British Guardian calls Namdaemun scarf vendor 'the hottest person right now'

"Don't spend your money. It doesn't suit you, sis."

A vendor at Seoul's Namdaemun Market who has become famous for telling customers not to buy his goods has been called "the hottest person right now" by foreign media. The ordinary stall owner, who sells six scarves for 10,000 won ($8), has risen to nationwide fame through SNS, drawing crowds willing to queue for more than an hour just to see him — a spectacle that international outlets are now covering as a fascinating slice of Korean social culture.

The British daily the Guardian reported Wednesday that a vendor at Namdaemun Market in Seoul has won wide popularity in South Korea through an unconventional sales technique. The paper described him as "the hottest person right now" and examined how a regular market trader had become an SNS star.

According to the Guardian, private security guards and police are deployed from the morning in the market's central alleyways, while customers clutching numbered tickets line up behind crowd-control barriers. Most are middle-aged women, and they wait more than an hour to buy a scarf.

What draws them is a small street stall selling six scarves for 10,000 won — roughly 1,600 won per scarf. Word of mouth about the vendor's unusual approach has spread, pulling customers from across the country.

Known by the nickname "scarf ajeossi," the vendor jokes with customers instead of pushing them to buy. "Don't spend your money — it doesn't suit you," he tells them, and declares there is "nothing worth seeing here" even as he invites shoppers to dig through his pile of scarves. The warm, playful style has made him a hit.

He has also picked up the nickname "Scarfrio" — a blend of "scarf" and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio — a nod to his good looks and charisma. The vendor has not revealed his real name and presents himself as an ordinary market trader, yet videos featuring him have racked up millions of views on YouTube and Instagram.

Lee Mi-hwa, who traveled from Yongin, about 35 kilometers south of Seoul, told the Guardian: "He's really famous. He's the hottest person around these days."

Lee Ji-hyun said she joined the queue at 10 a.m. Wednesday and waited one hour and 20 minutes before buying a scarf. "The way he talks is just so endearing," Lee said. "Someone like that deserves to do well, so I came to show my support — and I ended up buying something."

Lee added that the vendor's friendly banter reminded her of a son or younger brother. Each scarf she bought cost about 1,600 won, and the packaging indicated the items were made in China.

The vendor's popularity is even luring back residents who had not visited a traditional market in years. Lee, who lives in Seoul, said the trip was her first visit to Namdaemun Market in 30 years.

"If I needed something, I just went to the supermarket — coming to this market never crossed my mind," she said. "Now I'm planning to come once a month."

The Guardian described Namdaemun Market as one of South Korea's oldest and largest traditional markets, known for its maze-like alleyways and lively hawking. The paper noted that the alleyways have been packed with visitors flocking to see the scarf ajeossi.

The sudden fame has brought unwanted side effects, however. As visitors packed the narrow alleyways, police were called in to manage the crowds, and the vendor has had to suspend business on several occasions. Earlier this month, a private security firm was hired to handle the congestion, and the vendor has since stopped posting his operating hours.

Reactions from neighboring merchants are mixed. A vendor surnamed Moon, who has sold shoes at Namdaemun Market for more than 30 years, said the crowds gathering to see the scarf ajeossi have blocked the passageway in front of the stall, making it hard to do business.

"Business isn't going well. The alley next door is blocked and it's really tough," Moon said, adding that while the overall foot traffic was welcome, nearby shops were suffering. Some visitors, Moon noted, do not buy anything — they come only to film the vendor or catch a glimpse of him before leaving.

Bae Jong-min, who sells scarves at a stall next to the scarf ajeossi, took a more positive view. "More people coming to the market is a good thing for the market as a whole," Bae said, noting that nearby restaurants, coffee shops and street stalls were also benefiting from the increased foot traffic. Bae did, however, express concern about the congestion.

The vendor himself is said to be feeling the weight of his sudden celebrity. He recently posted on SNS saying the attention directed at him had caused him "enormous pressure and anxiety," and apologized to the merchants around him.

The Guardian said the vendor's SNS-driven popularity was drawing even long-absent residents back to Namdaemun Market.