Open-air markets in Korea are being reshaped by foreigners who move in with their stalls or come to shop.

Open-air markets almost disappeared altogether in the 1980s and 90s as they lost customers to glitzy malls. But they are experiencing a renaissance thanks to tourists who are looking for a little character in the identikit clusters of Korean cities, hunting bargains, or staffing the stalls and stores.

One implausible example is the Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Seoul, where workers from Côte d'Ivoire started appearing three years ago, and now more than 20 people from the West African work there.

"People from Côte d'Ivoire came to work in the market after fleeing the civil war in their country," said Jang Jeong-yeol, head of the merchants' association at the fish market. Some are illegal, but most have work visas or refugee status.

The merchants are happy to hire them because Koreans do not like the smelly job. One 65-year-old employer said, "They're paid about the same as a Korean worker, but you can't find any Koreans willing to work here."

Even Chinese and Southeast Asians tend to avoid the fish market. "African workers help me run the store from handcarting fish to selling it," a fishmonger said. "They're very hard-working and the traders are very satisfied with their performance."