Depop's 2026 "Edited Self" report confirms what Seoul's claw machine arcades and café culture have demonstrated for years: Gen Z is rejecting algorithmic fashion for intentional curation. With 78% of young consumers repeating outfits and calling it "freeing," the global shift from trend-chasing to deliberate choosing plays to Korea's core strength—not producing fashion content, but curating it.
While Olive Young rings up 1 trillion won from foreign tourists and AI algorithms drive record e-commerce sales, Korea's textile manufacturing base is collapsing. The industry trade press has been documenting this split for years—here's what they're actually seeing.
Korea's senior modeling industry generates 60-70% of revenue from training fees while models earn almost nothing. Even celebrity model Kim Chil-doo admits he needs taxi work to survive. Investigation reveals the economics behind the "open wallets" phenomenon exploiting wealthy retirees.
