Bargains and breaks

Planning a trip to one of Seoul's cheap clothing markets to take advantage of mark downs on summer clothing? You should make sure they'll be open first. The markets in Namdaemun and Dongdaemun take short breaks in the summer, and the schedules vary.

In general, the summer breaks last from three to eight days. Right before and after the shops close down for the dog days is the time to go, when the merchants are eager to get rid off their inventories of summer styles.

"In July and August the merchants are readying for the fall season, so it's a good time to get some good bargains," said Shin Jae-yon, a manager at Namdaemun's big Mesa building, which houses hundreds of individual shops. Mr. Shin added that July and August is also a good time to get a jump on samples of the new fall styles, as the shops try different products to test out the market.

The merchants at Mesa are running a sale through next Wednesday; selected items will be discounted from 10 to 30 percent. The mall starts its summer break Aug. 12, and reopens it doors Aug. 15. A fashion shopping mall in the Dongdaemun area, Migliore, is also closing from Aug. 12 for four days.

At Namdaemun Market, the different shopping areas that sell items such as women's clothing, men's clothing and fashion accessories will also be taking their breaks in the middle of next month. The men's areas will be closed from Aug. 11 to Aug. 15, while most of the other sections of the market will be closed from Aug. 11 to Aug. 18.

by Brian Lee