SEOUL — Seoul’s new “Seoul Bread,” developed with a private bakery company, has sold more than 10,000 units in just 10 days, the city government said. Officials credited the strong response to a “less sweet, clean-tasting” health concept that aligns with growing consumer interest in low-sugar foods.
Seoul said on the 28th that “Seoul Sweet Red Bean Bread” and “Seoul Whole-Wheat Bread,” jointly planned with Koryodang, an 80-year-old bakery company, recorded cumulative sales of 10,339 as of the 25th after going on sale on the 15th. Average daily sales topped 1,000, with some stores selling out early and customers waiting to buy.
The products have been sold at Koryodang stores inside Lotte Department Store’s main branch and Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch. With sellouts continuing since launch, the city said the items are emerging as another Seoul-branded food souvenir following “Seoul Ramen.”
Seoul pointed to the recipes as a key driver. The sweet red bean bread uses a fermentation process to boost flavor while cutting the sweetness of the filling by 36% compared with existing products. The whole-wheat bread uses no sugar or butter. Consumers have responded with comments such as, “It’s less sweet, so it’s not heavy,” and “It’s filling enough for a meal.”
Packaging also helped, the city said, featuring major Seoul landmarks including Gwanghwamun, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Namsan Tower, drawing souvenir demand among foreign tourists.
Based on the early results, Seoul plans to expand the lineup. Starting in late May, it will roll out castella, madeleines, rice twisted doughnuts, and cookie-and-yanggaeng sets. In the second half of the year, it plans to broaden distribution to convenience stores and duty-free shops. The city will also run a pop-up store May 1-5 at the Seoul Gallery inside Seoul City Hall to sell the products to visitors during the Children’s Day holiday period.
“Seoul Bread is drawing strong interest from both residents and tourists and is becoming a new Seoul food content,” said Min Su-hong, Seoul’s director general for public relations planning. “Through private-sector partnerships, we will continue to expand the Seoul brand experience,” he said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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