Sungsimdang Creates Strawberry Siru Sculpture for 70th Anniversary
A Bestselling Cake That Sparked Resale Controversy
Seongsimdang, Daejeon's iconic bakery, has unveiled a sculpture of its bestselling cake, "Strawberry Siru."
Visitors eager to purchase bread are crowding in front of the Seongsimdang main store, a representative landmark of Daejeon. Photo by Huh Younghan
On January 16, Seongsimdang announced on its official social media channels that it had created a commemorative sculpture of Strawberry Siru, a cake that has consistently been loved at its Cake Boutique. Since its launch in January 2023, Strawberry Siru has become the signature item of the Cake Boutique. This large cake weighs 2.3 kilograms and is characterized by a whole box of strawberries piled on top.
The product was initially introduced under the name "Strawberry Chocolat," but was later renamed "Strawberry Siru" because its multi-layered appearance resembled sirutteok, a traditional Korean rice cake. Seongsimdang explained that the cake "features layers of chocolate sponge and cream stacked to resemble sirutteok, with the vibrant freshness of whole strawberries standing out," adding, "The generous size of the cake reflects Seongsimdang’s spirit of abundance."
Strawberry Siru is sold only during the winter season. This winter, Seongsimdang began sales on December 23. Notably, the large Strawberry Siru cannot be reserved in advance and is available only for in-person purchase at the Cake Boutique’s main store. The price is set at 49,000 won, but due to high demand, it has been traded on the secondhand market for between 90,000 and 100,000 won. Around Christmas, it was common to see customers lining up for hours in front of the store.
There have also been side effects resulting from its popularity. As more consumers have begun reselling Strawberry Siru at prices higher than the official retail price, Seongsimdang announced through its official channels that "purchasing and reselling through channels other than official stores and the website is not permitted." The company emphasized that "unofficial distribution is risky, as the product may be damaged or spoiled during transport."
Sungsimdang celebrated its 70th anniversary by unveiling a statue commemorating its popular cake, "Strawberry Siru." Sungsimdang
The new sculpture has been installed in front of the Cake Boutique store in Eunhaeng-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon. An information plaque explaining the origin of the cake’s name is also displayed to help visitors easily understand its background. This is not the first time Seongsimdang has created a statue of one of its products; a statue of "Fried Soboro," launched in 1980, already stands in front of the main store.
Seongsimdang began in 1956 as a small steamed bun shop near Daejeon Station and has since grown into a nationwide bakery brand. The company is also known for its "baked today, sold today" policy and for donating unsold bread, embodying a spirit of sharing. Having inherited the philosophy of its founder, former CEO Lim Gilsun, and grown together with the local community, Seongsimdang surpassed 100 billion won in sales last year.
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