Monami 153 pen
In order to record the brands/products we admire, 
we would like to start our first article with an introduction to the 153 Pen made by the brand Monami. 
Monami can’t be missing when you talk about the history of Korean stationaries.
In the 60s, when only pencils and fountain pens were used, 
Monami popularized the ballpoint pen through aggressive marketing for Monami 153 Pen. 
The popularization of ballpoint pen has had a great impact on Korea's education and industry. 
Probably, everyone who has lived through modern and contemporary history in Korea has studied and worked with the Monami pens. 
However, if 153 Pen remained only in the history, we would not have been writing this article.
The reason why we admire this pen is that it is a ballpoint pen that has been widely loved and used even today, 
about 60 years after its release on May 1, 1963. 
The only thing that is unfortunate is that the original design of Monami 153 Pen was not developed by Monami. 
Due to Korea's poor infrastructure and technology back in 1960s, Monami produced 153 Pen based on the ink manufacturing manual 
from Japanese company AUTO(now OHTO). 
They also used the pen components imported from AUTO and the design prototype also seems to have brought from one of AUTO’s product. 
(FYI, the pen released by AUTO was discontinued shortly thereafter) 
Anyway, how could Monami 153 Pen, which disappeared in the Japanese market, remained as a “long life” product in Korea? 
I choose two reasons why 153 Pen have been widely loved by the public for such a long time.
1. First of all, really cheap price and excellent durability.
Monami 153 Pen is 300 won. If you consider that chewing gum is 500 won, you don’t need any other explanation regarding price competitiveness of the pen. FYI, the price at the time of release in 1963 was 15 won, and it was the same price as the newspaper and bus ticket at the time.
Furthermore, this 300 won pen is ridiculously strong. 
The 153 Pen made up of only five components will not break even if dropped or dropped into water. 
In addition, the pen tip has a “super-strong” durability compared to the pen tip of other ballpoint pens. 
Once you buy the pen, you will use it until the ink runs out or it is lost.  

2. Simple Design
If you look at the design, it is very basic and simple. 
It consists of five components - a hexagonal body, a conical tip, a simple clip, an ink chamber, and a spring. Not only the components are simple, 
but color of the pen is also limited to use only two colors. 
Body is always white and the tip and the clip are used different colors according to each ink color.
This simple yet practical design has been kept as original since its release in 1963. 
This pen has the most basic form, so I personally think it's pointless to argue against the design.
* There were no changes in design, but two parts have modified over the past 60 years. 
One is the change of internal structure (move the male screw from the head to the body) 
and the other change is the Monami logo printed on the pen.

In fact, there are not so many products that have kept the prototype for so long.
It was easy to get from anywhere and used by everyone, but has more meaning than just a pen that is widely used.
We have so many beautiful memories with 153 pen and it was always with us.
Monami 153 Pen is a kind of time machine that brings our old memories back.
I hope Monami 153 Pen will remain on our desks until the 100th anniversary.
Also, I hope that pen and paper, which made it possible to convey our hearts to others, can be survived
from digital civilization without being pushed back into history. :)
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