Dongdaemun Postcard: From Stall to Tower, Merchant to Tourist

The stalls are set up like tiny stores; an air-conditioned box designated for each merchant. Most hide behind their goods like hermit crabs in their shells, recoiling at the sight of the hot summer sun. Others yell out prices and wave signs on the sidewalk, trying to catch the attention of the passerby. “I’ve even learned how to speak a bit of English,” said Shim Jeong-sook, a merchant in her 50s working at one of these stalls. “It really helps with the business. I’d learn Chinese too, but it’