It is not uncommon for food or fashion and beauty products to become all the rage after appearing in Korean dramas.
Remember the Dagna candy from Squid Game or the Laneige lipstick used by Song Hye Kyo in Descendants of the Sun?
The latest addition is the iconic blue and black pencil from German stationery brand Staedtler Mars Lumograph.
The humble pencil became an unlikely fashion accessory that appeared in The Glory Korean dramas today. The play revolves around Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo
There are some spoilers up front, so if you haven't seen the second part of Glory yet, stop here.
This gives the pen a new meaning that it is more powerful than the sword
In one of the most memorable scenes of the TV series, drug-addicted artist Sarah Lee (Kim Biola) fights a cat fight with flight attendant Choi Hye-jung (Cha Joo-young).
Angry, Sarah pulled out the pencil she used to hold her hair and stabbed Hye-jung in the neck with the pencil.
Shocking, to say the least. The gory movie reminds viewers of Keanu Reeve's pencil fight scene in John Wick 2, with which he kills a thug.
Pencils commonly used by art students and illustrators have reportedly flown off shelves and are now sold out in South Korea.
Netizens were surprised by its sudden popularity, with someone quipping that "I've been using this pencil for 20 years, but I didn't expect it to spread in 2023", while others said they could no longer look at the pencil in the same way.
"Now when I look at the pencil, I feel neck pain," one fan commented.
The Royal Salute Scotch bottle has become an unlikely weapon
Another "weapon" was also thrust into the spotlight: Chivas Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute Scotch Whisky.
In another violent scene, queen bully Park Yeon-jin (Lim Ji-yeon) attacks Kim Geun-woo (Son Myung-oo), repeatedly hitting him on the head with a whiskey bottle. Surprisingly, after three crushes, the sturdy bottle did not break.
Instead of using an actual 62-gun salute bottle (pictured below, right), the Salute in the play is modeled after the Royal Salute's 38-year-old Stone of Destiny (left), but with the 62 label.
The more common royal salute on the market are the iconic 21-year-old signature hybrid, the 32-year-old Crown League, and the 38-year-old Stone of Destiny.
The 62-gun salute was produced in limited quantities, representing the highest ceremonial honor and reserved for the most important royal occasions.
The 24-gun salute features a handmade Darrington crystal decanter, decorated with 62K yellow gold and decorated with cut crystal stoppers, considered a work of art. The estimated cost per bottle is approximately S$5K.
After the glory craze, netizens began peddling their precious bottles online.
One seller even touted his empty 38-year-old Stone of Destiny as a "self-defense" weapon. Price tag? 50,000 won.
"Easy to grip and crush, suitable for weak women for self-defense," the seller wrote in the caption, adding that it was recommended for crime prevention or to defend against "polite or frequent jerks."