“I took the KTX from Daegu to see the Scarf Guy”... People finding comfort through laughter [Recorder of the Low Places]

[Financial News]“Buying a scarf would be nice, but I came because I wanted to laugh with the man.”At lunchtime on the 5th, at Namdaemun Market in Seoul’s Jung District, a woman in her 30s identified as A said this outside the shop of a vendor known on social media (SNS) as the “Scarf Guy.” A sign reading “Closed today” was posted at the shop. The vendor was not there, but visitors who had come to meet him continued to arrive.
She said she often watched videos of the Scarf Guy whenever work stress built up. “When something bad happens at work or I’m feeling down, watching the videos makes me laugh,” she said. “Isn’t actually meeting and talking with him different from just watching a funny video?”
The visitors that day ranged in age from their 20s to their 60s, with people in their 30s to 50s especially well represented. Some had come to buy scarves, but many stood out for wanting to meet the vendor, trade jokes, or take a break from everyday life and have a laugh. One visitor had traveled all the way from Daegu by KTX.


B, a woman in her 40s, had traveled from Daegu to Seoul that day. She said she often enjoyed watching the Scarf Guy’s videos on social media and had come to Namdaemun Market because she wanted to meet him in person.
“I took the KTX from Daegu. I can’t tell you how much I laughed watching the videos. I came because I thought it would be even more fun to meet him in person,” she said, adding, “I didn’t know he wouldn’t be open today. It’s a shame.”
She said she had been looking forward more to talking with the vendor in person than to buying scarves. She wanted to hear in person the distinctive way of speaking that had become familiar through his videos.
“Everyone’s busy and life is hard these days, isn’t it? But when I watch his videos, even the most ordinary things make me laugh,” she said. “Would I come all the way here from Daegu just to buy a few scarves? I just wanted to meet him and have a laugh.”
C, an office worker in his 30s, had come for a similar reason. He said he regularly shared the Scarf Guy’s videos with friends and enjoyed watching them. He especially found it funny when the vendor discouraged customers from buying things, telling them not to overspend.
“Most people selling things try to sell you one more item, don’t they? But the man tells people not to buy anything, which is funny,” C said. “The customers laugh when they hear that and then buy something anyway. That’s what’s funny.”
He added, “When I get home after work, I’m often so tired that I don’t want to do anything. Watching a few of his videos helps me feel a little better. That’s why I wanted to meet him in person, too.”
D, a college student in their 20s, said they learned about the Scarf Guy while exchanging social media videos with friends.
“My friends and I laughed a lot while sending each other the videos. It’s funny when he jokes around with customers, and it’s fun to see them joke back,” D said. “I was curious what he would say to me in person.”
“It’s hard to meet other famous people in person, isn’t it? But he’s a vendor at the market, so I thought I might be able to meet him if I went,” D added. “Since he’s taking the day off, I’ll have to come back another time.”

The Scarf Guy is a vendor who sells scarves, handkerchiefs and other items at Namdaemun Market. He recently became well known after videos of him joking with customers gained popularity on social media.
His way of doing business differs from the usual approach. When customers are choosing items, he tries to dissuade them from buying, saying, “You’re overspending right now” and “Don’t spend your money.” He also jokingly tells customers looking to buy scarves that they don’t suit them.
The price—10,000 won for six scarves—also became widely known, but visitors talked even more about the vendor’s banter. His quick jokes when customers spoke to him, and their laughing replies, helped make him popular.
“In the old days, when you went to the market, you’d talk a lot with the vendors while buying things. You’d joke around and haggle over the price,” said E, a woman in her 50s. “That was part of the fun, but there’s much less of it these days.”
“When I watch the man’s videos, they remind me of markets in the old days, and I just start laughing,” she said. “At this age, every day is the same, isn’t it? There isn’t much that’s fun. That’s why I wanted to come and see him.”
Another woman in her 50s, F, who had come with friends, said, “Where else do we get many chances to laugh like this? Everyone’s busy with housework and work, so we just want to enjoy ourselves, even for a little while.”
G, a woman in her 60s, said she first learned about the Scarf Guy through a video her daughter showed her.
“My daughter told me, ‘Mom, take a look at this,’ so I watched it, and he was really funny,” she said. “I liked how he joked with customers; it felt just like people who knew each other talking.” She added, “I thought only young people liked him, but I found him funny too. That’s why I came to have a look. It’s a shame I didn’t get to meet him today, but I’d like to come with my daughter next time.”
The words visitors kept coming back to were “laughter” and “a sense of comfort.” They said they had come to take a brief break from the fatigue they accumulated at work or at home, or simply to enjoy themselves.
Many people look forward to rest and a chance to recharge in their everyday lives. In a 2024 survey by the survey platform Nsurvey of 8,001 participants in SK Telecom’s T Membership survey, the most anticipated thing for November was “rest and a chance to recharge.”
That was the most common choice, selected by 33% of respondents. Time with family and friends (25.6%) and a fresh start (16.6%) followed.
Visitors we met at Namdaemun Market repeatedly said they wanted to spend an enjoyable time trading jokes with the vendor rather than buying something.


As more people came hoping to meet the Scarf Guy in person, running the shop became difficult. Crowds arriving all at once disrupted business at nearby shops and made it harder to get around the market.
He eventually announced on social media on the 31st of last month that the shop would close temporarily. He explained that so many people were coming at once that it had become difficult to greet or talk with customers properly, and that the crowds were also inconveniencing nearby vendors.
He resumed business on the 4th, but visitors soon crowded in again. A video posted on social media showed people gathering in a market alley and filming the vendor on their phones. Police even came to maintain order at the scene.
The vendor eventually decided to close again just one day after reopening. Visitors we met outside the shop that day said they were disappointed by the closure but understood his decision.
“It’s a good thing that so many people are coming, but it must be hard on him too,” one office worker said. “When there are too many people, it’s hard to have a proper conversation, and accidents could happen.” A woman in her 50s said, “It is a shame I couldn’t see him today. Still, with so many people coming, I think it’s right for him to take a break. We can look around the market with our friends and have something tasty before we go.”
The visitor who had traveled from Daegu by KTX said they wanted to come again. They had made the long trip but said they did not blame the vendor for not being there. “I came all this way because I enjoyed laughing while watching the videos. If I get the chance, I’d like to come back and make sure I meet him,” they said.

[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter