"I Want to Make Money, But I Can't Handle This" ... Police Called In as Namdaemun's "Scarf-rio" Closes Again Amid Record Crowds

Famous on social media for his witty banter
Crowds flocked after he reopened, prompting police to respond

The "Namdaemun Scarf Man," who became famous on social media for his witty banter, closed his shop again over safety concerns just one day after resuming business.

YouTube

According to the YouTube channel "Namdaemun Dadaguri" on Nov. 5, A, who runs a scarf shop in Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, and has become known as the "Namdaemun Scarf Man," posted a message in the channel's community section titled, "We will be closed for one day today (Nov. 5) for a safety inspection."

"So many people gathered yesterday that even the police had to come, and I became very concerned about safety," he wrote. "We will take the day off today to inspect and manage safety at the site. I hope no one makes the trip here only to have to turn back." He explained that safety concerns were behind the closure.

The previous day, images circulated on social media showing crowds gathered in front of A's shop, with estimates ranging from dozens of people to around 100. Visitors held their phones up to film A, while some stayed in front of the shop to watch him.

When the crowd spilled out in front of nearby shops, A came outside himself and gestured for people to keep order. A voice believed to belong to a nearby shopkeeper could also be heard shouting, "This is someone else's shop, so don't stand here."

A recently gained popularity on social media for a sales style in which he discourages customers from buying items rather than trying to sell them. Videos of him making blunt jokes to customers, such as, "You're overspending right now. Even if you buy it, you won't use it when you get home," and, "Mom, just look around. It doesn't suit you, so don't buy it," spread online. Many people began visiting his shop, and he became known as the "Namdaemun Scarf Man."

As his fame grew, however, the shop was swamped not only by customers wanting to buy scarves but also by visitors who simply wanted to hear A's banter in person or take photos, making it difficult to operate normally.

On Oct. 31, he announced a temporary four-day closure, saying, "Over the past few days, I have felt both grateful and bewildered by the overwhelming attention that came so suddenly." He added, "With so many people coming all at once, it's difficult to properly greet and communicate with visitors, and I'm also unintentionally causing inconvenience to nearby shopkeepers."

He reportedly expressed his difficulties to visitors, saying, "I want to make money too, but this isn't right," and, "I can't handle this many people. I can't control the situation."

A kept the shop closed through Nov. 2 and resumed business on Nov. 3, but when a large crowd gathered again on Nov. 4, he posted on social media, "Should I keep doing this?"

A has previously said that, to prevent safety accidents and avoid harming nearby shopkeepers, he would not announce the shop's opening and closing times for the time being and would operate according to conditions at the site.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.