"I'll Go With You for 20,000 Won"... Seongsimdang's 'Pregnant Women Free Pass' Rampantly Abused

Priority Purchase System for Pregnant Women Exploited for Monetary Gain
Booming Amid High Demand for "Strawberry Siru" Cake

The priority purchasing system for pregnant women at Seongsimdang, Daejeon's iconic bakery, has sparked controversy after reports of abuse by some consumers. Recently, posts titled "Pregnant Women Pass Creative Economy" have appeared on online communities and social media, sharing cases of monetary transactions involving the system.

Visitors are lined up in front of the Seongsimdang main store, a representative landmark of Daejeon, trying to purchase bread. Photo by Huh Younghan

Seongsimdang has been offering a 5% discount for pregnant women, as well as a "free pass" service that allows them to enter without waiting. However, as cases of people abusing the system by obtaining pregnancy badges despite not being pregnant became frequent, the bakery strengthened identity verification by checking a pregnancy certificate or maternity handbook along with an ID. Recently, new cases of abuse have emerged, where people accompany pregnant women through monetary transactions.

Numerous posts have appeared in online communities from people seeking to accompany pregnant women, offering to buy them a cake or pay a fee of 20,000 to 30,000 won. Conversely, there have also been posts from pregnant women verifying their status and offering to enter the store together. Visitors pointed out that "in the past, just showing the badge was enough, but now they check both ID and a pregnancy certificate," noting that abuse of the system has increased. As a result, netizens have criticized this as "misconduct exploiting goodwill."

This winter, Seongsimdang's limited-edition winter cake, "Strawberry Siru," has also drawn huge crowds, causing congestion as people flocked to purchase it. The "Strawberry Siru," which went on sale at the Cake Boutique main store on December 23, is limited to one per person and is priced at 49,000 won. On the first day of its release, the demand led to long lines stretching beyond the store to nearby shops and the underground shopping mall at Jungangno Station. Some visitors reported that it took up to six hours to wait and pick up their orders.

On online secondhand trading platforms, posts have appeared reselling the "Strawberry Siru" cake for two to three times the original price, as well as offering proxy purchase services. In response, Seongsimdang announced on its official website that unauthorized proxy purchases and resales are prohibited, warning that "there are significant risks of spoilage, hygiene issues, and damage during transport."