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[Herald Economy=Reporter Park Yeon-su] Lee, 27, who commutes from Gyeonggi Province to Seoul for work, recently bought wired earphones after losing one side of a pair of Bluetooth earbuds she’d bought three years earlier. “I noticed them because a lot of fashion influencers were wearing them,” she says. “I used to think wireless earbuds were more convenient, but wired ones are easier since I don’t have to worry about charging.”
Wired earphones largely fell out of fashion after Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016. Samsung followed suit by dropping the jack with the Galaxy S20 series, and the era of wireless earbuds—led by AirPods—took off.
The revival of wired earphones, however, has been driven by young consumers. As analog nostalgia spreads, wired earphones have crossed from audio gear into fashion accessories. Social media posts flaunting wired earphones have noticeably increased, and content dedicated to decorating and customizing cords—think earphone-styling—has become a thing. Sellers offering quirky cord winders and other accessories have popped up, too.
Sales grew even more after celebrities like BLACKPINK’s Jennie were spotted wearing them. Shoppers also praise their convenience and value. On 11st, earphone sales from April 13 to May 12 rose 12% from the previous period. MP3 player sales—often used alongside wired earphones—jumped 63% over the same span, and surged 152% year-over-year.
Fashion labels have jumped on the trend. NOMANUAL launched corded earphones in its 2026 S/S collection; they sold out quickly on platforms like Musinsa, 29CM and Cream, and the brand is now taking backorders.
“Retro offers young people a fresh experience they haven’t had before,” said Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University. “As sentiment and nostalgia grow in importance, the popularity of analog items is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.”
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