At 10 a.m. on the 4th, Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The owner of a side dish shop chatted with the neighboring merchant about the heat. Nearby merchants chimed in, saying, "No customers again today."
Across the market, shops with tents pulled down stood out. Some had gone on summer vacation, but quite a few had given up on morning business altogether in the heat topping 35 degrees.
A butcher operating next to a bedding shop that hadn't opened said, "They usually open in the morning, but the owner is older," and added, "When the heat is this intense, they sometimes skip morning hours."
◇ "They go to the mart or get delivery"… customers vanish from traditional markets
With the relentless heat wave, traditional markets are facing a grueling summer off-season. As more consumers escape the heat by going to big-box marts or ordering groceries online, foot traffic through the markets has visibly declined. Merchants are bringing in cooling equipment, but with traditional markets' open-air corridors, there's a limit to how much heat they can keep out.
At 11 a.m. that day, this summer's first extreme heat emergency warning was issued across Seoul. It is the highest level of heat advisory, issued when the daily maximum heat index is expected to be 38 degrees or higher or the maximum temperature 39 degrees or higher in areas under a heat warning.
A person surnamed Lee (76), who said they have been running a business in Mangwon Market for 42 years, clicked their tongue, saying, "I've never experienced a summer this hot while doing business."
While air coolers are installed at intervals in the nearby World Cup Market, Mangwon Market has no shared cooling system. Each shop runs fans and air conditioners, but it's hard to cool the corridors.
Lee said, "Local residents don't come out to the market because it's hot," and added, "I understand going to a mart with air conditioning or getting delivery at home."
Few people walked through the market. Some merchants set out chairs in front of their shops and fanned themselves or sat in front of fans while waiting for customers. Heat radiated up from the hot market floor, and muggy air lingered under the arcade covering the ceiling.
◇ Fish might spoil… spends 20 million won to install cooling system
The heat wave is adding strain not only on customer traffic but also on product management. Shops that handle vegetables, fruit, meat, and seafood must keep cooling and refrigeration systems running to prevent food from spoiling.
A person surnamed Kim, who sells seafood at Mangwon Market, recently spent 20 million won to install a large cooling system. They judged that refrigerated display cases alone weren't enough to keep seafood fresh in the sweltering heat.
Kim said, "You need at least this level of equipment to sell fish fresh," and added, "The electricity bill and installation costs are burdensome, but without it there's no way to withstand the heat."
Small merchants who can't afford to install cooling systems are relying on fans and ice packs. In shops with their doors wide open, cold air from the air conditioner quickly escaped outside. One merchant said, "Electricity bills are rising, but customers are decreasing, so there's nothing left even if we do business."
◇ Foreign tourists also "eat quickly and take shelter"… the crowded spots are air-conditioned stores
The atmosphere wasn't much different at Gwangjang Market in Jongno-gu, Seoul, visited that afternoon. The roofed interior was relatively cooler than outside, but merchants agreed, "Customers have visibly decreased compared with a month ago."
A person surnamed Ban, who runs a fresh fruit juice shop, said, "These days, almost none of the customers who come are Korean," and added, "It's mostly foreign tourists dropping by briefly to look around."
In the market, foreign tourists stood out as they ate bindaetteok while holding handheld fans and as they repeatedly wiped sweat from their necks and foreheads with tissues. Rather than lingering, many ate quickly and left.
A drugstore on the market's second floor was relatively crowded. Foreign tourists cooled off in the air conditioning as they picked out cosmetics or sat on chairs inside. One tourist, with a handheld fan pressed to their face, couldn't bring themselves to step back outside for a while.
◇ Foot traffic also falls… shorter business hours and vacations
The decline in traditional market customers also shows up in bus boarding and alighting figures. In June this year, the average daily number of boardings and alightings at 39 bus stops near Gwangjang Market was 16,340, but in July it fell 4.3% (710) to 15,630.
Namdaemun Market is the same. The average daily number of boardings and alightings at 64 bus stops near Namdaemun Market dropped 6.7% (1,562), from 23,234 in June to 21,672 in July.
At Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, visited the previous day, it was easy to find shops closing earlier than usual or on summer vacation. Merchants were shortening business hours and running additional cooling to endure the heat wave.
Samick Fashion Town at Namdaemun Market, which houses about 1,000 shops, will close the entire complex for summer vacation from the 10th to the 16th.
A person surnamed Lee, who runs an underwear shop at Namdaemun Market, said, "Normally we're open until 7 p.m., but these days we wrap up around 6 p.m.," and added, "After the monsoon ended the weather got even hotter, and with no customers, everyone's heading home early."
Merchants are just waiting for the heat to break as soon as possible. But the heat wave is expected to continue for the time being. The Korea Meteorological Administration said that through the 9th, in most parts of the greater Seoul area, the daily maximum heat index will rise to around 35 degrees and tropical nights, when the overnight low does not drop below 25 degrees, will continue.
A merchant at Mangwon Market spoke while setting a fan in front of the shop.