Hanhee Na CEO of Munzistudio

-Signature character IP ‘MunNyangSomNyang’ delivers joy in daily life through its trivial yet harmless cuteness

-The primary differentiator of ‘Munzi-nyang’ is its unique characterization of dust, an unconventional and niche subject

Munzistudio is a content company that produces diverse character-based content and emoticons, centered around its proprietary character IP MunNyangSomNyang. The studio brings small joys to everyday life through characters that embody a trivial yet harmless charm. The company was founded in July 2025 by CEO Hanhee Na (29).

Currently, Munzistudio holds a portfolio of five character IPs, with MunNyangSomNyang serving as its flagship brand. The company is expanding its IP presence across various platforms, including KakaoTalk emoticons, Life4Cuts (photo booths), and V-Coloring (video ringback tones), and is recently preparing for entry into the Japanese market. Additionally, the studio operates IP-based education and B2B services, such as online emoticon-making classes for elementary students and outsourced emoticon production for corporate and individual clients.

While most characters in the market rely on vibrant colors and conventional cuteness, Munzistudio’s Munzi-nyang differentiates itself by turning an unconventional subject—dust (Munzi)—into a character. By subverting the negative perception of dust and highlighting its harmless and trivial nature, the studio emphasizes a friendly, subtle cuteness. Furthermore, this opens high potential for collaborations with the cleaning and household management industries—sectors previously untapped by the character market—promising new market scalability and synergy.

As the character IP business thrives on fandom, the studio focuses on creating engaging experiences for fans. While activities have been primarily online-centered thus far, the studio plans to expand opportunities for fans to interact with the characters in person through offline events and pop-up stores.

Munzistudio established a strong foundation this year by being selected for the Preliminary Startup Package. The company plans to continue leveraging government support programs and intends to expand its network with buyers and partners by participating in various character-related events and exhibitions.

Reflecting on the startup's origins, CEO Na shared. “I started creating Kakao emoticons as a simple hobby. However, seeing how my drawings empowered people and provided vitality to their daily lives inspired me to expand this into a business. Initial funding was secured through personal capital and government support projects.”

Regarding future plans, Na stated, “Munzistudio aims to go beyond just showing cute characters, our goal is to create long-lasting IPs with deep storytelling. We have already completed the basic world-building and story concepts, and we are currently exploring various ways to unfold these narratives and co-create them with our fans.”

Established: July 2025
Core Business: Character IP and Emoticons
Key Achievements: Released 25 emoticon sets with a daily peak ranking of 10th; secured 8 B2B contracts

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
[CEOs of Companies Selected for the 2025 Daejeon CCEI Pre-Startup Package] Munzistudio, A Content Company Creating Diverse Character IP and Emoticons