At 10 a.m. on the 24th. Vendors at Dongmyo Market, stretching from Exit 3 of Dongmyo Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, were setting up their stalls. As the weather cleared, preparations for business picked up speed.

About an hour later, the street began to bustle with people. Most were young, from schoolchildren to young couples. They wandered the alleys taking photos or "digging" for secondhand clothes. Digging means unearthing items that suit one's taste as if on a treasure hunt.

People choose accessories such as necklaces and bracelets at a stall in the Dongmyo flea market in Sungin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the morning of the 24th. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

Young people are flocking to Dongmyo, once frequented mainly by seniors and dubbed the "Hongdae for elders." Its appeal lies in low prices and a variety of experiences. A "retro craze" to enjoy 1990s culture also appears to have played a part.

◇ Dongmyo rises as a "hot place"… station boardings and alightings surge

It was easy to spot young people visiting the Dongmyo flea market with friends or partners that day. They crouched in front of mat vendors to browse everything from clothing and shoes to LPs. A person surnamed Shin (17) from Daegu said, "I came because I heard there are many good-quality, cheap soccer kits," adding, "These days everyone calls Dongmyo a 'hot place.'"

Two male students pick out soccer uniforms at a clothing store in the Dongmyo flea market in Sungin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the morning of the 24th. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

Young visitors keep coming to the area around Dongmyo Station. According to Seoul Metro, the average weekend number of boardings and alightings at Line 1 Dongmyo Station in the first half of this year was 28,785. That was more than 46% higher than on weekdays (19,673). The increase appears to be driven by young people visiting on holidays.

In fact, among last month's boardings and alightings at Dongmyo Station on Lines 1 and 6, the share of free riders was 33.6% (460,592). That was about 7 percentage points lower than June last year (40.7%). Instead of the floating population aged 65 and older who qualify for free subway fares, inflows of younger age groups increased.

◇ Foreign tourists visiting Dongmyo jump 47% in a year

You can also feel the Dongmyo heat on social media (SNS). A search for "Dongmyo" on Instagram that day showed more than 670,000 related posts. According to Naver Data Lab, searches for "Dongmyo" this year increased about fivefold compared with 2020.

A person surnamed Shin (20) from Donghae, Gangwon Province, noted, "I bought a ticket to Seoul because I wanted to visit the Changsin-dong stationery street and vintage shops in Dongmyo." A vendor selling coffee and sikhye said, "On weekends people line up for drinks," adding, "Crowds have really increased lately."

Shin Ji-min, 20, who is visiting Seoul from Donghae, Gangwon Province, buys a load of squishy toys on the Changsin-dong Toy Street on the morning of the 24th. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

Dongmyo is emerging as a popular spot for tourists as well. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the estimated number of foreign visitors to Sungin 2-dong in Jongno-gu, which includes the flea market, was 62,290 last month. That was up 46.7% (19,840) from 42,450 in the same period last year.

After The Times in the United Kingdom named the Dongmyo flea market "a must-visit place in Seoul," it has been rising as a tourist destination. On the overseas community Reddit, Dongmyo is also described as "the most unique space in Seoul," among other reviews.

◇ Drinks for 1,000 won offer value for money, plus a retro craze

A leading reason the Dongmyo area has surged in popularity is the burden of prices. With consumer prices rising in the 3% range for three straight months year over year, the price competitiveness of businesses near Dongmyo has stood out more in relative terms.

The "1,000-won toast," considered a staple of the secondhand market, is a prime example. Drinks and desserts also often cost no more than 2,000 won each, making them popular. Many of the clothing items sold are secondhand, so they change hands at low prices.

A woman looks at a cookbook inside a used-book store in the Dongmyo flea market in Sungin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the morning of the 24th. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

The "retro craze" of reinterpreting past culture in a modern way is also boosting tourism demand. According to the Dongmyo Merchants' Association, there are an estimated 500 shops in the Dongmyo market area. Alongside secondhand clothing stores, many shops deal in vintage goods such as LPs and digital cameras.

Lee Eun-hee, a consumer studies professor at Inha University, said, "Today's generation, overexposed to digital environments, has developed a desire to seek essential and fundamental value," explaining, "They can satisfy that desire through 'retro items' such as film cameras and antiques."

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