'Hard work is recipe for bakery's survival'

Seo Jung-bok, left, stands with his wife, center, and son in his 42-year-old Dongbu Koryu Bakery in Mangu-dong, eastern Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times photos by Kim Bo-eun

This is the second in a series of articles featuring Seoul City-designated Future Heritages, modern-day assets that have not been designated as state cultural properties but have enough value to be handed down to future generations. _ ED.

By Kim Bo-eun

Walking neighborhood streets, it is not hard to encounter bakery franchises such as Paris Baguette or Tous Les Jours.

But Dongbu Koryu Bakery in Mangu-dong, eastern Seoul, is a rarity _ it is run by an individual owner, not a franchise giant. It has been designated as one of Seoul’s Future Heritages.

Seo Jung-bok, owner of the 42-year-old bakery, represents a living history of the area.

Seo, 58, was born and raised in Mangu-dong. It has been 30 years since he took over the bakery, but he started working there long before that: He was in his teens when he began helping out at the bakery his older brother opened in 1974.

The 46-square-meter store has kept its spot on the corner of the alleyway throughout its history, although it has had five renovations. Naturally, many customers are regulars whom Seo has been seeing for decades.

“A customer once told me, ‘I can tell I have aged by looking at you,’” Seo said with a laugh.

He says there is nothing flashy about the store or the baked goods it sells, but he takes immense pride in the taste of his bread.

“It is old-style bread we make,” he said. “We do not have the machinery to make new-style products.”

Examples are sponge cake and “manju,” bread filled with bean or chestnut pastes.

Seo takes pride in the bakery's old-style bread, such as “manju,” bread filled with bean or chestnut pastes.

Seo says bakeries now use a lot of yeast to make the bread rise quickly.

"We do it the old way, which takes more effort,” he said. “It doesn't make the bread look as nice as products at other bakeries, but makes it taste better."

Although the bakery has patissiers, Seo makes the old-style bread that customers seek. But without the machinery, the bakery is behind on productivity and cost-effectiveness, he says.

“Small bakeries cannot compete with big-name franchise bakeries or discount retailers,” Seo said. “There are three major retailers in the neighborhood. At 10 p.m., before they close, they offer buy-one-get-one-free deals.”

According to Seo, bakeries are not the only competitors. His bakery loses customers to other shops selling food, from dumplings and hotdogs to pizza.

It has been a tough road. Seo says the bakery has made enough for him to get by, but said he “lives simply to keep things going.”

He opens the shop at 6 a.m. and closes it at 12:30 a.m. It is open daily, except holidays.

Seo holds up a tray of baked goods in the kitchen. Although the bakery has patissiers, Seo continues to make the old-style bread that customers seek.

Thanks to Seo’s work ethic, most people in the neighborhood know the place.

“I think this is a reflection of how hard we have worked,” he said. “Many times I wanted to quit, but receiving recognition from Seoul City has become a new opportunity for us to keep going.

“It is a great comfort that our efforts are acknowledged, that they have not been in vain.”

Seo’s son, 28, who is back after serving in the air force, is manager of the store for now, but there are hopes he will succeed his father.