"How Boring Could It Be..." Visiting Just to Look, Leaving After Seeing Only Seongsimdang in Daejeon [No-Fun City]

[No Fun, Searching for the Fun in the City]
<2>Cities Trapped in the 'No Fun City' Frame
① Daejeon Behind the Spread of No Fun Cities... Seongsimdang as a 'Double-Edged Sword'
Good Living Conditions and Many Contents, but Outsiders Only Visit for a Day Trip

Editor's NoteAre you familiar with so-called 'No-Jam Cities,' meaning boring cities? These are cities lacking in things to do, see, and enjoy, where locals feel bored and people from other regions rarely visit. Since 2019, the term 'No-Jam City' has been used on social networking services (SNS) to describe various cities. What started as a kind of meme for fun has led local governments in places like Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju to launch 'Fun City Creation Projects.' Are cities labeled 'No-Jam' really dull and boring? What makes a city fun? We aim to reflect on the places and spaces where we live.

"Travel plans? I just came to see Seongsimdang."

At 9 a.m. on July 23, people began flocking to the main branch of the bakery Seongsimdang located in Jung-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, as soon as it opened. The 'Seongsimdang Boutique,' which specializes only in cakes and is adjacent to the main store, was the same. Bullet taxis lined up along the main road next to the store. Despite the rainy weather, people hurriedly opened taxi doors and ran out without even fully opening their umbrellas, lining up in front of the store.

25-year-old Lee Ji-min, who came to buy the summer-limited cake 'Mango Siru,' sighed in relief, saying, "I came from Incheon since dawn, so I'm glad I wasn't late." When asked by a reporter about her plans after Seongsimdang, she replied, "None. I came to buy cake, so now I'll eat and then return to Incheon." The Euneungjeongi street where Seongsimdang is located had vacant shops with 'For Rent' signs every other building, contrasting sharply with the long lines.

Hundreds of customers are lined up early in the morning in front of Seongsimdang's Cake Boutique, a representative attraction of Daejeon, to purchase cakes. Photo by Heo Younghan

'Daejeon = Seongsimdang' formula succeeds in increasing local visitors

As the formula 'Daejeon is Seongsimdang' became ingrained, Daejeon ironically became the top city labeled as a 'No-Jam City.' The image emerged that the city is nothing special without Seongsimdang.

However, the label 'No-Jam City' has recently had the opposite effect on attracting tourists to Daejeon. Since the No-Jam City controversy began, more people have come saying, "I want to see for myself if Daejeon is really boring without Seongsimdang." Indeed, in any neighborhood in Daejeon, it is common to see outsiders carrying Seongsimdang's green cake boxes and brown shopping bags.

Visitors are lining up in front of the Seongsimdang main store, a representative attraction of Daejeon, to purchase bread. Photo by Heo Young-han

At the Travel Lounge near Daejeon Station that day, even at the early hour of 8:30 a.m. on a weekday, groups of 2-3 people in their 20s, friends or couples, came in. Most had arrived early in the morning and were spending time before Seongsimdang opened. A Travel Lounge official said, "When this place opened in 2020, there weren't this many people, but now on weekends, 300-400 visitors come. It seems to be increasing every year," adding, "The No-Jam City title has actually brought viral marketing benefits to Daejeon."

Statistics support this. According to the Korea Tourism Organization's Data Lab on regional visitor numbers, the number of outsiders visiting Daejeon was 69,495,994 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, 69,142,326 in 2021, then increased to 75,674,507 in 2022 and 82,189,941 in 2023. This change came as No-Jam City and Seongsimdang became synonymous with Daejeon.

Yuk Young-chae, in her 20s, who runs a small goods shop in Dunsan-dong, a bustling area popular with young people, said, "When seasonal limited menus like strawberry siru at Seongsimdang become popular, our shop suddenly gets a lot more customers. Nearby stores probably experience the same," adding, "The nickname No-Jam City doesn't feel bad because at least Daejeon has become famous now."

After Seongsimdang, no next destination... 'Seongsim Metropolitan City' becomes a double-edged sword

The problem is that the image of Daejeon as having nothing fun besides Seongsimdang is becoming entrenched. According to the '2023 Daejeon Tourist Survey' by the Daejeon Tourism Corporation, 84.5% of travelers visiting Daejeon make day trips. This means there is a lack of tourism factors that encourage overnight stays. To maximize the economic impact of visitors from outside, increasing their length of stay is key.

Local tourism experts say building tourism infrastructure such as accommodations is urgent. A Daejeon Tourism Association official explained, "Unlike Gyeongju, Daejeon lacks accommodation infrastructure to host group tourists like school trips. That's why many think of Daejeon as a day-trip city," adding, "If accommodation, experience, and tourism are connected to increase stay time, consumption rises and various effects occur together. Since this isn't happening, the tourism industry inevitably stagnates."

In fact, Daejeon's geographic characteristics seem to have some influence. Located centrally inland, it takes similar time to reach anywhere in South Korea, which is an advantage, but it also means there are no natural attractions like the sea in Gangneung or Yangyang, or the Han River in Seoul to draw tourists. Also, Daejeon's other image as a 'science city' with KAIST and Daedeok Research Complex is a static element that is practically impossible to experience.

A banner promoting the win-win project "Euneungirang Seongsimirang" between Daejeon Seongsimdang and the surrounding Eunhang-dong shopping district is hung on the road near Seongsimdang. This event offers various benefits when presenting a Seongsimdang receipt at participating stores. Photo by Heo Younghan

As a result, visitors to Daejeon often just visit Seongsimdang and then fill the rest of their itinerary with 'food experiences' at nearby restaurants and cafes. A woman in her 20s met at Daejeon Jungang Market said, "My friend is from Daejeon, so I came for a day trip," adding, "I plan to go to Seongsimdang, eat the famous tofu duruchigi in Daejeon, check out the beer festival, and catch the last train."

No Mo, in her 20s, who works part-time at a cafe in Galma-dong's cafe street called 'Gallidan-gil,' said, "I don't know how long Seongsimdang's popularity will last. Of course, I think there is nowhere to go but cafes even if you come to Daejeon, but I feel sorry that many people visit just to check off Daejeon."

In fact, on Euneungjeongi street where Seongsimdang is located, there is a vacant shop with a rental sign every other store. Among nearby merchants, there is even talk that "No cafes should open within 50 meters of Seongsimdang," because Seongsimdang and its cafes and restaurants are all clustered nearby.

Seongsimdang, a representative attraction of Daejeon, is crowded with customers, but the neighboring shopping street in Eunhaeng-dong, Daejeon, is quiet. Photo by Heo Young-han

Good living conditions and many contents... need to discover other identities

Residents of Daejeon expressed regret that despite having many contents and good living conditions beyond Seongsimdang, the focus remains on the term No-Jam City.

Maeng Se-hyun, in her 20s and a native of Daejeon who runs the cafe 'Jellypoe' on Gallidan-gil, said, "Originally, Daejeon was a science city before it became 'Seongsim Metropolitan City.' In Jeonmin-dong, where the Daedeok Research Complex is located, there's a saying that if you call Dr. Kim, even adults walking by turn around," jokingly adding, "Along with the smart science city image, people are gentle, and wherever you go in the neighborhood, a stream flows, making it a calm city good for walking."

Daejeon's landmark, Daejeon Expo Science Park and Hanbit Tower, which have remained in the same place for over 30 years. Photo by Heo Younghan

The baseball team Hanwha Eagles, which grew centered in Daejeon, is also one of the attractions residents mention. That day was a game day between Hanwha and the Kia Tigers. By late afternoon, the city was bustling with people wearing Hanwha uniforms to watch the game live.

Local governments are also putting effort into discovering contents. 'Kkumssi Family' and 'Daejeon 0 o'clock Festival' are representative examples. Kkumdori, the mascot of the 1993 Daejeon Expo, once briefly attracted attention as a nostalgic figure but has since settled firmly in Daejeon. Daejeon Metropolitan City has supported expanding Kkumdori's world by recruiting new characters for the Kkumdori family through a citizen contest. As a result, Kkumdori, who formed a family with Kkumsuni, has transformed into a breadwinner supporting four children and a pet dog. Starting this year, the 0 o'clock Festival, inspired by the popular song 'Daejeon Blues' with the line 'Farewell, I am leaving. Daejeon departure 0:50,' will be held to bring together all age groups.

Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science's Daejeon Promotion Center

In fact, Daejeon is also a good city to live in with favorable living conditions. Recently, Yuseong-gu was selected as 'the most livable city in the nation' in the Korea Regional Management Institute's Sustainable City Evaluation. It is a transportation hub and has complex shopping malls like Galleria Department Store and Shinsegae Art & Science, enhancing convenience for local residents.

Ultimately, there is a call to promote and discover identities that introduce 'small everyday pleasures' beyond the single landmark of Seongsimdang. Joo Hye-jin, a research fellow at the Daejeon Sejong Institute, said, "A city is a three-dimensional space, and fun arises from discovering various facets. Remembering only one landmark has pros and cons, but ultimately, it is not very good for the city itself," adding, "We need to consider starting from Seongsimdang and layering various local cultures and narratives."

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