Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Neukgu Bread: Escaped wolf inspires bakers, sports teams
Neukgu Bread / Captured from Instagram
By Baek Byung-yeul
Neukgu, a gray wolf that escaped from O-World theme park in Daejeon, has become inspiration for the city's snack lovers.
Harehare, a bakery in Daejeon, recently launched a limited-edition "Neukgu bread" to celebrate the animal's safe return, featuring the wolf’s face drawn in chocolate on the crust. The bakery reported that its daily stock of 50 buns sells out within minutes of opening.
The wolf escaped from the zoo on April 8 and was recaptured by the authorities on April 17, but the attention didn't die down after its return to the theme park.
LG Electronics' Best Shop in Daejeon, Saturday, displays the message "Thank you for coming back, Neukgu." Yonhap
In addition to Neukgu Bread, LG Electronics' Best Shop's Daejeon store used its massive digital billboard to send a message to the wolf on behalf of the townspeople.
The previous "Come back, Neukgu" plea was replaced on April 17 with a celebratory "Thank you for coming back, Neukgu" message, which remains visible and part of the advertising rotation for the billboard.
Equally intriguing is how Neukgu's story has become intertwined with the city's sports scene. People are calling Neukgu a "living lucky charm" because Daejeon's football and baseball teams started winning again as soon as the wolf returned.
In K League 1 football league, the Daejeon Hana Citizens secured a 1-0 victory against FC Seoul on April 18, ending a 31-day drought with no wins.
On the same day, the Hanwha Eagles baseball team shut out the Lotte Giants 5-0, marking their first win in ten days.
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo also fueled the narrative, posting on his social media that, "As soon as Neukgu returned, both our football and baseball teams won."
While the public celebrates, Daejeon O-World remains closed to the public as it undergoes a safety audit and facility restructuring.
The theme park has been providing daily updates about Neukgu's health online, showing the wolf resting and feeding.
"Neukgu is currently recovering his strength and receiving a steady diet," an O-World official stated. "A reopening date has not yet been set as we prioritize a full overhaul of our safari management systems."