Thousands of expatriates and foreign envoys from all over the world, as well as locals with an eye to holiday shopping, converged on the Seoul Museum of History in downtown Seoul on Tuesday.

The largest expatriate women’s association in Korea held what may have been its largest annual community bazaar yet. The Seoul International Women’s Association pulled out the stops in preparing this year’s bazaar to celebrate its 50th anniversary as an organization.

The 34th annual SIWA and Diplomatic Community Bazaar was massive, filling the otherwise cacophonous halls of the metropolitan museum with a throng of eager shoppers, supporters and the simply curious. Some 36 foreign embassies, perhaps the highest number of foreign diplomatic missions ever, took part this year.

SIWA’s annual bazaar raises money for local charities providing valuable support to more than 30 local charities, including homes for the disabled, study rooms in poor neighborhoods, and centers for migrant workers and multi-cultural families. 

SIWA President Terri Hartman said about 100 million won ($90,000) was raised last year, and this year she expects to do even better.

“I keep counting packages. I want to see how many people are leaving with bags,” Hartman said. “We are shooting for 150 million won this year.”

Over $2 million has been raised in the 30-plus-year history of the bazaar, she said.

The link between SIWA and the foreign diplomatic community is palpable. Many ambassadors and their spouses participate as vendors and diplomatic missions set up booths selling cultural items unique to their nations like figurines and other knick-knacks. It is possible to buy a scarf, bottle of wine or a bar of chocolate from the chief representative of a diplomatic mission.

That’s because the bazaar is a unique chance for diplomats to give back to their host country by giving to charity, as well as raise awareness of their nation among the wider public.

For many bazaar-goers, however, the food was the biggest draw. Dozens of foreign diplomatic missions set up food stalls serving their national favorites.

The Nordic countries with diplomatic missions here, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, pooled their resources to present the sights and tastes of Scandinavia, selling chocolates and other holiday fare such as schnapps, and even dressing up in national costume.

Hilkka Heimonen, wife of Finnish Ambassador to Korea Matti Heimonen, wore the national costume of her country, as did Nordic Club President Kristine Meeks, who hails from Norway.

The venue was a particularly unique aspect of this year’s bazaar with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon lending his support to SIWA.

“The Seoul Metropolitan Government was very helpful in helping us get this venue. (The Seoul Museum of History) have had events here before, but nothing of this magnitude,” Hartman said. The wife of the mayor, Kang Nan-hee, even delivered a short speech during the bazaar’s opening ceremony.

One museum official estimated some 5,000 people would visit the bazaar by day’s end. That is nearly twice the size of last year’s bazaar, which saw some 3,000 visitors, according to media reports.

“The special exhibition here of the Jeong-dong district has a special tie in with us, because we have 36 embassies participating and the Jeongdong district was the city’s original diplomatic district,” she said.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)