Around 4:00 PM, street food carts began to gather one by one, accompanied by the loud clatter of wheels.

The sound of vendors firmly stepping on the iron brake pedals of their carts echoed like a medley, and in an instant, a 200-meter-long line of street stalls was formed.

With practiced hands, the merchants piled up mountains of ingredients and turned their multilingual menus toward the flow of pedestrians to begin business.

Foreign tourists began to appear as if they had been waiting.

With a mix of languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish, the 200-meter street quickly transformed into a small global village.

As the sun set and the clock struck 7:00 PM, the street became so crowded there was barely room to move.

This was the scene in Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, on Wednesday, June 24.

With the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in the first half of this year surpassing 10 million for the first time in history, the atmosphere of Myeong-dong, the traditional heart of tourism, has become significantly more dynamic.

Menus reflecting recent Korean trends were on display, ranging from chicken skewers slathered in spicy buldak sauce to bright red tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), tanghulu, grilled cheese scallops, and fruit juices.

The feast of thick gochujang sauce bubbling on large iron griddles and the savory aroma of thick mozzarella cheese sizzling on the grill stimulated all five senses.

Foreign visitors, gasping for air from the spice, could not let go of their cups of tteokbokki, while others filmed the endless stretch of cheese in their hot dogs with their smartphones before taking a big bite.

Lee Kang-soo, general manager of the Myeong-dong Welfare Association, explained, "Unlike before the COVID-19 pandemic, the influence of K-content has broadened the nationality of tourists to include the United States, Europe, and South America. On weekends when there are K-pop concerts, fans arrive early to enjoy a Myeong-dong tour."

Merchants mentioned BTS and the Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters in unison.

Park, a 37-year-old owner who has been running a street food stall in Myeong-dong for 15 years, said, "In the past, there were many Chinese tourists, but now we see many Southeast Asian tourists or groups of BTS fans visiting while wearing matching merchandise."

A tteokbokki stall employee noted, "In the past, Europeans didn't even know what tteokbokki was, and most of our customers were Asian. But since last year, perhaps due to the influence of BTS, Europeans are also seeking out and enjoying tteokbokki without hesitation."

Kim, who runs a hot dog stall, also laughed and said, "I heard there was a scene in K-Pop Demon Hunters where they eat hot dogs, and we have definitely seen many more American and European tourists since last year."

The reaction from foreign tourists was enthusiastic.

Azadeh, from New York, said, "It is really fun to be able to enjoy authentic Korean street food, and it seems like a beautiful neighborhood. I liked the octopus skewers and mini gimbap the most."

Christiane, a Brazilian, boasted, "I set the goal of this trip to be 'tasting various street foods.' I have eaten grilled abalone, small crab dishes, grilled shrimp, shrimp skewers, grilled cheese, roasted sweet potatoes, Korean-style corn, bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry), mochi, tanghulu, and pomegranate juice."

She added, "It was more delicious than I expected to actually eat abalone, which I had only seen in K-dramas. It reminded me of the haenyeo (female divers) of Jeju Island, helping me understand Korean culture more deeply."

She also said, "The texture of Korean-style corn, which is completely different from Brazilian corn, was a fresh shock. I usually can't eat spicy food, so I asked them to make it 'less spicy,' and I was able to enjoy it without any burden."

Patrycja, from Poland, could not take her eyes off a merchant using a gas torch to roast the surface of a large marshmallow.

She laughed and said, "In Poland, we don't have a culture where you can watch the food being made right in front of you. It is really great to be able to see the merchants' dazzling skills in person here."

Emma, from France, laughed and said, "I was eating 'sotteok-sotteok' (sausage and rice cake skewers) that BTS members had eaten, and I met other ARMY (BTS fandom) and greeted them." Sahar, from Tunisia, exclaimed, "Eating the fish cakes, chicken skewers, and 10-won bread I had only heard about makes me feel like I am at a festival."

The Myeong-dong street stalls are most focused on "eradicating overcharging" and "communication."

On the front of most stalls, the names of the menus and their prices were clearly marked in English and other languages.

Azadeh said, "It was convenient because the prices were clearly marked on the menu, so I could easily check how much things cost. I could safely introduce my family to authentic Korean street food that is hard to find in the United States."

Christiane also smiled and said, "Because the prices were clearly marked on the signs, it was easy to calculate the exchange rate, and if I had any questions, the merchants would kindly explain everything if I showed them a translation app on my smartphone."

Lee, the general manager of the Myeong-dong Welfare Association, explained, "When overcharging issues arose in other traditional markets after COVID-19, Myeong-dong responded preemptively. At first, merchants posted their own price tags, so there was no consistency, but the Jung-gu Office produced and distributed official price tags with a unified design for each item, which resolved the communication issues regarding prices."

There was also almost no trash to be seen on the ground.

This is because the street stalls take care of all the trash from tourists.

Lee stated, "Each street stall keeps 50 to 60-liter standard bags, and we have even put up signs saying that we will accept trash from other cafes or outside sources without asking whose it is."

He added with pride, "Before COVID-19, there were trash cans everywhere, but they were not hygienic because too much household waste was being dumped there. We consulted with the Jung-gu Office and decided to collect the trash ourselves, and as a result, the streets have become much cleaner."

Camila, from Brazil, said, "I had finished my tanghulu, but there was nowhere to throw away the trash, so I was looking around on the street for a while. A nearby merchant gestured and said, 'Give it to me, I will throw it away,' and took the trash for me."

She added, "Thanks to that, I was able to continue my trip comfortably, and it was truly touching. If I come back to Korea, I definitely want to visit Myeong-dong again."

Christiane also said, "It was surprising that there was almost no trash on the streets in a world-class tourist hub as crowded as Myeong-dong. It was great that every stall where I bought food helped me dispose of my trash."

She continued, "The high sense of responsibility of the merchants and citizens to keep public spaces clean was very impressive. This cleanliness is one of the big reasons I recommend Myeong-dong to people around me."

Lee Hoon, a professor of tourism at Hanyang University, predicted, "Myeong-dong street stalls are an attractive tourism product that allows foreign tourists to experience the daily lives of Koreans. As the demand to experience scenes from K-dramas and movies in person grows, the popularity of these stalls will continue to rise."

He suggested, "While disclosing price tags and food photos is important, there is a need to strengthen the labeling of raw ingredients in the future. Creating an environment where Muslims, vegans, and tourists with food allergies can enjoy street food with peace of mind will help enhance tourism competitiveness."

(Photo: Yonhap News)