Seoul stationery shop owner bids emotional farewell to young customers

An old stationery shop in the Eundma Apartment complex in Seoul's Daechi-dong is closing its doors, leaving behind a touching farewell from its owner. The shopkeeper posted a handwritten letter on the store's window, expressing gratitude to his "beloved child friends and countless customers."

"Although the doors are closing, I will cheer for your wonderful futures from afar," the letter read. "Stay healthy. I love you."

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Although the doors are closing, I will cheer for your wonderful futures from afar. Stay healthy. I love you.

The owner also listed the names of about 20 children he particularly remembered, adding, "I will miss you all dearly. I will always cheer you on, so keep fighting."

Residents speculate the closure is linked to the impending reconstruction of the Eundma Apartment complex. The shop's closing mirrors a national decline in traditional stationery stores. In 1999, there were about 26,900 such stores nationwide; by 2012, this number had fallen to roughly 14,700, and by last year, it was around 4,000. This decline is attributed to the rise of online shopping platforms and the proliferation of low-cost general merchandise stores, shifting consumer demand away from small, local shops.

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I will miss you all dearly. I will always cheer you on, so keep fighting.