Day 37: The Nation of Health

The picture quality isn't all that great, I know. And it's not even a picture of something all that interesting... on the surface at least. This is a store, if you can't already tell, called '건강나라', or for those of you who don't speak the Korean, 'Health Nation'. With such a name we'd all expect something along the lines of a health food store, or something large and expansive with hot muscular men inside waiting to whip you into shape. Well, there are no hot muscular men, but an old lady, and she isn't going to whip you into shape as much as she is going to try and sell you ginseng and orthopedic shoes. That's right cats and dogs, this store is for old people, probably those way past retirement. Some of their key inventory include: walking shoes, leotards, body suits, jackets, rocks with lights inside, and boxes of paper. Nothing screams 'living a healthy life' better than paper and light-up rocks. Stores like this pop up all around Seoul, most of the time concentrated in specific areas where 'hikers' will buy their 'equipment'; ah yes hiking, arguably one of the favorite past times of retired Korean folk. This store, though, is a bit out of place, considering it's across the street from a GS25 and fried chicken, and next to a hair salon and construction equipment. The store is huge, though, even if there is really nothing inside. And yes, that is a rack with clothes on it outside trying to entice those buyers to mosey on inside for more browsing. Mind you, it was around 8pm when I took this picture and the only people walking outside were students and people going home after work. Something tells me the time peak for their target market are already in bed.