Lee Yeon-woo is a financial journalist at The Korea Times. Her wide range of reporting includes policies, macroeconomics, stock market, companies and even crypto. She is passionate about connecting the dots in Korean finance and making it easier for foreign nationals to understand. Based on her previous experience as a national reporter, she also has a keen interest in social issues within the sector, including gender equality and ESG. Your tips and insights are always appreciated. You can send them to yanu@koreatimes.co.kr.
Liberation Day Bread a sell-out success, blending history with heartfelt flavor
Boxes of Liberation Day Bread are stacked at Sungsimdang bakery in Daejeon for this year's special sale, which lasted through Aug. 17. Courtesy of Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp.
By Lee Yeon-woo
Collaboration between Daejeon-based KOMSCO and Sungsimdang inspired by oldest surviving Korean flag
“Liberation Day Bread,” launched by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. (KOMSCO) in collaboration with Daejeon’s beloved bakery Sungsimdang to commemorate the 80th National Liberation Day, was a sell-out success, the state-run minting company said Tuesday.
Both based in Daejeon, KOMSCO and Sungsimdang developed the special treat as a meaningful tribute to this year’s Liberation Day, aiming to bring the spirit of the historic occasion closer to people’s everyday lives.
The product — a limited-edition box containing four madeleines — was available at all Sungsimdang stores through Sunday.
Sales surpassed 3,000 per day in the lead-up to the Aug. 15 holiday, with particularly strong demand over the weekend.
The popularity surpassed last year’s figures, when 21,870 products were sold during the first weeks of the campaign and total sales revenue exceeded 100 million won ($71,900).
This year’s success was attributed to a more thoughtfully crafted product design, inspired by the Denny Taegeukgi, the oldest surviving prototype of the Korean national flag.
KOMSCO explained that the product's design was the result of a unique collaboration, pairing the company’s technical expertise in engraving and design with Sungsimdang’s decades of baking craftsmanship.
On Liberation Day itself, 20,000 miniature Denny Taegeukgi flags were distributed to customers visiting the bakery.
“As the historical meaning of liberation fades with time, we wanted to convey its value in a way that feels close to daily life,” said Kim Jae-min, a currency designer at KOMSCO. “That’s why we partnered with Sungsimdang, a bakery that shares love through bread in people’s everyday moments.”
Kim noted that the Denny Taegeukgi came to mind after considerable thought about how best to honor the day through design.
Originally presented by King Gojong to Owen N. Denny (1838–1900), an American diplomat and adviser to the king, the Denny Taegeukgi was donated to the National Museum of Korea by Denny’s descendants in 1981.
The flag provides a glimpse into the early development of Korea’s national symbol, with its bold Taegeuk swirl and distinctive blue trigrams.
It was designated a national treasure in 2021.
A box of Liberation Day bread co-launched by Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. (KOMSCO) and Sungsimdang / Courtesy of KOMSCO
Sungsimdang CEO Lim Young-jin emphasized that the bread is more than a seasonal item.
“It is a tribute to those who sacrificed for Korea’s freedom,” the CEO said. “To eat and share Liberation Day Bread is to carry with it memories and gratitude.”
Sung added, “We hope it serves as a reminder of the freedom and everyday life we’re able to cherish today, along with the simple joy of sharing food.”
The campaign received an overwhelmingly warm response from the public.
On social media, many users described the bread as a “meaningful souvenir” and a “special gift for family and friends.”
One commenter shared, “I heard my grandparents’ stories while sharing the bread with my mom.”
Another wrote, “I learned about the Denny Taegeukgi through the bread.”
To further honor the spirit of Liberation Day, KOMSCO and Sungsimdang said they will donate part of the proceeds to descendants of independence patriots, in partnership with the Daejeon Regional Office of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
KOMSCO has previously marked key national events with commemorative coins — including the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the centennial of the March 1st Independence Movement — as a way of preserving and celebrating Korea’s historical milestones.