Everyone Is Jumping In, Even High School Students... The Must-Have Feature of Today's Hottest Spots [The Secret Behind Bread Prices]

Nearly 50,000 Take Baking Technician Exams Each Year
"I Study on My Own Using YouTube"
Home Baking Trend Drives Sustained Interest in Certifications
Bakeries Double Down on Differentiation Strategies

Editor's NoteAccording to consumer price trends released by Statistics Korea, while the price of processed foods rose by 4.1% year-on-year in May, bread prices climbed by as much as 6.4%. The bread consumer price index reached 138.48, marking a 38.48% increase over five years compared to the base year of 2020 (100). This rise outpaced that of other beloved Korean snacks such as tteokbokki and fried chicken. Bread, once an affordable treat enjoyed by everyone, has now become a product with prices that make it difficult to choose readily. How did bread prices in Korea end up rising so steeply?

Customers waiting in line to enter the famous bakery Seongsimdang.

Lee Moyang, a first-year high school student who is self-studying to become a pastry and baking technician, has been making various types of bread herself since middle school, including madeleines, financiers, salt bread, and mocha buns. She said, "I started baking as a hobby, but my interest grew, so I decided to pursue a career in opening a cafe and am now studying for certification." She added, "Attending a private academy is too expensive, so I chose to study on my own, relying heavily on workbooks and YouTube."

As eating habits in Korea have shifted, demand for bread has increased, leading to a rise in the number of people attempting to obtain pastry and baking certifications. According to data from the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation on August 16, the number of applicants for the written exam for the baking industrial engineer certification reached 1,053 last year, about 3.8 times higher than the 279 applicants in 2022, the first year the exam was held. The number of applicants for the pastry industrial engineer written exam also rose from 315 to 1,003 during the same period, about a 3.2-fold increase.

A loaf of bread made by high school student Lee Moyang, who is self-studying to become a pastry and baking technician. Provided by Lee.

Unlike the industrial engineer certifications, which are open only to graduates of relevant majors or those with practical work experience, anyone can take the pastry and baking technician exams regardless of age, education, or experience, and the number of applicants is nearing 50,000 per year. Last year, there were 49,084 applicants for the written baking technician exam and 48,614 for the pastry technician exam. The number of final passers, who succeeded in both the written and practical exams, was 13,066 and 10,880, respectively.

As more certified individuals enter the bakery and dessert cafe industry, the number of bakery workers has steadily increased: 76,246 in 2020, 84,878 in 2021, 89,064 in 2022, and 94,562 in 2023. The number of businesses has also grown, from 24,777 in 2020 to 26,704 in 2021, 28,070 in 2022, and 28,184 in 2023.

The popularity of these certifications has been influenced by changing dietary habits and the spread of home baking culture. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Health Statistics, the average daily bread consumption per person in Korea rose from 18.2 grams in 2012 to 21.5 grams in 2023. In contrast, per capita rice consumption has continued to decline, reaching just 55.8 kg last year-a record low and nearly half of the 108.3 kg consumed in 1994, thirty years ago.

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As the trend of seeking alternatives to rice, such as bread and other foods, becomes more pronounced, competition in the bread market has intensified. In response, bakery cafes and bread shops are further segmenting consumer preferences and adopting differentiation strategies, such as using premium ingredients. However, some analyses point out that these strategies have increased the burden of raw material costs, contributing to higher bread prices.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission's report, "Market Analysis of the Baking Industry and Competitive Impact Assessment of Major Regulations," stated, "As the bread market becomes more segmented, more high-end bakeries specializing in specific types of bread are emerging, expanding the overall market size. Despite the increase in the number of stores and intensified competition, specialization has continued, and prices have also steadily risen." The report went on to predict, "The competition in the bread market will become even fiercer in the future, with further segmentation and specialization expected to continue."