What makes Korea turn up for a shark or a scarf seller?

At some point, a scarf seller from Seoul’s Namdaemun Market started popping up in social media feeds in South Korea. By now, if you’re on social media in South Korea, chances are you’ve come across the man nicknamed “Scarfprio.”

Just a month after the buzz around Bukang-i, the shark that drew crowds to Busan’s North Port, began to fade, people were heading to Namdaemun to see the scarf seller for themselves.

In the videos, the seller offers six scarves for 10,000 won ($7.50), trading banter with shoppers as if he’s known them for years. The nickname “Scarfprio” blends “scarf” and “DiCaprio,” a nod to the seller’s resemblance to actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

“Mom, why are you buying these? You won’t even wear them once you get home,” he tells shoppers as they sift through piles of scarves on his stall counter.

“When there were fewer media outlets, attention tended to center on entertainers and other celebrities. Now a much wider range of subjects can catch people’s eye,” Kwak Keum-joo, professor emerita of psychology at Seoul National University, said.

“Excitement can build in a very short time. With new content constantly coming out, it can fade just as quickly when the next thing comes along.”

When Bukang-i was still in Busan’s North Port, crowds gathered along the waterway to catch a glimpse of the shark.

Now, at Namdaemun Market, security guards help manage the crowds coming to see Scarfprio.

Both drew a flood of photos and videos from visitors eager to show they had been there.

Lee Taek-gwang, a cultural studies professor at Kyung Hee University, traced the desire to gain recognition through the media back to South Korea’s modernization.

He pointed to a familiar Korean children’s song with the line, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were on TV?”

“People have long wanted to be seen in the media,” he said. “Today there are many more outlets, and if you film something well and turn it into content, you can even make money from it.”

What catches people’s attention in the first place can be something they rarely see or something they miss, the two scholars said.

In Busan, the draw was the rare chance to see a live shark swimming in a city waterway outside an aquarium, Lee said.

For some shoppers, the scarf seller’s banter may bring back memories of a time when market vendors drew customers in with jokes and conversation. Kwak said the scarf vendor's warmth and candor were also part of the appeal.

“The intensity of the reaction is unusual and can be excessive. People also tend to idealize whoever or whatever they’re drawn to,” Kwak said. “People will move on to something new. They’ll find something else to have fun with.”