오후 4시께 요란한 바퀴 소리와 함께 노점상 수레들이 하나둘 모여들었다.

수레의 철제 브레이크 패드를 힘껏 밟아 내리는 "철컥, 탁!" 소리가 메들리처럼 이어졌다.

순식간에 200m 길이 '노점상 행렬'이 펼쳐졌다.

상인들은 익숙한 손놀림으로 산더미 같은 식재료를 쌓아 올린 뒤, 다국어 메뉴판을 행인들 동선에 맞춰 휙 돌려세우며 영업을 개시했다.

기다렸다는 듯 외국인들이 나타나기 시작했다. 동서양 구분은 무의미했다.

영어, 중국어, 일본어, 스페인어 등 다양한 언어가 뒤섞이며 200ｍ 거리는 이내 작은 '지구촌'이 됐다. 해가 저물고 오후 7시께가 되자 발 디딜 틈이 없어졌다.

수요일인 지난 24일 오후 중구 명동에서 마주한 풍경이다.

올해 상반기 한국을 찾은 외국인 관광객이 역대 최초로 1천만 명을 돌파한 가운데, 전통의 '관광 1번지' 명동 노점상 거리의 모습도 한층 다이내믹해졌다.

여기가 바로 국경 없는 '길거리 미식 특구'다.

◇ 불닭 소스 닭꼬치·새빨간 떡볶이 거침없이 베어 물어

불닭 소스를 듬뿍 바른 닭꼬치부터 새빨간 떡볶이, 탕후루, 치즈 가리비구이, 과일 주스까지 최근 한국의 트렌드를 반영한 메뉴들이 호객에 나섰다.

커다란 철판 위에서 보글보글 끓어오르는 진득한 고추장 양념, 지글지글 익어가며 고소한 냄새를 풍기는 두툼한 모차렐라 치즈의 향연이 오감을 자극했다.

매운맛에 연신 "쓰읍, 하" 하며 가쁜 숨을 몰아쉬면서도 손에서 떡볶이가 담긴 컵을 놓지 못하거나, 끝없이 늘어나는 핫도그 속 치즈를 스마트폰 카메라로 촬영하며 입안 가득 베어 물었다. 외국인들이.

이날 최고의 씬스틸러는 '치즈 닭꼬치' 매대.

상인이 가스 토치를 집어 들고 고기 위로 시뻘건 불기둥을 쏘아 올리자 "와우!" 탄성이 터져 나왔다.

너도나도 발걸음을 멈추고 홀린 듯 스마트폰 카메라로 '불쇼'를 담기 바빴다.

카메라들을 향해 여유롭게 브이(V) 자를 그린 상인이 닭꼬치를 건네며 "비 케어풀, 베리 핫!"(Be careful, very hot)이라고 능청스럽게 영어를 '발사'하자 웃음이 터져 나왔다.

이강수 명동 복지회 총무는 "코로나19 전과 달리 최근에는 K-콘텐츠의 영향으로 미국, 유럽, 남미까지 관광객의 국적 폭이 넓어졌다"며 "K-팝 공연이 있는 주말이면 팬들이 미리 입국해 명동 투어를 즐긴다"고 설명했다.

상인들은 이구동성 방탄소년단(BTS)과 넷플릭스 애니메이션 영화 '케이팝 데몬 헌터스'(케데헌)를 언급했다.

명동에서 15년째 분식 노점을 운영 중인 박정수(37) 사장은 "예전에는 중국인이 많았다면 지금은 동남아 관광객이나 BTS 팬들이 단체로 굿즈를 맞춰 입고 많이 방문한다"고 말했다.

떡볶이 노점상 직원은 "예전에는 유럽 사람들이 떡볶이가 뭔지도 몰랐고 손님도 거의 동양인뿐이었는데 작년부터는 BTS 영향 때문인지 유럽 사람들도 거리낌 없이 떡볶이를 찾고 즐겨 먹는다"고 밝혔다.

핫도그 노점을 운영하는 김모 씨도 "'케데헌'에서 핫도그를 먹는 장면이 나왔다고 하던데 확실히 작년부터 미국이나 유럽 관광객들이 많이 찾는다"며 웃었다.

외국인들의 반응은 뜨거웠다.

뉴욕에서 온 아자데 씨는 "진짜 한국 길거리 음식을 즐길 수 있어서 정말 재미있고 아름다운 동네인 것 같다"며 "문어꼬치와 미니 김밥이 가장 마음에 들었다"고 말했다.

브라질인 크리스티아니 씨는 "이번 여행의 목표를 '다양한 길거리 음식 맛보기'로 정했다"며 "전복구이, 작은 게 요리, 구운 새우, 새우 꼬치, 구운 치즈, 군고구마, 한국식 옥수수, 붕어빵, 모찌, 탕후루, 석류 주스를 먹었다"고 자랑했다.

그는 "특히 K드라마에서만 보던 전복을 실제로 먹어보니 기대 이상으로 맛있었다"며 "제주도의 해녀가 떠올라 한국 문화를 더 깊이 이해하게 됐다"고 말했다.

또 "브라질 옥수수와 완전히 다른 식감의 한국식 옥수수도 신선한 충격이었다"며 "평소 매운 음식을 잘 못 먹어서 '덜 맵게 해달라'고 부탁했더니 부담 없이 즐길 수 있었다"고 했다.

폴란드인 파트리치아 씨는 커다란 마시멜로 겉면을 가스 토치로 굽는 상인의 손길에 눈을 떼지 못하고 있었다.

그는 "폴란드에는 음식을 만드는 과정을 눈앞에서 직접 볼 수 있는 문화가 없는데 이곳에선 상인들의 현란한 솜씨를 직접 볼 수 있어 정말 좋다"며 웃었다.

또 프랑스인 엠마 씨는 "BTS 멤버들이 먹었던 '소떡소떡'을 먹다가 다른 아미(BTS 팬덤명)를 만나 인사도 했다"며 웃었고, 튀니지에서 온 사하르 씨는 "말로만 들었던 어묵과 닭꼬치, 십원빵을 먹어보니 마치 축제에 온 것처럼 신난다"고 감탄했다.

◇ 외국어 메뉴·공식 가격표·쓰레기 제로…"깨끗해"

명동 노점이 가장 신경 쓰는 부분은 '바가지요금 근절'과 '소통'이다.

노점상 매대 전면에는 대부분 메뉴 이름과 가격이 영어 등으로 명확하게 표기돼 있었다.

아자데 씨는 "메뉴판에 가격이 확실하게 표시되어 있어서 얼마인지 쉽게 확인할 수 있어 편리했다"며 "미국에서는 접하기 힘든 진짜 한국 길거리 음식을 가족들에게 안심하고 소개해 줄 수 있었다"고 말했다.

크리스티아니 씨 역시 "표지판에 가격이 명확히 표시돼 있어 환율을 계산하기 편했고 궁금한 점은 스마트폰 번역 앱을 켜서 보여주면 상인들이 친절하게 다 알려줬다"며 미소 지었다.

명동 복지회 이 총무는 "코로나19 이후 다른 전통시장 등에서 바가지 문제가 불거졌을 때 명동은 선제적으로 대응했다"며 "처음에는 상인들이 각자 가격표를 붙이다 보니 통일성이 없었는데, 중구청에서 품목별로 디자인을 통일한 공식 가격표를 제작해 배포하면서 가격 소통 문제를 해결했다"고 설명했다.

바닥에 쓰레기도 거의 눈에 띄지 않았다. 노점상에서 관광객 쓰레기를 전부 받아주는 덕분이다.

이 총무는 "노점상마다 50~60리터 규격 봉투를 비치해 놓고, 다른 카페나 외부에서 나온 쓰레기라도 누구 것인지 따지지 않고 다 받아주자는 취지로 안내문도 붙여놨다"고 밝혔다.

그는 "코로나19 전에는 곳곳에 쓰레기통이 있었지만 각종 생활 쓰레기까지 너무 많이 버려져 위생상 좋지 않았다"며 "중구청과 협의해 우리가 직접 쓰레기를 수거하기로 한 결과 거리가 훨씬 깨끗해졌다"고 자부했다.

브라질인 카밀라 씨는 "탕후루를 다 먹었는데 쓰레기를 버릴 곳이 없어 길거리에서 한참을 두리번거렸을 때 근처 노점 상인이 손짓을 하며 '여기에 주면 버려주겠다'고 쓰레기를 받아주셨다"고 말했다.

이어 "덕분에 쾌적하게 여행을 이어갈 수 있어서 정말 감동적이었고, 한국에 다시 오면 꼭 명동을 재방문하고 싶다"고 덧붙였다.

크리스티아니 씨도 "명동처럼 엄청나게 붐비는 세계적인 관광 중심지에서 거리에 쓰레기가 거의 보이지 않는다는 사실이 놀라웠다"며 "음식을 구매한 노점마다 쓰레기를 처리할 수 있게 도와줘서 좋았다"고 말했다.

그러면서 "공공장소를 깨끗하게 유지하려는 상인들과 시민들의 높은 책임감이 매우 인상 깊었다"며 "주변 사람들에게 명동을 추천하는 큰 이유 중 하나가 바로 이 깨끗함"이라고 했다.

이훈 한양대 관광학부 교수는 "명동 노점은 외국인 관광객에게 한국인의 일상을 체험하는 매력적인 관광상품"이라며 "K-드라마와 영화 속 장면을 직접 경험하려는 수요가 커지면서 노점상의 인기는 계속 높아질 것"이라고 내다봤다.

그러면서 "가격표와 음식 사진 공개도 중요하지만, 앞으로는 원재료 표시를 강화할 필요가 있다"며 "무슬림과 비건, 식품 알레르기가 있는 관광객들이 안심하고 길거리 음식을 즐길 수 있는 환경을 만드는 것이 관광 경쟁력을 높이는 데 도움이 될 것"이라고 제언했다.

minjik@yna.co.kr

Sekitar pukul 16.00, satu per satu gerobak pedagang kaki lima berdatangan diiringi suara roda yang berisik.

Suara "klek, tap!" dari rem logam gerobak yang diinjak kuat-kuat pun bersahut-sahutan bagaikan sebuah medley.

Dalam sekejap, deretan kios sepanjang 200 meter pun terbentang.

Para pedagang dengan tangan terampil menumpuk bahan makanan setinggi gunung, lalu memutar papan menu multibahasa menghadap jalur lalu lalang pengunjung, menandai dimulainya kegiatan berjualan.

Seolah sudah menunggu, para wisatawan asing pun mulai bermunculan. Tak ada lagi batas antara Timur dan Barat.

Bahasa Inggris, Mandarin, Jepang, Spanyol, dan berbagai bahasa lainnya bercampur aduk, menjadikan kawasan sepanjang 200 meter itu sebuah 'kampung global' kecil dalam sekejap. Saat matahari terbenam dan waktu menunjukkan pukul 19.00, tempat itu pun sesak tak ada celah untuk melangkah.

Itulah pemandangan yang tampak di Myeongdong, Jung-gu, pada Rabu sore, 24 Juni lalu.

Di tengah rekor baru wisatawan asing yang mengunjungi Korea pada paruh pertama tahun ini — melampaui 10 juta orang untuk pertama kalinya dalam sejarah — suasana deretan kios pedagang kaki lima di Myeongdong, kawasan wisata nomor satu yang sudah lama dikenal, pun semakin dinamis.

Inilah 'kawasan kuliner jalanan' tanpa batas negara.

◇ Sate Ayam Saus Buldak dan Tteokbokki Merah Menyala Dilahap Tanpa Ragu

Mulai dari sate ayam berlumur saus buldak, tteokbokki merah menyala, tanghulu, kerang gruyere keju, hingga jus buah — berbagai menu yang mencerminkan tren Korea terkini pun unjuk diri menarik minat pengunjung.

Bumbu gochujang kental yang menggelegak di atas penggorengan besar, dan sajian keju mozzarella tebal yang mendesis matang sambil menebarkan aroma gurih, merangsang semua indera.

Meski terus mendesis "ssup, hah" kepedasan dan terengah-engah, para wisatawan asing tetap tak mau melepaskan gelas berisi tteokbokki dari tangan mereka, atau menggigit penuh satu suapan hot dog sambil mengabadikan keju yang molor tak ada habisnya dengan kamera ponsel mereka.

Bintang utama hari itu adalah kios 'sate ayam keju'.

Saat pedagang mengambil obor gas dan menyemburkan lidah api merah membara ke atas daging, seruan "wow!" pun meledak.

Semua orang berhenti melangkah dan sibuk mengabadikan 'pertunjukan api' itu dengan kamera ponsel mereka seolah tersihir.

Sang pedagang yang santai membentuk tanda V ke arah kamera-kamera itu lalu menyerahkan sate ayam sambil berkata dengan percaya diri dalam bahasa Inggris, "Be careful, very hot!" — disambut gelak tawa para pengunjung.

Lee Gang-su, sekretaris umum Myeongdong Welfare Association, menjelaskan, "Berbeda dari sebelum pandemi Covid-19, belakangan ini pengaruh konten K telah memperluas asal-usul wisatawan hingga ke Amerika, Eropa, dan Amerika Selatan," dan menambahkan, "Di akhir pekan saat ada konser K-Pop, para penggemar datang lebih awal ke Korea dan menikmati tur Myeongdong."

Para pedagang secara serempak menyebut nama BTS dan film animasi Netflix 'KPop Demon Hunters' (disingkat Kedeheon).

Park Jeong-su (37), pemilik kios jajanan yang telah berjualan di Myeongdong selama 15 tahun, berkata, "Kalau dulu banyak didominasi wisatawan Tiongkok, sekarang banyak wisatawan Asia Tenggara dan fans BTS yang datang beramai-ramai mengenakan merchandise yang serasi."

Seorang karyawan kios tteokbokki mengungkapkan, "Dulu orang-orang Eropa tidak tahu apa itu tteokbokki dan hampir semua pelanggan adalah orang Asia, tapi sejak tahun lalu — mungkin karena pengaruh BTS — orang-orang Eropa pun kini datang dan menikmati tteokbokki tanpa ragu."

Kim, pemilik kios hot dog, juga tertawa sambil berkata, "Katanya ada adegan makan hot dog di 'Kedeheon', dan memang sejak tahun lalu wisatawan dari Amerika dan Eropa jadi banyak yang datang."

Respons para wisatawan asing pun sangat antusias.

Azadeh, yang datang dari New York, berkata, "Rasanya sangat menyenangkan bisa menikmati makanan jalanan Korea yang autentik, dan kawasan ini tampak begitu indah," serta menambahkan, "Sate gurita dan mini kimbap adalah yang paling kusuka."

Cristiani, warga Brazil, bercerita, "Aku menetapkan tujuan perjalanan kali ini adalah 'mencicipi berbagai makanan jalanan'," dan membanggakan diri, "Aku sudah makan abalon bakar, masakan kepiting kecil, udang panggang, sate udang, keju bakar, ubi jalar bakar, jagung ala Korea, bungeoppang, mochi, tanghulu, dan jus delima."

Ia berkata, "Terutama saat mencoba abalon yang selama ini hanya kulihat di drama Korea, rasanya ternyata jauh lebih enak dari yang kubayangkan," dan menambahkan, "Aku teringat haenyeo dari Pulau Jeju dan merasa semakin memahami budaya Korea secara lebih mendalam."

Ia juga menyebutkan, "Jagung ala Korea dengan tekstur yang sama sekali berbeda dari jagung Brazil juga merupakan kejutan yang menyenangkan," dan berkata, "Karena biasanya aku tidak tahan makanan pedas, aku minta 'dibuat kurang pedas' dan hasilnya bisa aku nikmati tanpa masalah."

Patricia, warga Polandia, tidak bisa mengalihkan pandangannya dari tangan seorang pedagang yang membakar permukaan marshmallow besar dengan obor gas.

Ia tertawa sambil berkata, "Di Polandia tidak ada budaya di mana kita bisa menyaksikan langsung proses pembuatan makanan di depan mata, tapi di sini kita bisa melihat sendiri keahlian para pedagang yang memukau, dan itu benar-benar luar biasa."

Emma dari Prancis pun tertawa bercerita, "Saat sedang makan 'sotteok-sotteok' yang pernah dimakan anggota BTS, aku bertemu sesama ARMY (nama fandom BTS) dan kami saling menyapa," sementara Sahar yang datang dari Tunisia berdecak kagum, "Setelah mencoba eomuk, sate ayam, dan sipwonppang yang selama ini hanya kudengar, rasanya seperti datang ke sebuah festival."

◇ Menu Berbahasa Asing, Daftar Harga Resmi, Sampah Nol…"Bersih"

Hal yang paling diperhatikan oleh pedagang kaki lima Myeongdong adalah 'pemberantasan harga selangit' dan 'komunikasi'.

Di bagian depan hampir semua kios, nama menu dan harga tercantum dengan jelas dalam bahasa Inggris dan bahasa lainnya.

Azadeh berkata, "Harga tertera dengan jelas di papan menu sehingga mudah untuk mengecek berapa harganya, itu sangat memudahkan," dan menambahkan, "Aku bisa dengan tenang merekomendasikan makanan jalanan Korea yang autentik — yang sulit ditemukan di Amerika — kepada keluargaku."

Cristiani pun tersenyum berkata, "Harga tertera dengan jelas di papan sehingga mudah untuk menghitung kurs mata uang, dan untuk hal-hal yang ingin kutanyakan, cukup membuka aplikasi terjemahan di ponsel pintar lalu menunjukkannya kepada pedagang, dan mereka dengan ramah menjelaskan semuanya."

Sekretaris Umum Lee dari Myeongdong Welfare Association menjelaskan, "Setelah pandemi Covid-19, ketika masalah harga selangit muncul di pasar tradisional dan tempat lainnya, Myeongdong mengambil langkah antisipatif lebih awal," dan menambahkan, "Awalnya masing-masing pedagang memasang daftar harganya sendiri sehingga tidak seragam, namun Kantor Distrik Jung membuat dan mendistribusikan daftar harga resmi dengan desain yang seragam per jenis produk, sehingga masalah komunikasi harga pun teratasi."

Hampir tidak ada sampah yang terlihat di jalanan. Ini berkat para pedagang kaki lima yang menerima semua sampah dari para wisatawan.

Sekretaris Umum Lee mengungkapkan, "Setiap kios menyediakan kantong sampah berukuran 50–60 liter, dan kami juga memasang pengumuman dengan niat agar semua sampah diterima tanpa perlu ditanya apakah itu sampah dari kafe lain atau dari luar."

Ia dengan bangga berkata, "Sebelum Covid-19, tempat sampah ada di mana-mana, tapi terlalu banyak sampah rumah tangga yang dibuang sembarangan sehingga tidak baik dari segi kebersihan. Setelah berkoordinasi dengan Kantor Distrik Jung dan memutuskan untuk mengumpulkan sampah sendiri, jalanan pun menjadi jauh lebih bersih."

Camila dari Brazil bercerita, "Setelah menghabiskan tanghulu, aku tidak menemukan tempat untuk membuang sampah dan sudah celingukan cukup lama di jalanan, ketika seorang pedagang kaki lima terdekat memberi isyarat tangan dan bilang 'berikan ke sini, nanti saya buangkan' sambil menerima sampah saya."

Ia menambahkan, "Berkat itu, aku bisa melanjutkan perjalanan dengan nyaman dan benar-benar terkesan, dan kalau aku kembali ke Korea, pasti ingin mengunjungi Myeongdong lagi."

Cristiani pun berkata, "Aku terkejut melihat hampir tidak ada sampah di jalanan kawasan wisata bertaraf dunia yang sangat ramai seperti Myeongdong," dan menambahkan, "Senang karena setiap kios tempat aku membeli makanan membantu mengelola sampah."

Ia juga mengatakan, "Rasa tanggung jawab yang tinggi dari para pedagang dan warga dalam menjaga kebersihan tempat umum sangat berkesan," dan menyebutkan bahwa "salah satu alasan utama aku merekomendasikan Myeongdong kepada orang-orang di sekitarku adalah justru kebersihan ini."

Profesor Lee Hoon dari Fakultas Pariwisata Universitas Hanyang menilai, "Kios pedagang kaki lima Myeongdong adalah produk wisata menarik bagi wisatawan asing untuk merasakan kehidupan sehari-hari warga Korea," dan memperkirakan, "Seiring meningkatnya permintaan untuk mengalami langsung adegan-adegan dalam drama dan film Korea, popularitas pedagang kaki lima pun akan terus meningkat."

Ia juga menyarankan, "Memajang daftar harga dan foto makanan memang penting, namun ke depannya perlu memperkuat pelabelan bahan baku," dan mengusulkan, "Menciptakan lingkungan di mana wisatawan Muslim, vegan, maupun yang memiliki alergi makanan dapat menikmati makanan jalanan dengan tenang akan membantu meningkatkan daya saing pariwisata."

minjik@yna.co.kr

Around 4 p.m., street vendor carts began gathering one by one with loud wheel sounds.

The sound of 'clack, bang!' from stepping down hard on the metal brake pads of carts continued like a medley.

In an instant, a 200-meter-long 'street vendor line' unfurled.

Merchants, with familiar hand movements, stacked up piles of ingredients, then positioned multilingual menus toward pedestrian foot traffic and began their business.

Foreign visitors began to appear as if on cue. The distinction between East and West was meaningless.

As English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and various other languages mixed together, the 200m street soon became a small 'global village.' As the sun set and it became around 7 p.m., there was no room to step.

This is the scene encountered on the afternoon of the 24th, a Wednesday, in Myeongdong, Jung-gu.

With foreign tourists visiting Korea in the first half of this year surpassing 10 million for the first time in history, the appearance of Myeongdong's traditional 'top tourist destination' street vendor street has become even more dynamic.

Here is the borderless 'street food special zone.'

◇ Buldak sauce chicken skewers, bright red tteokbokki bitten without hesitation

From chicken skewers generously coated with buldak sauce to bright red tteokbokki, tanghulu, cheese scallop grilled, and fruit juice, menus reflecting recent Korean trends were on display to attract customers.

The aroma of thick gochujang sauce bubbling on a large iron plate and the fragrance of thick mozzarella cheese sizzling and releasing a savory smell stimulated all five senses.

Despite the spiciness, continuously breathing heavily with 'hmm, ha' sounds, they couldn't let go of the cup containing tteokbokki or, photographing the endless stretching cheese in hot dogs with their smartphones, bit them fully into their mouths. Foreign visitors did.

Today's biggest scene-stealer was the 'cheese chicken skewer' stand.

When the vendor picked up a gas torch and shot a bright red flame pillar over the meat, a 'wow!' exclamation burst out.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and were busy capturing the 'fire show' with their smartphone cameras as if mesmerized.

When the vendor casually made a V sign toward the cameras and handed over chicken skewers while flippantly 'firing off' English saying 'Be careful, very hot!' laughter burst out.

Lee Kang-soo, secretary of the Myeongdong Welfare Association, explained, "Unlike before COVID-19, recently the range of tourist nationalities has expanded to the United States, Europe, and South America due to the influence of K-content," and "On weekends with K-pop performances, fans enter the country in advance and enjoy Myeongdong tours."

Merchants unanimously mentioned BTS and the Netflix animated film 'K-pop Demon Hunters.'

Park Jeong-su, 37, who has been operating a snack cart in Myeongdong for 15 years, said, "While there were many Chinese tourists before, now Southeast Asian tourists and BTS fans visit frequently, often as groups wearing coordinated merchandise."

A tteokbokki vendor employee said, "In the past, Europeans didn't even know what tteokbokki was and customers were almost exclusively East Asian, but since last year, whether due to BTS's influence or not, Europeans also readily seek out and enjoy tteokbokki without hesitation."

Kim, who operates a hot dog cart, also laughed, saying, "I heard there was a scene of eating hot dogs in K-pop Demon Hunters, and certainly since last year, American and European tourists have been visiting much more."

The reaction from foreigners was enthusiastic.

Azade from New York said, "It's really fun and seems like a beautiful neighborhood where I can enjoy authentic Korean street food," and "I liked the octopus skewers and mini kimbap the most."

Cristiani from Brazil said, "I set the goal of this trip as trying various street foods," and boasted, "I ate grilled abalone, small crab dish, grilled shrimp, shrimp skewers, grilled cheese, roasted sweet potato, Korean corn, fish-shaped pastry, mochi, tanghulu, and pomegranate juice."

He said, "Especially, tasting abalone that I had only seen in K-dramas was more delicious than expected," and "It reminded me of Jeju Island's female divers, and I came to understand Korean culture more deeply."

Also, "Korean corn with a completely different texture from Brazilian corn was also a fresh shock," and "Since I don't usually eat spicy food well, I asked for less spice, and I was able to enjoy it without burden."

Patricia from Poland couldn't take her eyes off the vendor's hands as he torched the surface of a large marshmallow with a gas torch.

He laughed, saying, "Poland doesn't have a culture where you can directly see the process of food being made right before your eyes, but here I can directly see the merchants' dazzling skills, which is really great."

Also, Emma from France laughed, saying, "While eating the sodduck-sodduck that BTS members ate, I met another ARMY and even said hello," and Sahar from Tunisia exclaimed, "After tasting the fish cake, chicken skewers, and ten-won bread that I had only heard about, it feels like I've come to a festival."

◇ Foreign language menus, official price tags, zero trash...'Clean'

What Myeongdong's street vendors are most concerned about is 'eliminating overcharging' and 'communication.'

Most street vendor stands had menu names and prices clearly displayed in English and other languages.

Azade said, "It was convenient because prices were clearly marked on the menu, making it easy to check the cost," and "I was able to confidently introduce authentic Korean street food, which is hard to find in America, to my family."

Cristiani also smiled, saying, "Prices were clearly marked on the signs, making it easy to calculate exchange rates, and when I showed questions using a smartphone translation app, merchants kindly explained everything."

Lee, secretary of the Myeongdong Welfare Association, explained, "After COVID-19, when overcharging problems emerged at other traditional markets, Myeongdong responded proactively," and "Initially, merchants posted their own price tags, so there was no consistency, but the Jung-gu Office created and distributed official price tags with unified designs for each item category, resolving the price communication problem."

There was almost no trash visible on the ground. This is thanks to street vendors accepting all tourist trash.

Lee noted, "Each street vendor has 50-60 liter bags available, and informational posters are posted with the intention of accepting all trash regardless of origin, whether it's from other cafes or outside."

He added proudly, "Before COVID-19, there were trash cans throughout, but too much household waste was discarded, which wasn't sanitary, but as a result of coordinating with the Jung-gu Office to directly collect our own trash, the street became much cleaner."

Camila from Brazil said, "After finishing the tanghulu, when I was looking around on the street for a place to throw away the trash, a nearby street vendor gestured and accepted the trash, saying, if you give it here, I'll throw it away."

She added, "Thanks to that, I was able to continue my trip comfortably, which was really moving, and if I come back to Korea, I definitely want to revisit Myeongdong."

Cristiani also said, "I was amazed that in such an extremely crowded world-class tourist destination like Myeongdong, there's almost no trash visible on the streets," and "I appreciated that at each street vendor where I purchased food, they helped me dispose of trash."

He added, "The high sense of responsibility of merchants and citizens in maintaining cleanliness in public spaces was very impressive," and "One of the big reasons I recommend Myeongdong to people around me is precisely this cleanliness."

Professor Lee Hun of Hanyang University's Department of Tourism said, "Myeongdong street vendors are an attractive tourism product for foreign tourists to experience the daily lives of Koreans," and predicted, "As demand to directly experience scenes from K-dramas and films grows, the popularity of street vendors will continue to rise."

While noting, "While displaying price tags and food photos is important, it will be necessary to strengthen ingredient labeling in the future," he suggested, "Creating an environment where Muslim, vegan, and food-allergic tourists can safely enjoy street food will help enhance tourism competitiveness."

minjik@yna.co.kr