo) is plenty.
Hand it over with both hands or the right hand, the usual polite way to give something in Korea.
When you receive one, say 고마워요 (gomawoyo, thank you). Giving one back on the spot is nice but not required.

Gift ideas by person

Who	What fits	Notes
Coworkers or classmates	One plain box each	Same item for everyone; about 2,000 won per box (as of October 2026)
Teacher or host family	A gift set or a few flavors	If you teach, bring enough for the whole class or none at all
Partner	Character set or homemade sticks	The one case where spending more is normal
Friends abroad	Limited Korean flavors or character packs	Light, cheap and easy to pack as a souvenir

Make your own sticks

Homemade Pepero is a real tradition, especially among couples and families, and Daiso and baking shops sell DIY kits in November. The method is simple: melt chocolate gently over hot water or in short microwave bursts, dip about three quarters of each plain biscuit stick (a tall glass helps), roll the wet end in crushed nuts or sprinkles, and let the sticks set upright in a cup or on baking paper. Wrap a few with ribbon. As with any homemade food gift, mention the ingredients if you are giving to someone with a nut or dairy allergy.

If you are shopping for snacks to take home anyway, purchases at tax-free stores can qualify for a refund; see our Korea tax refund guide for how that works and the minimums.

6. Garaetteok Day and the other November 11

Most English guides stop at chocolate. But officially, November 11 is Farmers' Day (농업인의 날, Nongeobinui Nal), a national commemorative day since 1996.

Rice cakes instead of chocolate

The date is another visual pun, this time in Chinese characters: 十 (ten) stacked on 一 (one) makes 土, the character for soil, so 11/11 suits a day for people who work the land. Since 2006 the agriculture ministry has promoted the same date as Garaetteok Day (가래떡데이). Garaetteok is a long, chewy white rice-cake cylinder, the same shape as a Pepero stick but made from Korean rice. Local governments and farm cooperatives hand it out at events, and you will often see rice-cake sets sold near the chocolate. Lightly grilled garaetteok dipped in honey is a simple, satisfying snack, and sliced garaetteok is the base for tteokbokki and the rice-cake soup eaten at Lunar New Year. Our Korean winter street food guide covers where to find tteokbokki and other hot snacks this season.

Garaetteok, the long rice cake promoted on November 11. Photo: Sulkkun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Five colors of garaetteok rice cake sticks on a plate

Five-color garaetteok. Photo: 경빈마마 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 kr

Grilled garaetteok, often eaten with honey. Photo: 최광모 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Which one should you give?

Pepero is the louder, more fun option, and most Koreans will name it first when you ask about November 11. Garaetteok is the thoughtful choice for an older host, a family meal or anyone who prefers less sugar. Giving both is perfectly normal.

Plain white garaetteok. Photo: johl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tteokbokki made with whole garaetteok. Photo: Kimseoeun2023079825 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Sliced garaetteok, ready for soup or stir-fries. Photo: 경빈마마 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 kr

A solemn moment at 11 a.m.

November 11 also has a serious side, especially in Busan. Every year at 11 a.m. the city observes one minute of silence for "Turn Toward Busan," facing the UN Memorial Cemetery, where soldiers from UN forces who died in the Korean War are buried. The ceremony began in 2007 at the suggestion of Canadian veteran Vincent Courtenay, and sirens sound across the city. If you are in Busan that morning, pausing for that minute is a respectful thing to do, and the cemetery is open to visitors.

FAQ

Is Pepero Day a public holiday in Korea?

No. Schools, offices, banks and shops run as normal on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. That is exactly why the day is so visible: the gifts change hands at school and at work.

Is Pepero the same as Pocky?

They are very similar. Ezaki Glico of Japan launched Pocky in 1966; Lotte launched Pepero in 1983. The two are often compared, and Lotte denies that Pepero copied Pocky. In Korea, Pocky is made by Haitai and promoted around November 11 as well. For gift-giving, nobody minds which one you hand over.

Pocky, Japan's similar stick snack launched in 1966. Photo: Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Pepero sticks, for comparison. Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Pepero is sold in many countries, often in local packaging. Photo: Dinkun Chen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Where can I buy Pepero outside Korea?

Pepero is exported widely and is easy to find in Korean and Asian grocery stores in many countries, and Lotte is running local Pepero Day promotions in places such as the US, Vietnam, the Philippines and Kazakhstan in 2026. Selection and flavors vary by country.

Do I have to give something back if I receive Pepero?

No. A sincere thank-you is enough. Unlike White Day, there is no expectation of a return gift, and a newcomer who did not know about the day will not be judged.

Is it a good day for Suneung good-luck gifts?

It can be. The 2026 college entrance exam (Suneung) is on Thursday, November 19, eight days after Pepero Day, so stores also push the sticks as good-luck snacks for test takers. For the rest of your November plans, see our Korea November weather and packing guide.

Conclusion

Pepero Day is small, cheap and cheerful, which is the whole appeal. If you are in Korea on November 11, 2026, pick up a few plain boxes a day or two early, give everyone in your group the same thing, add a one-line note, and you have done it correctly. If you would rather go local, a pack of garaetteok tells a Korean friend you know about the other side of the date. And if you are following from abroad, keep an eye on Pepero's Instagram for the Stray Kids event rules. Shelves, prices and promotions change quickly in early November, so treat the details here as a snapshot as of October 28, 2026.

Sources

Details as of October 28, 2026. Product lineups, prices, promotions and event rules are set by the manufacturer and retailers and can change; check the official Pepero Instagram and store notices before you buy or enter.

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