Choi Bokho draws 1,000–1,500 visitors

Choi Bok-ho’s move from department-store fashion to a mountain tailor shop in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang, resurfaced on May 24 in an X thread that pointed readers back to recent Korean reports and television coverage. The posts said the veteran designer now runs a countryside studio focused on custom clothing, drawing about 1,000 to 1,500 visitors a month and generating as much as 60 million won in monthly sales from orders. Those figures were not new: they appeared in coverage tied to EBS’s May 13 broadcast of “The Millionaire Next Door,” which profiled Choi ahead of his 80th birthday. Choi’s official biography says he debuted in 1973, a detail repeated in the social-media discussion and in recent Korean press coverage. ### Where did the 1,000-to-1,500 visitor figure come from? EBS’s May 13 episode on Choi’s career supplied the numbers now circulating online. Korean press reports summarizing the program said Choi described his shop as attracting an average of 1,000 visitors a month, with totals reaching 1,500, while monthly sales can climb to about 60 million won. Sports Kyunghyang’s English-language report and other Korean outlets carried the same figures after the broadcast. (sports.khan.co.kr) The shop was described in those reports as a dressmaking studio deep in the mountains of Cheongdo that Choi has operated for 18 years. Daum and other Korean coverage said the property spans about 2,500 pyeong, or roughly 8,260 square meters, though the sales and visitor figures were framed as Choi’s own account on the program. ### Why did Choi leave the department-store system? (sports.khan.co.kr) Choi said he moved into the mountains because he missed the direct exchange that came with made-to-measure work. Korean reports quoting the EBS episode said he explained that “conversation with customers” had disappeared inside the department-store system and that he wanted to return to making custom garments and meeting clients face to face. (v.daum.net) Newsen and Sports Donga reported that Choi made that move 18 years ago despite opposition from people around him. The countryside studio, those reports said, has continued to attract customers by word of mouth. ### Who is Choi Bok-ho in Korean fashion? Choi’s official website says he debuted in 1973 with a collection titled “Project D by a man with Othello syndrome: Women’s rights.” Recent press reports and the EBS-linked coverage describe him as a first-generation South Korean fashion designer who has remained active for 53 years. (newsen.com) Ajupress reported on May 13 that Choi’s cumulative sales have reached about 500 billion won. (newsen.com) Several Korean outlets tied to the EBS appearance repeated that figure while presenting him as a veteran designer still working as he approaches 80. ### What exactly was circulating on May 24? An X post dated May 24 highlighted Choi’s long career and his countryside pivot, citing the studio’s monthly foot traffic and revenue. (choiboko.com) The post’s reference to 1973 matched Choi’s official biography and recent Korean reporting, while the business figures matched accounts published after the May 13 EBS episode. The social-media attention appears to have amplified a television profile rather than reveal a new business update. (ajupress.com) No new filing or company statement located in this reporting changed the visitor or revenue figures beyond what Choi said in the May 13 program. ### Where can readers find the next concrete reference point? EBS aired Choi’s episode of “The Millionaire Next Door” on May 13, and Korean press summaries published on May 13 and May 14 remain the clearest sourced accounts of the shop’s traffic and sales. (choiboko.com) Choi’s official website, which lists his 1973 debut and career background, is the main primary-source reference for his biography. (ajupress.com) (sports.khan.co.kr)