Lee Sang Hwa's 200 million won Pokémon card prank on Kangnam

Former national speed skater Lee Sang Hwa pulled an epic hidden camera prank by pretending to dispose of her husband Kangnam's long-time collection of Pokémon Trading Card Game items. However, the scale of the joke was much larger than expected. This happened after the collection, which Kangnam had been accumulating every time he visited Japan, was appraised by an expert, revealing that the total bulk purchase value of the collection could reach approximately 200 million won.

On the 15th, a video was released on the YouTube channel 'Neighborhood Friend Kangnami' showing Lee Sang Hwa preparing a hidden camera prank based on Kangnam's Pokémon card collecting habit.

The incident began because Kangnam had broken a promise made to his wife. Lee Sang Hwa urgently summoned the production crew and declared, "I'm going to sell the cards." The reason was that although Kangnam had been buying Pokémon cards every time he went to Japan, he had promised not to buy any more, but failed to keep that promise.

"If you break a promise, I'm selling them without mercy," Lee Sang Hwa said as she revealed the cards piled up inside the house. The quantity of cards, which had grown enough to fill three entire drawers, had moved beyond a simple hobby and had effectively formed a full collection.

At first, Lee Sang Hwa also viewed her husband's collecting habit merely as something that needed to be disposed of. However, the situation took a completely different turn when they visited a card shop to check the actual value.

The prices of the cards and boxes revealed through the expert's explanation far exceeded Lee Sang Hwa's expectations. Items ranging from boxes traded in the 200,000 won range to products valued at 850,000 to 1,000,000 won based on being unopened appeared, and some boxes were estimated to be worth around 2.3 million won.

When looking at individual cards, the prices rose even higher. Some Pikachu cards exceeded 10 million won, while a Luigi Pikachu was valued at approximately 12.5 million won, and a 20th Anniversary Pikachu was valued at about 15 million won. Among other high-priced cards, some cases were mentioned to be in the 20 million won range.

While Pokémon cards started as simple character goods for children, they have now formed a collector's market where prices vary greatly depending on rarity, release period, card condition, whether they are unopened, and connection to specific events. In particular, popular characters, limited editions, and anniversary editions often form values in a completely different way from standard product prices.

Ultimately, after examining Kangnam's collection as a whole, the estimated bulk purchase price suggested by the card shop was approximately 200 million won. It was a moment where what Lee Sang Hwa started to liquidate her husband's "fan obsession" turned into a process of confirming the reality of a collection with significant economic value.

However, it is necessary to distinguish that this amount is not a confirmed transaction price for a completed sale, but rather an estimated bulk purchase price suggested by the card shop after inspecting the collection. Due to the nature of the collector's market, actual prices can vary depending on the preservation state or transaction conditions, even for the same card.

The full-scale hidden camera prank began after Kangnam left the house. After clearing away all the cards, Lee Sang Hwa installed cameras throughout the house. Although the cards were not actually sold, she staged the situation so it appeared to Kangnam as if all his collection had already vanished.

Upon returning home, Kangnam immediately looked for the whereabouts of the cards. He called Lee Sang Hwa asking, "Honey, where are the Pokémon cards?" but when his wife replied, "I sold them," he initially took it as a joke.

However, as Lee Sang Hwa repeatedly insisted that she had truly disposed of the cards, Kangnam's expression hardened sharply. In particular, when Lee Sang Hwa lied that she "sold them for 2 million won," a price incomparable to their actual value, Kangnam began searching everywhere in the house.

He even knelt on the floor to check the whereabouts of the cards, and when Lee Sang Hwa returned home, he urgently asked, "Why did you sell them?" and "Who did you sell them to?"

Lee Sang Hwa's lies did not end there. She added a scenario where she sold the cards to a middle school student through a second-hand trading platform. Kangnam pleaded for her to give him the contact information, acting as if he wanted to find the actual buyer, and when Lee Sang Hwa asked, "Are you going to buy cards in the future too?", he finally promised, "I won't. I won't even buy them when I go to Japan."

For a collector, hobby items often hold more meaning than just simple objects. This is because emotional value is formed separately from economic value as memories of the time of purchase, and attachment to rarity accumulate.

Of course, the cards in this instance were not actually sold. It was a hidden camera prank prepared by Lee Sang Hwa. Kangnam's collection was safely hidden in the house, and the high-value cards confirmed at the card shop were preserved intact.

The bigger twist was that Lee Sang Hwa did not end the prank by simply teasing him. She personally selected a Pikachu card that Kangnam would love and prepared it as a gift.

Upon recovering his cards, Kangnam reacted with a mix of relief and absurdity, protesting to the production crew, "This isn't a prank. It's a crime. It's a scam," which drew laughter. The mood shifted once he realized the cards hadn't actually been lost.

Kangnam was delighted to find out it was a card he had wanted, expressing surprise at the gift and noting that the card's value was "over 5 million won." He went on to express his gratitude, saying, "I'm truly moved," and "Where can I find a wife like this?"

In the end, Kangnam promised once again that he would not purchase any more Pokémon cards this year. What Lee Sang Hwa started as a way to correct her husband's spending habits concluded with the revelation of a high-value collection and a heartfelt gift.

This episode goes beyond a simple couple's prank, reflecting the growing culture of collecting character goods and trading cards. As cards once perceived as children's toys move into the realm of adult hobbies, a market for trading and valuing rare products continues to expand.

In particular, the act of consistently collecting specific products during overseas trips, as Kangnam does, may seem like simple consumption at first, but over time, it accumulates into a significant collection. In that process, the rarity of certain items can lead to prices far beyond what was originally expected.

Lee Sang Hwa and Kangnam first met through the 2018 SBS show 'Law of the Jungle in Last Indian Ocean,' developed a relationship, and married in October 2019. While the former national speed skater Lee Sang Hwa and entertainer Kangnam have worked in different fields, they have built a unique public persona by sharing their daily lives and marriage through YouTube and variety shows.

This episode is a classic example of their relationship. While Lee Sang Hwa addressed her husband's excessive collecting, she ultimately chose a card he loved as a gift, and while Kangnam was angry at being tricked, he was ultimately moved by his wife's gesture.

Ultimately, the most interesting part is not the 200 million won figure, but the relationship surrounding it. To the husband, they were cherished items collected over a long time; to the wife, they were the subject of a prank to discipline a husband who broke his word. That gap, met with the comedic device of a hidden camera, resulted in the unexpected laughter of the "200 million won card incident."