How Daejeon evolved from 'city of no fun' to 'city of bread'
In 2019, Daejeon Metropolitan City made an unusual pitch to tourists, asking them to post their own tour flowchart for what it jokingly calls “Boring Daejeon.” It works like a decision tree for a friend visiting Daejeon: answer “yes” or “no” to questions like “Can you invite them to your home?” and no matter the path, it always ends the same way: “Stop by Sungsimdang — a historic bakery nestled…
In 2019, the Daejeon Metropolitan City took a unique approach to attract tourists, offering them a self-guided "Boring Daejeon" tour. This decision tree-style itinerary, which always ended at Sungsimdang, a historic bakery, was designed to highlight the city's reputation as a "boring" place lacking top-notch attractions. Despite this self-imposed label, Daejeon saw a record 90.94 million visitors in the past year, with a significant 48.1 percent of those visits driven by food tourism.
Much of the city's culinary allure can be attributed to its renowned bakery scene, led by the iconic Sungsimdang. The origins of this bakery tradition can be traced back decades, coinciding with the city's role as a hub for flour-based foods during the aftermath of the 1950-53 Korean War. During this time, the United States provided the city with free flour as part of relief aid efforts, laying the foundation for Daejeon's enduring love affair with bread.
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- How Daejeon evolved from 'city of no fun' to 'city of bread' koreatimes.co.kr
