Dongdaemun Fashion Cluster and the Circle of Safety


Surprisingly, many fast fashion companies are now in crisis. Of course, there are many causes of the crisis. And in the many causes there are solutions. It is also true that there is opportunity in the midst chaos like the war of losing a lot of life and property.

Although it is forgotten, Aesop’s stories in the 6th century BC about ‘Four Oxen and One Lion’ exists.

One lion saw four oxen in a field. The lion then attacked the bulls several times. Oxen defended against the lion ’s attack, with the tails touching each other and drawing a round circle. They resisted the lion’s attack with their horns.

At last, they had a quarrel among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end to all four oxen.

 “We repair the stall after losing oxen.” It is late. The lesson of the story is that, the fence was not a protective wall.

As Simon Sinek claims, oxen were able to avoid the lion’s strong attack with ‘the Circle of Safety’+



Dongdaemun Fashion Cluster has overcome the crisis by having partnerships with wholesalers, designers, sewing factory employees, and others. Dongdaemun market has been sustainable management thanks to the circle of safety created by four oxen.

“Dongdaemun fashion market, which is favored by foreigners such as K-pop and Korean wave, will be able to maintain stable growth through solid partnership.”

SeoulClick CEO Lee Yong Woo said. He is right. We are sure that Dongdaemun market people have ‘Go together sprit’ so they can survive any crisis.

+ Simon Sinex, Leaders Eat Last (Penguin, 2014), pp. 24-25.
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Bong Sul (Advisor, SeoulClick)
 Read more: Bong (Bong Sik) Sul, Dongdaemun Style, kstudy.com Seoul, 2019.

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