'Places to Visit on Vacation' 19 Baeknyeon Gage Selected by the People

19 National Recommendations Selected for the First Time This Year, Expanding Industries and Scale to Discover Diverse Success Models

Modubu from 'Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu' in Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, selected as a Baeknyeon Gage through national recommendation this year. Photo by Gangneung Tourism Development Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] ‘Taegukdang’ in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, is a neighborhood bakery with a 75-year history. This store, which has become the oldest bakery in Seoul alongside Iseongdang, the oldest bakery nationwide, started with jeonbyeong (Korean pancakes) and yanggaeng (red bean jelly). Its ‘Monaka Ice Cream,’ launched in 1947, gained tremendous popularity, leading to branches in Jongno, Namdaemun, and Euljiro. After facing challenges due to the rise of large franchise bakeries in the 1990s, Taegukdang closed its branches and reopened in 2015, gaining popularity as a Newtro (new retro) hotspot and is now run by the third generation.

There are stores that have maintained their legacy for over 30 years and have been consistently loved by customers. Among these, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has established the ‘Baeknyeon Gage’ (Century Store) certification system, recognizing stores with excellent quality and growth potential.

On the 11th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it had newly selected 71 stores nationwide, including restaurants and retail businesses, as ‘Baeknyeon Gage’ (Century Stores).

Introduced in June 2018, Baeknyeon Gage selects stores with over 30 years of operation based on comprehensive evaluations by experts on the owner’s willingness to innovate, product and service differentiation, and business sustainability. After selection, expert consulting and capacity-building education are provided to help the stores survive and grow for over a century. Notably, from this year, 19 of the 71 newly selected stores were recommended through public nominations.

19 Baeknyeon Gage selected through national recommendation. Table = Provided by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups

Following Taegukdang, the 38-year-old cold noodle restaurant Sutgolwon Naengmyeon, located in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, is a long-established store that maintains tradition while attracting new customers by operating SNS and frequently appearing on broadcasts. All dishes, including broth, noodles, and pickled radish, are made using carefully selected ingredients directly sourced by the store. The seasonal menu, such as pheasant cold noodles, has been highly praised for product differentiation.

Chodang Halmeoni Sundubu, with 28 years of tradition, is a well-known store in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. It inherits the secret recipes of grandparents and father, making fresh tofu daily using domestic soybeans and brine from the East Sea in a traditional method. Utilizing the local specialty Donghae silk clam, it developed ‘Spicy Jjaebok Sundubu’ which, along with Chodang Sundubu, has received positive responses from customers.

With 29 years of operation, Tto Wayu Restaurant in Eumseong, Chungbuk, is famous for traditional-style dumplings and continues to attract customers nostalgic for old times. It features an open kitchen with high hygiene standards and actively participates in community return projects based on sharing and volunteer spirit. It is praised for its accumulated know-how in traditional manufacturing processes and high potential for business model expansion.

Gaseon Restaurant in Yeongdong, Chungbuk, the first to start ‘Eojuk’ (fish porridge) in the Geum River basin, holds competitiveness with differentiated products such as handmade fish porridge sujebi, fish porridge, and fish soup. It has gained a reputation for high-quality food stemming from the owner’s long experience and aims for sustainable management through third-generation succession.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand collaboration with private companies to increase the recognition and brand spread of these Baeknyeon Gage stores. The first collaboration will begin with Naver’s online map construction. By entering ‘Baeknyeon Gage’ in the search bar, users can access a search service showing the locations and brief introductions of 405 Baeknyeon Gage stores.

Meanwhile, the Ministry announced plans to develop semi-prepared Baeknyeon Gage food products in cooperation with distribution companies in the second half of this year and to sell famous Baeknyeon Gage foods at major supermarkets nationwide.