NAVER WEBTOON’s ‘Special Civil Servant’: A Secret Mission for a Four-Time Exam Taker… Pop-Up Lands in Yongsan

Immersive experience puts visitors inside a surveillance zone for Nachal, bringing the story to life and expanding ways to connect with readers

NAVER WEBTOON is opening a large-scale pop-up store that brings the world of its hit webtoon ‘Special Civil Servant’ into the real world. The company said the pop-up, themed ‘Incident! Nachal Surveillance Zone,’ will run at Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul from the 16th through the 11th of next month. More than a simple merchandise shop, the space is designed as an immersive experience where visitors become agents in the story.

The original series ‘Special Civil Servant’ follows Han Maru (Han Maru), who, after failing the Level 9 civil service exam four times, is specially recruited to a secret division under the Ministry of Environment. The series has drawn a strong response from readers throughout its run with its satisfying action—battling bizarre monsters that appear in the city—and its distinctive premise.

The pop-up puts visitors directly into the field to monitor Nachal, one of the original series’ key monsters. Visitors can receive agent ID cards, complete various missions and experience the story’s world firsthand. A special event linked to NAVER WEBTOON’s AI story chat service, ‘Bias,’ will also offer a new form of entertainment that combines digital technology with in-person content.

To ensure a comfortable viewing experience, entry from the 16th through the 18th will be by advance reservation only. From the 19th, anyone can enter freely on-site without a reservation. NAVER WEBTOON said it plans to extend the value of its intellectual property (IP) into offline experiences and further strengthen engagement with fans through the event.