The so-called “Namdaemun Scarf Man,” who shot to viral fame on social media (SNS) for his witty banter, has eventually closed his shop as visitors flooded in. After his popularity drew crowds too large to handle, he decided to temporarily close the shop for safety reasons.

According to online communities and social media on November 2, Mr. A, a scarf seller at Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, announced on his social media account on October 31 that his shop would temporarily close.

The so-called “Namdaemun Scarf Uncle,” who shot to fame on social networking services (SNS) for his witty banter, eventually closed his shop as visitors flooded in. SNS

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Mr. A posted a photo showing notices that read “Closed” and “Closed through Sunday,” along with a message saying, “I’ll regroup for safety and take some time to recover.”

Mr. A is a merchant who became popular for selling six scarves for 10,000 won and entertaining customers with his distinctive, playful banter. Videos of him cracking unreserved jokes, such as telling customers, “You’re overspending right now. Even if you buy it, you won’t use it when you get home,” and trying to dissuade them from making a purchase, spread across social media and brought him widespread attention.

His unexpected popularity soon became a burden. Visitors flocked to meet Mr. A in person or take photos with him, crowding the area around his shop and making it difficult for him to operate normally. In a recently released video, Mr. A told the visitors who had gathered, “I want to make money too, but this isn’t right,” indicating that he would stop doing business. He continued, “I have plenty of goods, but I’m not going to sell them. Take photos and leave with your memories,” adding, “I can’t handle this many people. I can’t control the crowds. I’ll hire someone and reopen.” He also expressed concern that “this is causing trouble for other merchants,” saying the crowds were disrupting business at nearby shops.

Screenshot from the Namdaemun scarf man's Instagram.

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Earlier, on October 28, Mr. A had also opened a social media account and asked people to refrain from visiting. At the time, he wrote, “So many people have been coming all at once that it’s been difficult to properly greet and talk with those who visit, and I’ve unintentionally caused inconvenience to the other merchants nearby.” He added, “I’m not going anywhere; I’ll always be right here at Namdaemun Market. Rather than making a special trip in a hurry, I’d be grateful if you’d stop by whenever you come to look around the market, at your leisure.” After news of Mr. A’s temporary closure became known, people online expressed concern and support. One commenter said, “Most people in this situation would keep going to make more money, but the owner seems to value people more than money. I sincerely support him.”

Another commenter said, “He’s not a celebrity. If people keep pointing cameras at an ordinary person and filming him, they could give him panic disorder even if he didn’t have it before,” adding, “Give the owner some space.” Others commented, “They’re shoving cameras in his face and filming him as if they’d spotted a celebrity. It seemed a bit excessive,” “He’s on his own, managing the crowds that have gathered for hours while also selling goods. How exhausting must that be?” and “It can’t have been easy to close the shop on such a precious weekend.” Amid these reactions, more people are calling for visitors to refrain from excessive visits and filming, as the attention that turned an ordinary market merchant into a social media star overnight has instead begun to interfere with his livelihood.