The sunglasses and clothes worn by Lee Sang-hwa, who won the gold medal in women's 500-m speed skating at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, are selling like hot cakes in Korea.
According to the online shopping mall Auction, sales of the sunglasses Lee wore during her signature event rose 210 percent on-year between Feb. 7 and Thursday.
"The sports sunglasses Lee wore cost around W250,000 (US$1=W1,059) and are already in short supply, becoming an instant hit as soon as Lee was seen on TV sporting the item," an Auction spokesman said. "Sales of similar products from the same brand are also soaring."
After successfully defending her Olympic title in the women's 500-m event in Sochi last Tuesday, Lee took off her sunglasses to rest on her left thigh and burst into tears of joy. With the sunglasses on her thigh, she celebrated her victory, waving the Korean flag.
The FILA sweatshirt that Lee wore before her race is also gaining popularity. FILA sponsored uniforms for Korean Olympic athletes and said sales of its clothing, including Lee's shirt, increased seven times overall in annualized terms.
