The thrill is in the find at Namdaemun's dish market

Almost any plate or cup can be ordered online in a few taps. Yet on a weekday morning, the corridors of Namdaemun Market’s tableware arcade were packed with shoppers in their 20s and 30s. Moving along the crowded aisles and reaching the shelves took patience. They were not necessarily there for a bargain. The appeal was more tactile: picking up a dish, seeing its colors and finish in person, and sifting through stacks of stock until something caught their eye. For decades, the wholesale tablewar