How Did Korea’s Secondhand Market Become an Everyday Culture?

When people talk about traveling in Korea, cafés, food, and shopping are always part of the conversation.

But if you look a little deeper into everyday life in Korea these days, you will often notice something surprisingly interesting.

That something is secondhand trading.

Korea’s Secondhand Market Is Bigger Than You Might Expect

In the past, secondhand trading was often seen as a temporary alternative or a niche form of consumption. Today, it has become a style of consumption that is naturally accepted as part of daily life.

Major corporations such as Naver, Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai have entered this market. This is clear evidence that secondhand trading is no longer optional, but an essential part of the economy.

Secondhand markets are active in many other countries, including France, the United States, Japan, and China. However, Korea’s secondhand market shows clearly unique characteristics in both its development and structure.

The Beginning of Korea’s Secondhand Market Was Not an App

Korea’s secondhand culture did not suddenly begin with smartphones.

Secondhand Trading That Started in Offline Markets

Before smartphones, secondhand trading in Korea was rooted in specific physical places.

In Seoul, there was the Hwanghak-dong Flea Market, where antiques, used electronics, tools, and various miscellaneous goods were traded. In Busan, Bosudong Book Alley became known as a place where used textbooks, novels, and rare books were sold together.

In the past, these were places people turned to when it was difficult to buy new books or new watches.

Local Classified Papers, the Internet, and Junggonara

As local classified papers such as Byeoruk-sijang and Gyocharo became popular, secondhand trading expanded further.

Then, in 2003, with the emergence of Junggonara, secondhand trading moved into the online space.

This marked the beginning of an era in which people across the country could buy and sell goods directly through the internet.

The Emergence of a New Trading Model: Danggeun Market

Danggeun Market, launched in 2015, introduced a model different from traditional secondhand trading.

• Transactions centered on short distances
• Face-to-face exchanges
• A structure that emphasized “neighborhood” over “secondhand goods”

Danggeun Market shifted the stage of secondhand trading from a nationwide scale back to the local neighborhood.

This was the moment when secondhand trading began to transform from simple commerce into a locally based lifestyle service.

Why Face-to-Face Trading Feels Natural in Korea

Urban Density and Direct Transactions

Korea is a society where people live in highly dense urban environments. Apartment-centered residential structures make direct transactions fast and easy.

In Korea, saying “Let’s meet because it’s nearby” does not sound strange at all. In fact, it feels completely natural.

Quietly Accepted, Rarely Talked About

There has long been a sense of slight embarrassment in Korean society about buying secondhand goods. Even today, it is difficult to say that this feeling has completely disappeared.

However, actual behavior tells a different story. People buy and sell secondhand items very naturally.

They simply do not feel the need to talk about it openly.

Five Key Characteristics of Korea’s Secondhand Market and Danggeun Market

1) “Neighborhood” as a Psychological Safety Net

The core of Danggeun Market is not “secondhand goods,” but “neighborhood.” Because users are not completely anonymous, a minimum level of social responsibility naturally emerges.

The awareness that “I will continue living in this neighborhood” influences how people behave during transactions.

2) Extremely Fast Transaction Speed

From contact to meeting to transaction, it is common for everything to be completed within 30 minutes to two hours.

There is no need to wait for delivery, and there is no stress related to returns.

3) The Gap Between Perceived Risk and Perceived Efficiency

Although rare, scams do occasionally occur. However, most people think, “Surely that won’t happen to me.”

Countless successful transactions reinforce this perception. As a result, perceived efficiency outweighs perceived risk.

4) Almost Everything Is Traded

Clothing, smartphones, TVs, refrigerators, desks, beds, luxury brand items, shampoo, cosmetics, and even rice—almost everything is traded.

There are also many cases of Nanum, where items are given away for free.

More people are adopting the mindset of: “If I’m not using it, I’ll sell it.”

5) Unspoken Trading Etiquette

People keep their appointments, avoid bargaining on the spot, and quietly pay attention to manner or reputation scores.

It is not perfect, but it somehow works.

Beyond Transactions: Becoming a Local Community

Recently, centered around Danggeun Market, secondhand platforms have expanded beyond simple trading spaces into local community hubs.

Book clubs, walking groups, local CEO meetups, karaoke gatherings, and even late-night food groups—people who have never met before come together and form relationships.

In an increasingly individualized society, this is a particularly interesting phenomenon.

Environmental Protection as an Important “Bonus Effect”

Secondhand trading also contributes to environmental protection and energy conservation.

According to Greenpeace, producing one pair of jeans requires about 7,000 liters of water, uses large amounts of chemical substances during the washing process, and generates approximately 32.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Secondhand trading did not begin with environmental concerns in mind, but it has ultimately become one of the most eco-friendly forms of consumption.

If You Are Traveling in Seoul...

If you are traveling in Seoul and happen to be near Dongdaemun, it is worth stopping by the Hwanghak-dong Flea Market.

You do not need to buy anything. Simply spending some time walking around can make you feel as if you have briefly stepped back into the past.

In Closing

Rising prices, the increase in single-person households, minimalist lifestyles, and the expansion of ESG discussions have all accelerated secondhand trading.

However, the low psychological resistance to face-to-face transactions is a uniquely Korean characteristic.

Secondhand trading in Korea is no longer just about buying and selling used goods.

It is a lifestyle culture created by the combination of speed, trust, and relationships.

And this culture continues to evolve.