Three-Hour Waits for Hwangnam Bread: Shortages Lead to Reselling and Imitations

Hwangnam Bread Gains Fame in Gyeongju After APEC
Inflated Resale Prices and Imitation Products Spread
Hwangnam Bread: "Purchase Only Through the Official Website"

At the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Hwangnam Bread, which drew significant attention, has issued a warning as incidents of reselling the product at inflated prices or passing off imitation goods as authentic Hwangnam Bread have become widespread.

Citizens are carrying Hwangnam bread purchased at the Hwangnam Bread Main Store, the official sponsor of the Gyeongju Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Photo by Yonhap News

On November 4, Hwangnam Bread announced on its official website, "Recently, there have been cases online where Hwangnam Bread is being resold at prices higher than the original retail price, and companies are selling imitation products, resulting in consumer damages." The company added, "We kindly request that all online orders be made exclusively through the official Hwangnam Bread website."

Hwangnam Bread gained attention during the APEC Summit when it was revealed that President Lee Jaemyung had presented it as a gift to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Notably, President Xi reportedly expressed his appreciation to President Lee upon meeting him, stating, "Korean Hwangnam Bread is delicious."

Following this, the main Hwangnam Bread store in Gyeongju has seen long lines of customers waiting to purchase the product. The waiting time has reportedly increased to between one and three hours, and order volumes have more than tripled compared to usual.

As demand for Hwangnam Bread has surged, there has been a rise in online reselling at prices above the official retail price and in the sale of imitation products falsely marketed as Hwangnam Bread. A representative from Hwangnam Bread stated, "We have discovered numerous cases on various online shopping malls where Hwangnam Bread is being resold at inflated prices or where companies are producing and selling imitation products."

Hwangnam Bread was first developed in 1939 in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju. It features a thin wheat flour crust filled with smooth red bean paste, and is characterized by a distinctive comb pattern engraved in the center of the round bread. Hwangnam Bread was selected as the official dessert for this APEC Summit after a review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was served to participants at major events and official meetings.