Recently, the Dongmyo Flea Market in Jongno District, Seoul, has become a popular destination for young consumers looking for secondhand clothing and vintage items. According to Seoul Metro data, in the first half of this year, the average daily passenger volume at Dongmyo Station on Line 1 on weekends and holidays reached 28,785, 46.3% higher than the 19,673 on weekdays. This growth is attributed to younger generations and foreign tourists viewing Dongmyo as a "treasure-hunting" destination.

In the market, stalls line the streets offering everything from secondhand clothing and footwear to vintage watches, accessories, cameras, and even household goods, with a wide variety of products and clear differentiation between stalls. Reporters on site saw many young people in their 20s and 30s rummaging through piles of clothes, comparing garments on racks, or carefully examining vintage watches and jade rings, with some even showing interest in old-fashioned camcorders.

Beyond low prices, rarity and individualized design attract young buyers. For example, vintage watches and glasses are highly sought after because they are hard to find in ordinary stores. This consumer enthusiasm has also spread to electronics. In Seoul's Sewoon Commercial Street, some young people make special trips to look for old digital cameras; although their image quality and convenience fall short of modern smartphones, their unique colors and textures are seen as an expression of vintage style.

The phenomena at Dongmyo Market and Sewoon Commercial Street show that what the younger generation seeks is not simply old products, but unique designs, colors, or a sense of history that match personal taste. They move between different stalls, comparing before finally choosing the item they like, revealing a shift in consumer behavior from functionality toward personal expression and experiential shopping.

This trend reflects, in part, that under the currents of sustainable fashion and personalized consumption, secondhand clothing and vintage goods are moving from the margins to the mainstream, injecting youthful vitality into the secondhand clothing trade.

Source: 구제의류부터 디카까지…취향에 맞춰 '빈티지·레트로'의 성지 '동묘' [직접 가봤습니다] · Originally published on 2026-08-26