25.08.30.Today News : ShukaWorld’s 990-Won Bread Popup Sparks Debate Between Bakers and Consumers

ShukaWorld’s 990-Won Bread Popup Sparks Debate Between Bakers and Consumers

• Economy YouTuber Jeon Seok-jae opens ‘ETF Bakery’ in Seoul, offering bread at bargain prices—bakers express concern while consumers welcome lower prices

Jeon Seok-jae, operator of the popular YouTube channel ShukaWorld with 3.6 million subscribers, has launched a bakery popup store selling bread for as low as 990 won. The move has ignited heated debate: while small bakery owners voice frustration over perceived price pressure, consumers welcome the chance to buy bread at affordable prices.

Economy YouTuber Shuka World has opened a bakery pop-up store selling salt bread and bagels starting at 990 won, sparking a heated debate over bread prices.

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■ ShukaWorld launches the ‘990-won bread’ popup
On the 30th, ShukaWorld opened the ‘ETF Bakery’ popup in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, offering salt bread, plain bagels, and baguettes at just 990 won. Other items such as fig bagels (1,990 won), cod roe baguettes (2,450 won), and peach cakes (18,900 won) are also significantly cheaper than market averages. The event was organized in collaboration with the branding company Glow Seoul.

Glow Seoul explained that direct sourcing from farms and streamlined distribution made these prices possible, aiming to change the perception that “bread is expensive” and to make bakery goods more accessible.

■ Fighting breadflation: an experiment
Korean bread prices have hit record highs in recent years, a phenomenon dubbed “breadflation.” ShukaWorld has addressed this issue in his YouTube series “This Bread,” analyzing the cost structure of bread production. By learning baking himself and preparing this popup, Jeon stated, “I wanted to see if bread prices could really drop if I made it myself, or if high prices are simply inevitable in Korea.”

■ Bakers express frustration and fear
Local bakery owners, however, voiced concern. One baker said, “The cost of making a single bread is already around 1,000 won. Selling for 990 won is impossible. People may think we are profiteering.” Another reported declining sales after customers compared prices, lamenting, “We work from early dawn, but now it feels meaningless.”

■ Why is bread expensive in Korea?
Korean bread prices remain higher than in many developed countries. A loaf of bread costs about 4,200 won in Korea, compared to just 1.2 dollars in Japan and 1.19 euros in France. Analysts point to high labor costs, complex distribution channels, and heavy dependence on imported wheat (over 99%) as the main reasons. Labor costs in Korea’s baking industry account for 28.7% of total production, more than triple the food industry average.

■ Consumers divided over event
While many consumers welcomed the low prices, saying, “3,000 won for salt bread is unreasonable,” others cautioned that such events should not distort the market. One commenter noted, “It’s just a popup store. Comparing it to everyday bakeries is unfair. Criticizing small business owners for charging higher prices is not justified.”

One-line summary : ShukaWorld’s 990-won bread popup drew praise from consumers but concern from bakery owners over its impact on their livelihoods.