{
  "id": 19606589,
  "title": "Women flock to Seoul's Namdaemun Market for viral 'Scarf Man'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/women-flock-to-seouls-namdaemun-market-for-viral-scarf-man",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-12T05:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/20261112/women-flock-to-seouls-namdaemun-market-for-viral-scarf-man"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, a scene unfolded at Namdaemun Market in Seoul that drew middle-aged women from nearby cities like Daegu and Daejeon. These women, who had already purchased scarves from a nearby shop that had closed for the day, gathered outside the shop and began sharing the scarves among themselves. The clamor was not for the scarves themselves, but for a man known as the \"Scarf Man,\" whose witty banter on social media had made him an internet sensation.\n\nA, the merchant who sells scarves at the market and is known as the \"Scarf Man,\" had just emerged from his shop after closing time. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by a deluge of smartphone camera flashes from the enthusiastic crowd. Private security guards had been hired to assist him in navigating the sea of people. The appeal of the \"Scarf Man\" lies in his down-to-earth personality and his gruff, humorous way of interacting with the crowd.",
  "summary": "“Take a few. I can come back again.” “Oh, thank you, sis. Bless you.” At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, middle-aged women gathered outside Hanyangsa, a scarf shop at Namdaemun Market in central Seoul, were sharing scarves with one another. The shop had already closed for the day, but women who had purchased scarves earlier were handing them to those leaving empty-handed. Some visitors had traveled by train…",
  "key_points": [
    "\"Scarve Man\" became internet sensation due to witty social media banter.",
    "Middle-aged women from Daegu and Daejeon flocked to Seoul's Namdaemun Market.",
    "Private security guards assisted the \"Scarve Man\" in managing the crowd."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Social media fame is transforming traditional market merchants into regional celebrities, shifting the focus of consumer visits from physical goods to the personality of the seller.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}