“Daejeon” means “a large field.” Originally a quiet rural town, its location on the Gyeongbu Line elevated it to a large city. The city is divided into the old and new towns. The former, near Daejeon Station, features well-known restaurants and cutesy shops clustered near Euneungjeongi Culture Street. Another popular hangout is Soje-dong, whose retro-style cafés are becoming ever more popular. Daejeon’s new town is formed around the Daedeok area’s institutes of higher learning and research. Because it is a planned city, it has a spacious and green ambience. Despite being one of the largest cities in Korea, Daejeon also has spaces filled with things other than high-rise buildings. Gyeryongsan National Park is located near the city, so you can go for a hike in the mountains as a day trip, while Daecheongho Lake’s famously clear water can be found only a short jaunt away.
The city of Sejong, or Sejong Special Self-Governing City, was separated from Chungcheongnam-do Province in 2012 to serve as the administrative capital of Korea. It is divided into the former Jochiwon area, the Government Complex Sejong, and the residential areas near the new town. Sejong is surrounded by fertile farmlands fed by the Geumgang and Mihogang Rivers. It is known for its rice and fruits, particularly peaches. Sejong’s landmark is the massively circular Geumgang Pedestrian Bridge. Also known as “Ieung Bridge” after the Hangeul character “ㅇ,” the bridge has a circumference of 1,446m, inspired by the year in which Hangeul was proclaimed by King Sejong the Great.
Sejong Lake Park, the largest of its kind in Korea, is very accessible to citizens of Sejong, so on weekends, it becomes quite crowded with those who want to enjoy their days off. The park also hosts various cultural events centered around its Floating Stage. The Rooftop Garden at Government Complex Sejong is the largest rooftop garden in the world, located at the center of Sejong City. Circling its 3.6km-long walking trails that weave through 15 buildings, equivalent to 11 soccer fields, takes 90 min.
Since its humble beginnings as a small stall in front of Daejeon Station in 1956, Sungsimdang has become the most famous bakery in Daejeon. It offers hundreds of items, including its two bestsellers, the Deep-fried Korean Streusel Bun and Chive Bun. The main store commands crowds of visitors no matter the weather or the time of the day. Recently, Sungsimdang has begun showcasing interesting merch through the Sungsimdang Culture Space.
 | SUNGSIMDANG TWISO SOAP This upcycled product is made with oil that was used to deep-fry Sungsimdang’s iconic Deep-fried Korean Streusel Bun. The soap actually takes after its namesake with its yellow packaging, the streusel-like crust, and even the red bean paste in the bread. That is not to say that the soap is all show and no go.
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 | SUNGSIMDANG DEEP-FRIED KOREAN STREUSEL This is one of the most recognizable bestsellers among Korean bread: A grand total of 88,296,214 buns were sold from 1980 to 2022. The bread is made with flour, red beans, butter, almonds, and eggs. Red beans are made into a sweet red bean paste by hand, and the streusel bun is filled with the paste before being deep-fried on the spot.
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 | SUNGSIMDANG RETRO GLASS CUP This glass cup is perfect for serving milk or juice. It features the characteristically strong design sensibilities of Sungsimdang, which can be found consistently across its books, packaging, and merch.
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 | SUNGSIMDANG MOCHI MOCHI BREAD This bread is made with the finest flour using the water roux technique. Despite not featuring any sweet rice in the dough, the bread is named after the sweet rice cake (mochi) because of its springy texture. Hand-shred the bread and dig in, and see why the fans of bread in Korea recognize it as the best of the best.
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Q Sungsimdang always has huge lines, so I can’t muster up enough courage to get in there. Who can I ask for information in the building? There’s no need to worry about crowds. Just ask our staff members, and staff members who speak English, Chinese, and Japanese will be with you shortly.
Q Are there any desserts with a Korean feel? There’s a store called “Yenmatsomssi” in front of the main branch. It sells traditional sweets like yakgwa (honey cookies), sikhye (sweet rice punch), and manju, all made by Sungsimdang.
