It's Not Seoul or Busan... The No.1 'K-Food' Destination Chosen by Travelers and Locals

Gwangju Tops Among Metropolitan Cities, Jung-gu in Daegu Leads Basic Local Governments
Jung-gu and Daejeon Take First Place in Desserts Thanks to Sung Sim Dang

Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jung-gu in Daegu ranked first among metropolitan and basic local governments, respectively, in domestic travel food recommendations chosen by travelers and locals.

Consumer Insight, a travel research agency, recently released the results of its "2025 Travelers and Locals' Domestic Travel Destination Evaluation and Recommendation Survey," conducted with 48,790 participants.

According to the survey, among all tourism resources, food-related resources ranked high, with "meals" in fourth place and "desserts" in eighth. By type of restaurant, traditional markets and street food ranked first (16%), followed by meat dishes, local specialty foods, soups, and stews. Bakeries and coffee or beverage shops ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the meals category, Jung-gu in Daegu ranked first among basic local governments with 53.6%. The area around Dongseong-ro and Jingolmok, known for long-standing restaurants, Makchang and Gopchang, and various street foods, showed strong popularity. Suseong-gu and Nam-gu in Daegu also made it into the top 20.

In Seoul, Yongsan-gu (53.1%), known for fusion cuisine, and Jung-gu (51.8%), famous for traditional restaurants, as well as nine other districts including Gangnam, Songpa, and Seongdong, ranked high. In Busan, six districts including Suyeong-gu (51.2%), Jung-gu, and Haeundae-gu were in the top 20. Notably, Jung-gu in Busan climbed 36 places compared to 2019.

In the metropolitan government rankings, Gwangju Metropolitan City took first place with 38.7%, maintaining its reputation as the "home of southern gourmet cuisine." This figure surpassed Seoul (36.0%) and Busan (35.5%).

In the dessert category, Jung-gu and Daejeon City both ranked first, largely due to the influence of Sung Sim Dang. Jung-gu in Daejeon recorded the highest recommendation rate among basic local governments at 58.9%. Seo-gu, Yuseong-gu, and Dong-gu, where Sung Sim Dang's main store and branches are located, also ranked high. Including Daedeok-gu, all districts of Daejeon were within the top 20. Daejeon Metropolitan City also ranked first among metropolitan governments (46.9%), outpacing Seoul by 18 percentage points.

In Seoul, the rise of new dessert streets such as Seongsu-dong (Seongdong-gu), Garosu-gil (Gangnam-gu), and Yeontral Park (Mapo-gu) led to seven districts ranking in the top 20. In Busan, four districts including Suyeong-gu were recognized, centered around beachside cafe hotspots such as Gwangalli and Seomyeon.