Korea’s latest social media trend revolves around scavenger hunts with monetary prizes. Viral videos on various platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok depict hidden cash under inconspicuous stickers marked with logos and sponsors. Fanatic viewers go out and search for the caches in hopes of easy money.

Such content rose to fame in early 2024 and quickly dominated algorithms – the most popular videos reached 12.8 million views on Instagram. They spread like wildfire through friend groups and follow-up creators. “I’ve seen the videos on Instagram reels while just scrolling down. I’ve seen the Daegu account quite often after some of my friends started following.” said sophomore William Seok.  

A quick search reveals nearly a dozen treasure hunt accounts across the nation for major cities such as Seoul, Busan, and recently Daegu. Creators localize the content to feature cultural hot spots and tourist attractions in the community to boost foot traffic and promote businesses. Trendy locations – Dongseong-ro Street in Daegu and Haeundae Beach in Busan –  often get selected for cache spots in their respective cities. 

Along with virality, creators also take the safety and accessibility of a location into consideration. “I take a lot of factors into account when deciding on where to hide my caches. Although the most important aspects are how well-known and viral a safe location is, I prefer hiding caches in easily accessible locations.” said a correspondent from Catch Cash Daegu, an account with 15k+ followers.

The difficulty of the hunt and location determines the payout. Stickers in niche and hard-to-recognize places often contain better rewards. Many accounts developed a five-star rating system to inform participants. Prizes have also started to diversify as various accounts partner up with start-ups to offer products and gift cards in addition to money. 

Why was Catch Cash created? The hunts aim to incentivize outdoor activities and build a sense of community. “I began Catch Cash in Daegu to encourage the youth to explore the outdoors for fun and make the city more lively. While I started with simply hiding cash under stickers, I now like to film tourist attractions and restaurants in my short videos to show the beauty and culture of Daegu to people across the nation,” said the account manager.

Jayden Lee in eighth grade participated in the scavenger hunt and succeeded. “I actually found a sticker in Dongseong-ro. I saw the reels and looked for them with my friends. The prize was 5000 won and was under a sticker on a wall. I didn’t take the money but my friend did. I was surprised when I found it because I thought someone would have already taken it. After I found the place, I was really surprised it was still there.” said Jayden. 

Still, not every search guarantees success. The popularity of the videos often means excited viewers claim caches mere hours after the content goes live. “I’ve tried looking for one once when I visited downtown. The video showed that the money was right next to Spark Amusement Park. I looked for it but by the time I got there it was already gone.” said Seok. 

The scavenger hunts will likely continue – even various colleges begin to hide caches on campus. As for Catch Cash Daegu, the account plans to expand its reach and further collaborate with local businesses. “We plan to continue running Catch Cash Daegu and plan many events for citizens by collaborating with small business owners and various brands in the Daegu area,” said the manager.

So far, the viral trend met ardent support from cities and businesses alike. It promotes a sense of community and encourages young adults to explore the city’s outdoors in today’s ever-digitized world. So the next time you venture outside, keep your eyes peeled. You might just run into a pleasant surprise.