How Korean bedding became a coveted souvenir

At Seoul’s Gwangjang Market, a destination long associated with textiles and fabrics, a growing number of foreign visitors are shopping for something unexpected: Korean bedding.

Inside one bedding store, stacks of colorful quilts and blankets lined the walls while recently purchased items were being vacuum-packed for travelers preparing to take them overseas.

“About 70 percent of our customers are foreigners these days,” said the owner, surnamed Kim, of the bedding store at the market.

“Many for ...