Monami Plus Pen 3000: Korea's 0.4 mm Felt Tip Pen

A black Plus Pen 3000, capped; the cap matches the ink color.

Product facts

Product: Monami Plus Pen 3000 water-based felt tip pen, 0.4 mm (24-color set shown for identifiers)
Brand: Monami
Brand origin: South Korea
Made in: Thailand^*
Material: Plastic barrel and cap, fiber point
Released: 1968^*
Price range: $under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)

Notes on these facts

Made by Monami Co., Ltd.. Made in Thailand: Monami's own 24-color pack image (downloadable from its English product page) prints "Made in Thailand". The Korean art retailer Hwabang lists the 60-color set with 제조국명 (country of manufacture) Thailand and maker Monami Thailand. Monami's history page says it built and later expanded the Amata factory in Thailand. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Per a Monami marketing official quoted by Asia Economy on March 17, 2020; Monami's history page doesn't list the launch year.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Monami gives one point size, 0.4 mm, the same as the Paper Mate Flair Ultra Fine.
Monami sells sets of 24, 36, 48 and 60 colors; the 60-color set mixes 54 water-based colors with 6 pigment grays.
A Monami official dated the Plus Pen 3000 to 1968 in a March 2020 interview with Asia Economy.
In Korea a 12-pen box lists at about ₩2,500 (about US$1.90) to ₩3,900 (about US$2.90) on Danawa, roughly US$0.20 a pen.
Monami's 24-color export pack and a Korean art retailer's 60-color listing both say made in Thailand.

What is the Monami Plus Pen 3000?

The Monami Plus Pen 3000 is a capped felt tip pen with water-based ink and a 0.4 mm fiber point, made by Monami of South Korea. Monami’s Korean site calls it 대한민국 대표 스테디셀러 수성펜, “Korea’s signature steady-selling water-based pen.”

A Monami marketing official told Asia Economy in March 2020 that the Plus Pen 3000 has been sold since 1968 and, with the 153 ballpoint, best represents the brand. In Korean it’s 프러스펜 3000, often written 플러스펜.

In the US it sells on Amazon in Monami-branded 12- and 36-packs and at stationery shops such as Stationery Pal, usually as an inexpensive alternative to the Paper Mate Flair.

Monami Plus Pen 3000 specs

Spec	Value
Maker	Monami Co., Ltd. (South Korea)
Type	Capped water-based felt tip (fiber point) pen
Point size	0.4 mm (Monami)
Ink	Water-based; Pigment version in 6 grays
Body	White plastic barrel, cap in the ink color
Sets	24, 36, 48 and 60 colors
Introduced	1968 (Monami, via Asia Economy)
Made in	Thailand (Monami export pack)
24-color set	Code 2040003516, EAN 8801067434799

Monami doesn’t publish the pen’s length or weight on its Korean or English pages, so our cover is drawn in proportion, not to scale.

How fine is the Plus Pen 3000 line?

Monami gives a 0.4 mm point, the same width Paper Mate lists for the Flair Ultra Fine and a little over half the 0.7 mm Flair Medium. The point is a firm fiber nib; Monami’s Korean page says it is 견고한 (sturdy) and doesn’t mash down easily.

Point widths at 100 times: Monami Plus Pen 3000 0.4 mm next to Paper Mate Flair Ultra Fine 0.4 mm, Medium 0.7 mm and Bold 1.2 mm — The Plus Pen 3000 point is as fine as the Flair Ultra Fine.

JetPens customers in 2009 described it as close to 0.4 mm and “a bit scratchy,” like a fine Sharpie Pen. A Michigan arts blog reviewer in 2022 said the firm tip can also flex enough to act as a pseudo brush pen.

Which Plus Pen 3000 set should you buy?

Pick by how many colors you want: Monami sells 24, 36, 48 and 60, and only the 60-color set adds pigment-ink grays. Monami’s photos show the 24-color set in a clear plastic case.

Set	What’s in it
Single colors, 12-pen boxes	One color per box, such as black, blue or red
24 colors	Monami’s starter range (clear case)
36 and 48 colors	Larger ranges of the same water-based ink
60 colors	54 water-based colors + 6 pigment grays (Monami)
Pigment, 6 colors	Grays that don’t smudge in water once dry

Monami first sold a 60-color set as a 10,000-unit 60th-anniversary edition in March 2020, adding 12 colors to the 48, and now lists a regular 60-color set. Monami’s Korean page says the 60-color set uses a sturdier black nib and a ventilated cap.

Is the Plus Pen 3000 waterproof?

No: the standard Plus Pen 3000 is water-based, and Monami says a wet brush turns it into watercolor. That makes it fun for hand lettering and blended coloring, but a drop of water will make notes run.

For lines that stay put under paint, Monami makes the Plus Pen 3000 Pigment in six grays, or you can use a pigment fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron.

How does it compare to other felt tip pens?

The Plus Pen 3000 is thinner and finer-tipped than most US felt tip pens, and costs less per pen.

	Monami Plus Pen 3000	Paper Mate Flair	Pentel Sign Pen
Point	0.4 mm fiber	0.4 · 0.7 · 1.2 mm felt	Fiber, fine bullet
Ink	Water-based (pigment grays option)	Water-based	Water-based
Price band	$	$	$

Where is the Monami Plus Pen 3000 made?

Monami’s own 24-color export pack says “Made in Thailand.” The Korean art retailer Hwabang also lists the 60-color set as made in Thailand by Monami Thailand, and Monami’s history page notes its Amata factory there.

How much does the Plus Pen 3000 cost?

In the US it falls in our lowest band, $ (under $5 per pen), even in color sets. In Korea, Danawa’s store listings for a 12-pen box run from about ₩2,500 (about US$1.90) to ₩3,900 (about US$2.90). Monami’s gold-plated 60th-anniversary Desk Pen version was a different thing entirely: ₩200,000 (about US$150) in 2020.

Frequently asked questions

What size is the Monami Plus Pen 3000 tip?

Monami lists a single point size, 0.4 mm. That's the same width Paper Mate gives for the Flair Ultra Fine, so the line suits small handwriting and detailed coloring.

Is the Monami Plus Pen 3000 waterproof?

No. The standard Plus Pen 3000 uses water-based ink, and Monami's Korean page for the 60-color set says you can spread it with a wet brush for a watercolor effect. Monami's separate Plus Pen 3000 Pigment, in six grays, is the version that doesn't smudge with water once dry.

How many colors does the Plus Pen 3000 come in?

Monami sells sets of 24, 36, 48 and 60 colors. The 60-color set has 54 water-based colors plus 6 pigment-ink grays.

Is the Plus Pen 3000 a felt tip pen or a fineliner?

Both names are used. Monami calls it a water-based marker and a fine liner; its 0.4 mm fiber point writes like a fine felt tip pen.

Where is the Monami Plus Pen 3000 made?

Thailand, according to Monami's 24-color export pack and a Korean art retailer's listing for the 60-color set. Monami is a Korean company with a factory in Thailand.

How do you pronounce Plus Pen in Korean?

Monami's Korean name is 프러스펜 (peureoseu-pen), which Koreans often write as 플러스펜. Asia Economy noted in 2020 that Pruspen is the official spelling.

What's the difference between the Plus Pen 3000 and the Plus Pen S?

They are separate Monami lines. This guide covers the capped Plus Pen 3000; Monami lists the Plus Pen S and its refills as their own products.

Sources (14)

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