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Chinese livestreamers take to the streets of Seoul for a marketing glow up

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 07:00

LEE SOO-JUNG
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Chinese influencer Wang Yiwei reenacts a scene of doing livestreams in Myeongdong street in central Seoul on March 19. [LEE SOO-JUNG]

In a narrow alleyway near Myeongdong Station in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday morning, Chinese influencer Wang Yiwei spoke energetically into her orange iPhone mounted on a tripod. It was not a casual facetime with friends or family.

Wang was livestreaming — and selling an array of Korean skin care products.

With just a tripod and two smartphones, the bustling streets in downtown Seoul can turn into captivating makeshift sales locations for overseas customers who are fans of Korean goods.

Holding three different bottles of bubble mask — a type of foaming skincare treatment popular in Korea — she explained the products without skipping a beat, all while constantly glancing at another smartphone that was fixed to the tripod. She was checking responses from her viewers, who might purchase the products she was promoting.

A little after 11 a.m., she finished her live broadcast. She folded her tripod and put it in a large Olive Young plastic tote bag, along with sample products of eye cream and bubble mask bottles, which she tested on herself during the livestream. She completed her mission to sell hundreds of newly launched eye cream and bubble masks on the street without any physical store or much inventory on site.

In today's hyperconnected and digitalized world, some tech-savvy Chinese vendors and wanghong, or Chinese internet influencers, have walked out of conventional indoor studios and taken to the streets of Seoul. They set their stages in Seoul's hot spots, such as the Myeongdong and Hongdae areas, for their livestreams to sell products they promote or supply.

Wang Yiwei sells Korean cosmetic product to Chinese viewers through livestream in the Myeongdong neighborhood in an undated photo. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Wang is one of several Chinese influencers selling Korean cosmetic products on the streets of Myeongdong via livestream on the Chinese platform Douyin — TikTok’s Chinese version.

Except on Mondays, she conducts a livestream from 8 a.m. to around noon everyday. In cases of strong and positive viewer engagement, she occasionally extends the session to as long as six hours.

“Compared to indoor studios, Myeongdong streets offer more dynamic backgrounds with Koreans and foreign travelers passing by,” Wang told the Korea JoongAng Daily. “This easily draws viewers’ attention and makes them stay longer. The longer they stay, the higher the revenue.”

By doing so, her daily viewership ranges between 50,000 to 100,000. She raises between 30 million (approx. $19,950) and 60 million won in sales a day, on average, according to Wang.

Her customers purchase products by clicking links on her livestream, which direct them to official brand websites. Once orders are received, the brands arrange and manage shipments from Korea to China.

In return, Wang, as an intermediary, earns a certain amount of commissions from those brands.

Myeongdong, one of Seoul’s most crowded shopping districts, is emerging as a hot spot for Chinese Douyin livestreaming sellers.

“You'd be able to spot them if you walk around the area,” a volunteer from the city-run tourist information center said when asked by the reporter last Tuesday if he has seen Chinese livestreamers selling products on the streets of Myeongdong.

Consumer studies experts attribute the phenomenon to combination of the live-commerce boom in China and preference toward Korean products.

“Unconventional livestreaming on the streets and positive perception on Korean products in terms of quality and reliability appear to have led to favorable responses of Chinese consumers,” said Kim Si-wuel, a professor from Konkuk University’s department of consumer information science.

“The Korean market seemingly has advantages in swiftly responding to consumers’ reactions and offering creative and quality products at reasonable prices.”

The Myeongdong neighborhood is crowded with pedestrians and foreign tourists in central Seoul on March 15. [YONHAP]

While Wang’s livestreaming might help raise the profile of Korean products, it is not entirely free of concerns.

“In terms of quality, creators — playing a key role in the livestream — are required to improve their expertise, credibility and ability to stay well-informed on the latest developments,” Prof. Kim said. “Otherwise, underqualified creators can harm the reputation of Korean products.”

“While it might vary according to surrounding situations, those live broadcasts can cause noise and interfere with the operations of nearby businesses.”

Yet, it appears that no explicit frustration has been expressed among Seoulites and visitors.

“In the field, we have not received reports of inconvenience caused by Chinese livestreamers,” a police officer at the Myeongdong patrol station said last Tuesday.

The Myeongdong area now offers much more than shopping opportunities, as visitors and tourists may have a front-row view on how new sales and marketing strategies emerge from its streets.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, ALICIA CARR [[email protected]]