Stationery corporations Monami(005360) is seeking to strengthen earnings and brand competitiveness by expanding collaboration with the institutional sector. It is trying to escape a management crisis by producing limited-edition products and goods. Although its market capitalization once fell below the threshold amid delisting concerns, the market mood has shifted as individual investors' buying has recently flowed in, sending the stock price rebounding.
On the 19th, according to the stationery industry and public institutions, Monami is expanding collaboration with public corporations such as KORAIL and Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), as well as research and cultural institutions including the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gwacheon National Science Museum, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Jeonju National Museum. It is also widening the scope of cooperation to local governments such as Yongin City Hall, Seongnam City Hall, and Jeonju City, expanding its goods business.
It also sponsored products for the "Korea Memorial Music Festa" and "Korea Memorial Food Festa" hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
Recently, it released a premium "153 Signature" pen featuring the 2026 Seoul color "Morning Yellow." It is a limited-edition product applying Morning Yellow, the 2026 Seoul color released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
A Monami official said, "We plan to steadily expand collaboration with public institutions and continue to introduce products that embody the institutions' brand value."
The stationery market has entered a low-growth phase. The school-age population, a key consumer group for stationery, has fallen about 21% from 10 years ago, and writing has shifted to digital. According to Statistics Korea's Service Industry Trend Survey, retail sales of books and stationery were 9.2919 trillion won last year, down 0.9% from the previous year. In real sales terms, it fell 2.9%.
Monami, which recorded about 12 billion won in operating losses on a consolidation basis over the past three years, is putting weight on public collaboration as a breakthrough for the stationery industry's low-growth phase. Its strategy is to produce customized limited-edition products and goods for each institution to secure new demand, reduce dependence on the consumer market, and diversify revenue sources at the same time.
Recent attention toward Monami is also creating a mood that supports collaboration with the public sector. Starting this month, the market capitalization delisting threshold for KOSPI-listed companies rose from 20 billion won to 30 billion won, putting Monami at risk of delisting.
However, as Monami's Dokdo support activities became known, it began to be called the "national ballpoint pen," and the stock price surged as individual investors rushed to buy. On the 16th, the stock rose to 4,475 won intraday, surpassing the 4,000-won level for the first time in about three years since Aug. 2023. Compared with the closing price at the start of the month (1,278 won), the intraday high on the 16th was 4,475 won, up about 250%. Its market capitalization also climbed into the 70 billion won range.
Song Jae-hwa, Monami's president, recently wrote in a handwritten letter, "I feel deeply moved and a heavy sense of responsibility as I watch the wave of support for Monami spreading online recently," and added, "We will repay you with better products and sincere quality."
The future course of the stock price is expected to be determined by earnings improvement and shareholder-return policies. Analysts say if collaboration with the public sector leads to narrower losses and is combined with measures to enhance shareholder value, such as larger dividends, the recently inflowing investor sentiment could become a mid- to long-term driver of stock gains.
An analyst at a securities firm said, "The recent stock rise reflects favorable public opinion toward the corporations and expectations for maintaining the listing." The analyst added, "For the uptrend to continue, earnings ultimately need to back it up," and explained, "If operating cash flow improves, financial capacity is secured, and shareholder-return policies are presented afterward, it could move beyond short-term theme buying to a revaluation of corporate value."