Entertainment

Free Pokémon Card Giveaway Scrapped After 40,000 Fans Swarm Seoul Event

Editorial Team3 min readUpdated
EntertainmentFree Pokémon Card Giveaway Scrapped After 40,000 Fans Swarm Seoul Event

A limited Pokémon card was supposed to be a cheerful anniversary perk. Instead, it became a crowd-control problem in Seoul.

Pokémon Korea canceled an on-site giveaway at Pokémon Mega Festa 2026 on May 1 after an estimated 40,000 people gathered around Seoul Forest by midday, according to The Korea Times. The rush centered on a Korean-exclusive Magikarp promo card, available to fans who completed a Pokémon GO Stamp Rally during the event.

Why the crowd formed

Pokémon Mega Festa 2026 is part of Pokémon Korea’s month-long celebration tied to the franchise’s 30th anniversary. The event is being held around Seongsu-dong and Seoul Forest, alongside the Seoul International Garden Show.

One of the main draws was the Pokémon GO Stamp Rally. Fans who collected three stamps at designated locations were set to receive event items, including a rare Magikarp promo card exclusive to Korea.

That combination proved volatile: a public holiday, a limited physical collectible, and a card with immediate resale value. The Korea Times reported that the Magikarp card had already appeared on resale platform Kream for 286,000 won, about $194.

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Pokémon Korea moves the giveaway online

As the crowd grew, safety concerns escalated. The Korea Times reported that the Seoul city government requested the shutdown of the on-site distribution.

Pokémon Korea then issued an emergency notice confirming that the Magikarp promo card handout had been canceled “due to on-site safety considerations.”

The company said fans who had already completed the stamp rally requirements would still be able to receive the card later through an online form. More details are expected to be posted on official Pokémon social channels on May 4.

“We plan to collect necessary information such as your name, address, Trainer ID, and address through the online form,” the translated notice read. “Those of you who met the stamp rally conditions today can all receive it, so please go home with peace of mind.”

Fans warn this could affect future events

Images shared on social media showed dense crowds around Seoul Forest, with some attendees saying the area had become difficult to move through.

Serebii webmaster Joe Merrick also weighed in, arguing that the chaos could have longer-term consequences for physical Pokémon Trading Card Game giveaways.

“Seeing what happened in Korea with the promo card at the Mega Fest event and how chaotic it got to be,” he wrote. “We will be losing promo cards for events soon for sure. This is unsustainable due to all the opportunists wanting to make money.”

Pokémon Korea has not announced whether any other parts of Pokémon Mega Festa 2026 will be adjusted after the cancellation. For now, the message is clear enough: the card is still coming for eligible fans, just not through a queue that Seoul Forest could not safely absorb.

Tags:
PokémonPokémon KoreaPokémon Mega Festa 2026Pokémon TCGPokémon GOSeoul ForestMagikarp

About The Hook Editorial Team

Editorial Team

The Hook Editorial Team delivers daily news reporting and analysis.

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