Lee Boo-jin Tops South Korea’s Trending Searches as Namdaemun Scarf Seller Draws 169,000 Online Visitors
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South Korea’s Google trending searches on Nov. 12 reflected a wide range of public interests, from a luxury fashion event and an unexpectedly popular market vendor to celebrity legal allegations, financial services and new technology. Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin ranked No. 1, while a Namdaemun Market scarf seller and smart glasses recorded the highest estimated search volumes.
The rankings are based on Google Trends’ South Korea real-time trending searches. Search volumes are approximate estimates, meaning lower-ranked terms can sometimes have higher estimated volumes than those above them. The scarf seller and smart glasses each recorded more than 1,000 searches, the highest reported category in the list.
Lee Boo-jin draws attention at Dior executive’s honorary degree ceremony
Lee Boo-jin, president and CEO of Hotel Shilla, ranked first with an estimated 200-plus searches. She attended a Nov. 12 ceremony at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, where Delphine Arnault, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, received an honorary doctorate in business administration. The ceremony marked the university’s 140th anniversary.
Arnault is the eldest daughter of Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury goods group LVMH. Other prominent attendees included Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and his wife, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun and BLACKPINK member Jisoo, a global Dior ambassador. Lee attracted additional fashion attention for wearing a black-and-white Dior checkered jacket she had also worn during the Arnault family's visit to South Korea in March 2023.
Namdaemun scarf vendor becomes an online sensation
The second-ranked search term, “Namdaemun Scarf Guy,” generated more than 1,000 estimated searches. The nickname refers to a vendor operating Hanyangsa, a shop in Seoul’s Namdaemun Market, who became popular on social media for his candid sales style and willingness to discourage customers from buying more than they needed.
The seller began offering six-scarf bundles for 10,000 won (about $7) through Naver Smart Store on Nov. 11. Colors and designs are selected at random. By 3:38 p.m. on Nov. 12, the online store had recorded 169,081 visitors in a single day, and all products were sold out. Its inquiry board had accumulated 814 posts, most expressing support.
During a social media livestream, the vendor said fulfilling orders would take more than two weeks because products were being shipped sequentially. Crowds also gathered at the physical market shop, prompting the presence of security personnel and police. Broadcaster Park Myung-soo expressed concern about the excessive public attention during his Nov. 11 radio program on KBS Cool FM.
Actor Kim Seung-woo faces theft allegation
Actor Kim Seung-woo ranked third with more than 200 estimated searches after a former acquaintance filed a theft complaint against him. The complaint was submitted to Seoul's Gangnam Police Station in July, and police are investigating.
The complainant alleges that Kim took 22 million won from a wallet at an entertainment establishment in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong neighborhood in October 2021. Kim's representatives say he took the money as a joke and has already repaid an amount greater than the sum in question.
Technology, public benefits and sports round out the rankings
Smart glasses ranked eighth with more than 1,000 estimated searches. The attention followed the development of an augmented reality display technology designed to make text clearly visible outdoors through lenses just 1.5 millimeters thick. Roh Jun-seok, a professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology, presented the development of a metasurface waveguide for AR displays.
Investment trusts ranked ninth, with more than 100 searches, following Toss Bank’s launch of a fund service offering 17 investment products made up of domestic and international stocks and bonds. The service adds an investment option to the digital bank’s financial offerings.
Other trending terms included Argentina, which was connected to the draw for the final qualifying tournament for women's soccer at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. South Korea was placed in Group B alongside North Korea, China and the Philippines. The winner of a playoff between the second-place teams will face Argentina in an intercontinental playoff.
The term “fire” ranked fifth with more than 500 searches amid reports involving two separate incidents: a man in his 60s suspected of setting a fire outside an English-language kindergarten in Songdo, Incheon, appeared for a court hearing to determine whether he should be detained, while a security guard was reported to be in critical condition after an apartment fire in Gwangju.
Earned Income Tax Credit ranked sixth, also with more than 500 searches. People who missed the regular application period for the Child Tax Credit can submit a late application by Dec. 1, although eligible payments are reduced to 95% of the calculated amount.
Political figure Park Hee-seung ranked seventh after criticizing supporters demanding the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. Kim Hyun-seok, manager of K League 1 soccer club Ulsan, ranked 10th after the club announced it would not renew his contract and would part ways with him at the end of the season.
The rankings illustrate the breadth of subjects attracting attention among South Korean internet users, with an unusually successful neighborhood retailer generating as much search interest as emerging display technology and prominent figures from the country's business and entertainment sectors.
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