International Deaf Participants in Manmin Summer Retreat Experience K-Fashion in Dongdaemun

As K-culture, K-fashion and K-tourism ride a wave of global popularity, a group of overseas visitors chasing that reputation to its source — Dongdaemun, Seoul's premier fashion district — is turning heads.
 

[Image by Manmin Central Church]

At the Migliore store in Dongdaemun, Seoul, shoppers packed the aisles on July 31 — many of them visitors from thousands of miles away. Most were church members from Latvia, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States, Austria and the Faroe Islands, in Korea for the Manmin Central Church summer retreat, led by Senior Pastor Soojin Lee and set to run August 3-5 in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Before the retreat began, they made a special trip to Dongdaemun, on a mission to pick up Korean-made ties, shirts, dresses, skirts, pants and T-shirts.
 
Manmin Central Church's summer retreat draws worshippers from many countries each year, and this visit was part of that same annual tradition. Deaf worshippers from overseas actively communicated their desire to experience Korean fashion culture firsthand.
 
The entire process of selecting and purchasing items was carried out in sign language. Store staff, for their part, welcomed the visitors using simple gestures and handwritten notes. In place of language and sound, the exchange that filled the store came through facial expressions and hand movements.
 

[Image by Manmin Central Church]

One official said, "Many worshippers had heard that Korean-made neckties are known for their quality and design, and were eager to buy some during this trip to Korea." The official added, "As interest in K-fashion has grown recently, the number of foreign visitors coming to Dongdaemun has noticeably increased as well."
 

Manmin Summer Retreat has become more than a spiritual recharge for its participants — observers say it has also served as a natural showcase for K-culture, K-fashion and K-tourism to the world. Without any dedicated promotional campaign, the footsteps and word of mouth of these visitors are becoming, in effect, another face of Korean culture.
  

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