"Chasing Dujjonku and Spring Cabbage Trends"... The Endless Struggles of Small Business Owners

Over 30 Spring Cabbage Products Registered for Manufacturing in the Past Month

Trend of Chasing Popularity Intensifies amid High Inflation and Sluggish Domestic Demand

When Popularity Fades, Equipment and Raw Material Investments Turn into Direct Losses

"Support Should Focus on Enhancing Competitiveness, Not Welfare"

Yoon (37), who operates a dessert cafe in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, recently changed her policy to offer 'Dujjonku' (Dubai Chewy Cookie) for regular sale, after previously selling a limited quantity over the past three months. Due to the continuous influx of customers, she had sold 100 cookies twice a day every Wednesday and Saturday, but recently, the number of customers has noticeably declined, with many days seeing fewer than 50 sold. Now, a pile of unsold Dujjonku cookies sits in one corner of her shop, waiting for customers.

Yoon said, "Once I clear out the remaining stock, I think I'll have to develop a new dessert using spring cabbage. All the nearby shops are jumping on popular products, and if I don't, I feel like I'll be left behind. Like stocks, you need to act quickly to succeed."

Dooztonku (Dubai Chewy Cookie). The Asia Business Daily DB

As the 'Dujjonku craze' that spread through social networking services (SNS) gradually fades, foods like 'spring cabbage' and 'butter rice cake' are emerging as new sales items for small business owners. With excessive competition and a structurally sluggish domestic market, small business owners are being pushed towards short-lived, trending business items.

According to Food Safety Korea, operated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, there have been more than 30 spring cabbage products registered for manufacturing in the past month. The surge in popularity is attributed to a celebrity's past appearance on a broadcast eating spring cabbage bibimbap, which recently went viral on SNS. Meanwhile, the 'Dubai' dessert, which was a major online hit until recently, saw around 200 products registered over the past three months. Product registration is a procedure in which business owners report product information to the government before production.

Citizens are waiting to purchase 'Du-Jjonku' at a Starbucks store in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Behind the explosive popularity and rapid creation of derivative products through SNS lies the struggle of small business owners for survival. With rising raw material costs, increasing labor expenses, and a prolonged domestic recession, many small business owners feel compelled to jump on short-term trends to generate any revenue they can.

According to a survey by the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises last year, 58.2% of all small business owners earned less than 3 million won in monthly operating profit. In other words, six out of ten small business owners made less than 3 million won per month. On the other hand, the number of business closure registrations reached a record high of 1,008,282.

Popular items that gain traction through word of mouth initially sell at high prices and perform well. However, as competition intensifies, profit margins collapse, and prices drop by more than half. Small business owners who invested heavily in equipment and raw materials end up shouldering the losses.

Yoon is also struggling with leftover ingredients she stocked up on during the Dujjonku shortage crisis this past January, when raw material prices soared. Considering the cost of American pistachios, kadaif, marshmallows, cocoa powder, and other ingredients, the manufacturing cost per Dujjonku (based on 50g) is about 4,500 won, but even products priced at 6,500 won are no longer selling well.

Yoon lamented, "There was a time when I couldn't meet demand even at 7,000 won per piece. The ingredients I stocked back then have become a burden now. If I lower the selling price, the loss is too great, but if I leave things as they are, there are no customers—it's a difficult situation."

Experts emphasize that the fundamental problem lies in the domestic self-employment market structure, where most small business owners enter the market without clear preparation. They argue that the government should focus on fostering competitive small business owners, rather than unconditional support for all.

Chaeun Lim, a professor of business administration at Sogang University, stated, "The majority of small business owners in Korea are people who failed to find reemployment after retirement and started their businesses simply to make a living. Because most open up with little capital and little thought, they lack competitiveness and end up chasing trends. Instead of continuing welfare-type support for small business owners, the government needs to consider policies aimed at enhancing their competitiveness."

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