Dongdaemun Mini Bootleg Night Market

One thing I love about Dongdaemun 동대문 is that no matter what time you happen to stop by, something new seems to be going on.  New areas open, other areas close, tents sprout up like weeds, and disappear just as quickly.  One good example is a yellow tent night-time market that occurs from around 10pm- midnight just about every night in this area selling mainly replica items.

The market itself is not as amazing as it used to be, I’m going to just say that up front~ now it is just a simple gathering that is fun to swing by if you are in the area. Shopping in Korea has changed as regulations have attempted to be enforced and internet shopping became common place, so some areas that once held packed vendors selling piles of things have been thinned out in numbers and often focus on a few items~ flavor of the month.

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The yellow tent market is mainly a places to buy random bootleg / replica items in Korea,  so if that is not quite your cup of tea you can navigate other areas of Dongdaemun 동대문 for other pop up vendors selling inexpensive things once the sun goes down.

This market is nice because it has an assortment of some much nicer bootlegs you do not commonly see, mixed with some awful ones, and a dash of things with brand names on them just for the hell of it.  You can also sometimes score random items that are maybe leftover inventory or close-outs… for example, last visit some guy was selling 20 headphones from “Beats by Dr Dre” and other guy selling maybe 50 BMW promotional umbrellas that he got from some event or something lol. You never know!

This market is small, maybe 50 or so tents, but Koreans and often Japanese shoppers do swing by.  Usually it is 20-30 somethings looking for a convincing designer briefcase for work, belt, or girls looking to see if a nice piece of replica jewelry can be found. Sometimes you see pretty young stylish guys here looking for something that replicates the look of a designer… for example a pair of brown shoes that look like Gucci business shoes being sold, but do not have GUCCI slapped all over them~ just for style, does that make sense?

This market is the best for Men looking for bootleg items or random finds in my opinion, most of the current vendors deal with primarily Men’s items like belts, shirts, and jeans….I think because Women’s items like purses and earrings can be easily found and so many other locations. Keep in mind I am writing this post in 2012 based on my visits from the last year or so.  The girls stuff is a bit meh and nothing too rare if you live here, but the selection and quality of the Men’s items is quite nice so you see more young men at this gathering lately.

Items I normally spot at this market..

Designer sunglasses or eye ware
Men’s replica designer shoes, ties, belts, watches
Men’s designer bags, mainly Louis Vuitton. Briefcases, strap bags, etc
Children’s bootleg clothing
Women’s replica jewelery. Lots of key chains, earrings, and hair clips
Replica scarfs
True Religion Jeans, mainly for men, but I saw girl’s styles
Hats.. some are bootleg and others I am not sure.  Lots of Ed Hardy hats lol
Bootleg Nikes+ sportswear… Nike shirts, Addias track suits, etc.
Beanpole, Abercrombie & Fitch, Dsquared, Vivienne Westwood

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

The tents spread out a bit so from memory I can not mark the exact areas the market extends to, but they are all together in a long lit up row so it will be hard to miss… just keep walking and enjoy until the tents end.  Two ways we prefer~ Dongdaemun Station Exit #10 on the light blue line will spit you out right into the market  OR Dongdaemun Station Exit#1 on the green line will put you right across the street. If you walk towards Doota and the main shopping buildings you will often find even more tents  leading up to the Max Style building~ and if you walk behind Max Style you can sometimes find Ajuma’s taking advantage of the crowds and darkness to sell more clothing outside for super cheap.

Market hours are often 10pm-midnight every night, although I think they may be closed on Monday nights!

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