Haksaegwon is Daechidong, 'Bungsegwon' was Euljiro

Finding Bungeoppang Hotspots Using the 'Bungeoppang App'

It has become difficult to find Bungeoppang on the streets. As a result, applications (apps) that search for nearby street stalls have been developed, and among netizens, a new term 'Bungse-gwon' (Bungeoppang + station area) has become popular. So, where are the most beloved domestic 'Bungeoppang hotspots' among citizens?

From Euljiro to Mangwon-dong... There Are So Many Domestic Bungeoppang Hotspots

As the weather gets colder, the popularity of street stall search apps is skyrocketing. Apps like '3000 won in the heart' and 'Bungse-gwon' have already been downloaded by about 50,000 to 100,000 users.

On the afternoon of the 2nd, around 1 PM, after downloading a popular street stall search app and searching, it was found that at least dozens of Bungeoppang stalls were operating throughout Seoul.

Map of Euljiro, Seoul fish-shaped bun shops (left) and Mangwon-dong shop distribution. Euljiro has many street stalls, while Mangwon-dong stands out with unique fish-shaped bun menus. / Photo by Fish-shaped Bun Search App Capture

Among these, the area with a particularly high concentration of Bungeoppang shops was undoubtedly Euljiro. Especially near Anguk Station, Dongdaemun Station, and Tapgol Park, there were street stalls boasting themselves as Bungeoppang masters everywhere.

These stalls are characterized by selling 'nostalgic foods' such as egg bread and pulppang, which flourished in the past street stall era. This seems to reflect the characteristics of the Tapgol Park area, which has a large elderly floating population.

A Bungeoppang hotspot highly rated by netizens was found near Mangwon-dong in Mapo-gu. Here, Bungeoppang is not just a nostalgic food but is proudly treated as one of the 'desserts' alongside Western-style breads like waffles and crepes. Some cafes even make and sell 'luxury Bungeoppang' filled with ice cream, premium cheese, or cream instead of red bean paste.

Three out of Ten Street Stalls Closed Over Eight Years... Now Hard to Find

The reason netizens frequently use street stall search apps is that the number of street stalls has noticeably decreased recently, making it hard to find Bungeoppang shops. On the other hand, using these apps displays street food vendors operating within a few hundred meters on a map, making it much easier to embark on a 'Bungeoppang hunt.'

These street stall search apps are estimated to have been used since at least 2019. They have the unique characteristic of being voluntarily developed and used by netizens to find street food vendors, rather than being platforms developed by companies.

A screen of the Han Bungeoppang app / Photo by App Homepage Capture

Not only the development of the apps but also content updates are based on voluntary information sharing by netizens. When a netizen discovers a Bungeoppang shop or street stall on the street, they post its location and description on the app. The posted data can be viewed by other app users as well.

Some apps also have functions to leave reviews and scores, and the scope has expanded beyond just Bungeoppang to other desserts, snacks, and food trucks.

The longing for street food that is now hard to find seems to have led to the development of these apps. According to data from the Statistics Korea's 'Traditional Market Store and Store Management Survey,' the number of street stalls nationwide, which was 47,669 in 2013, decreased by 30.5% to 33,118 in 2020. In about eight years, three out of ten street stalls nationwide have disappeared.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.