Why Are 'Yoon Seok-yeol' and 'Lee Jae-myung' Clothes in Indonesia? The Story of Meeting Locals Wearing Campaign Uniforms

"Grand Political Unity" in Indonesia...
Presumed to Be Exported Used Clothes
Korea Ranks Among the World's Largest Used Clothing Exporters After the US, China, and the UK

A South Korean YouTuber shared a story about meeting a local wearing Korean presidential campaign clothes labeled 'Yoon Seok-yeol' and 'Lee Jae-myung' during a volcano tour in Indonesia.

Domestic travel YouTuber Nomadshun went on a volcano tour in Indonesia and became a hot topic after consecutively meeting locals wearing Korean election campaign uniforms. YouTube capture

On the 24th, YouTuber Nomad Seon uploaded a video titled "What Happens When You Spend 2 Nights and 3 Days with Chinese and Indian Friends." In the video, he went on a tour of Mount Bromo, an active volcano in eastern Java, Indonesia. Waking up at 2:30 a.m. to catch the sunrise, Nomad Seon arrived at Mount Bromo and spotted a person wearing a large Korean-lettered outfit on a foggy mountain path. The top, featuring a mix of red, blue, and white colors, bore the phrase "The People's Choice Yoon Seok-yeol." Nomad Seon asked him, "Can I take a look at your jacket?" and the local wearing the outfit laughed, asking, "Are you Korean?" When Nomad Seon asked, "Where did you buy this clothes?" the local replied, "A friend gave it to me."

Domestic travel YouTuber Nomadshun became a hot topic after encountering local residents wearing Korean election campaign outfits one after another during a volcano tour in Indonesia. YouTube capture

The next day, Nomad Seon went on a tour of Mount Ijen at the eastern tip of Java Island, facing Bali Island. Starting the climb at 2 a.m. again, he met a local wearing a bright blue outfit with the phrase "Lee Jae-myung for Me" written on it along the dark mountain path. Nomad Seon commented, "It feels like a setup," adding, "A grand political unity achieved in Indonesia."

It is presumed that many used Korean clothes are exported overseas and that the campaign clothes worn briefly during election seasons are being repurposed as hiking gear in Indonesia. According to the UN International Trade Database, South Korea exported 295,492 tons of used clothing in 2023. The largest export volume was to India with 80,420 tons, followed by Malaysia with 58,030 tons, the Philippines with 25,001 tons, Nigeria with 18,009 tons, and Chile with 13,796 tons.

As of 2022, South Korea ranks as the world's fourth-largest used clothing exporter after the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. The export value is approximately 374 million USD (about 535.755 billion KRW) annually, steadily increasing from 288.6 million USD (about 413.4195 billion KRW) in 2020.

Merchants in these countries purchase large quantities of used clothes cheaply or receive them as 'donations' from developed countries, then select wearable clothes to resell in their domestic markets. The problem lies with the remaining clothes that even these countries cannot process. Most of these garments are effectively incinerated or landfilled in the importing countries, causing serious environmental pollution. Because of this, France introduced a producer responsibility recycling system for clothing in 2007, requiring clothing manufacturers to bear waste disposal costs. Other European countries are also implementing related systems.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.