Jungjae Kim
                                                              Dongdaemun Market
                                                           Mecca for Shopping
 

      Dongdaemun market, the largest wholesale-retail market in Korea, is called a Mecca for shopping and has been in the spotlight among Asian nations.  Since it was established in 1905, Dongdaemun market has been dramatically growing in size and been continuously upgraded with cutting –edge style skyscrapers. It consists of 30 shopping centers, about 30,000 stores and more than 50,000 manufacturing companies.  Recently a lot of businessmen have visited the market to find out the keys of its great success and some mass media, including NHK, featured Dongdaemun market which entices a lot of foreign shoppers.

        The most conspicuous characteristic of Dongdaemun market is its relatively low prices in comparison with the quality of products. Since each small shop does its own manufacturing, it can offer its goods at a great bargain. Although all the stores now have fixed prices, people still try to haggle over the prices. In addition to exceptional lower prices, a wide variety of products are well displayed: clothes, fashion accessory, shoes, sports goods, stationery, toys, household goods, and so on. Also, it runs for 24 hours and consists of the wholesale markets and the retail markets, Especially, after midnight, hundreds of cars of wholesale-retail buyers driving from all over the country make it brilliantly illuminated and most young people usually begin to gather around there. So at night, it becomes a colorful, bustling spot for bargain shoppers.

       Dongdaemun market targets a variety of consumers.  Some conventional traditional markets usually deal in products for old or middle-aged customers. Other up-to-date shopping malls are for students and new generations. Among young people, the clothes and accessories in Dongdaemun market are much more in vogue than those of famous departments that look elegant and exquisite. Even some famous movie stars prefer those clothes because most stores can tailor-make their clothes within two or three days. People can purchase the same clothes, bags, accessories, and shoes as the stars wear on the screen at the cheap prices. The market can change the trends of Korea fashion industry.

       This market dramatically increases in popularity among foreigners who come here from all over the world to find bargains. It is located in the center of Seoul, the capital of Korea. It is also accessible by public transportation such as subways, buses, and taxis that are all connected with Kimpo international airport. Foreign shoppers visiting Korea will be delighted by the large variety of low-priced goods. In recent days, the number of foreigners visiting the market is growing incredibly and the store owners are delighted with the increasing supply orders from buyers of Asian nations, including Japan, China, Poland, Russia, Middle East, Africa, and South America, and so on. If you want to find the heaven of shopping, visit Dondaemun market in Korea.