Hwangnam bread sees surge in demand and imitation after APEC summit

Hwangnam bread sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his delegation is seen in this October file photo. Courtesy of presidential office

Demand for Gyeongju’s famed Hwangnam bread has surged following last week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city, prompting the brand on Tuesday to warn against resellers inflating prices and vendors passing off imitations as the original.

First made in 1939, the thin, hand-pressed pastry filled with sweet red bean paste — named for a local neighborhood — is a signature specialty of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Last week, President Lee Jae Myung presented freshly baked Hwangnam bread to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the message that he hoped Xi would “enjoy the taste of Gyeongju.”

At the APEC summit, Xi told Lee that he had enjoyed the bread, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

Lee later sent an additional 200 boxes to the Chinese delegation and instructed Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to present Hwangnam bread to the other APEC member delegations as well.

Visitors line up to purchase Hwangnam bread at the brand’s store in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. Yonhap

The bread has quickly seen a surge in demand, leading to shortages and a rise in reselling and imitation products.

“Recently, we have seen Hwangnam bread being resold online at inflated prices and imitation products circulated, leading to consumer harm,” the bakery said in a notice posted on its website Tuesday. “Please place orders only through our official website.”

While the bakery’s phone line has been difficult to reach due to high call volume, wait times at its Gyeongju flagship store have reportedly stretched up to three hours, with orders more than tripling.

The bakery is believed to have been selected as an official gift after undergoing a review process by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the APEC summit, according to local reports.

“We explained to the ministry that although similar products exist, we are the original and use only high-quality ingredients,” a company official was quoted as saying in Korean media.