Korean street food is quick and cheap to enjoy and is a unique food that represents Korean daily life and culture. There is fun in discovering new street food that changes with the seasons. Among them, bungeoppang, which is especially popular in the winter, is so loved that a new word, “bungsegwon,” was created. This term refers to residential areas where bungeoppang-selling spots are conveniently located nearby, making it easy for people to enjoy it, much like the concept of a “bungeoppang hotspot.” In addition, there is even a map application that shows the location of its stores. This street food is more than just simple food; they hold memories that connect generations and serve as a window into Korean culture. Through this article, The Dongguk Post will introduce Korean street food culture.
Various flavors of Seoul: Exploring street food culture
Walking down the street, you can see food-trucks selling small food. Street food like tteokbokki, sundae, and hotteok is easy to find all year round. However, there is also special food that only appears in the winter. A representative example is bungeoppang. Bungeoppang is a representative winter snack made by putting red bean paste or cream puffs in wheat flour dough and baking it in the form of a fish. Recently, various flavors such as pizza and chocolate have appeared, and they are loved for their relatively low price.
This has led to a new culture. Most street food stores are not fixed-location stores, but rather irregular and unstable locations. Many of them are converted from trucks to food trucks, not street vendors. Therefore, it is not easy to find a place that sells food at the time you want. This is why there is an application that shares the location of places that sell bungeoppang. There is an application called “3,000 won in the heart,” meaning you can buy street food for just 3,000 won. In this application, you can share the location of stores selling food like bungeoppang, eggbread, and hotteok and rate them.
When you think of street food, you might think of easy-to-cook and convenient food that is good to eat while walking. However, tteokbokki was originally a royal food eaten by the king in the past of Chosun dynasty and made with soy sauce. Since then, it has changed to be spicy and have simple ingredients to match the changing times, and it has become popular among many people since the Korean War. In this way, street food, which has simplified recipes of food eaten in the past or has been transformed and diversified into fusion food to suit the tastes of modern people, can be found everywhere. Relatively inexpensive street food is enough to capture the hearts of students and office workers.
One place where you can enjoy street food is Myeongdong, a street food paradise bacause of the variety of snacks you can enjoy. Myeongdong is located close to Dongguk University, so you can walk there to enjoy Korean street food. The stalls lined up along the narrow alleys offer a wide variety of menus. In particular, Myeongdong’s street food boasts creative and unique flavors that are aimed at tourists with various nationalities and are offered at reasonable prices so that anyone can enjoy them without feeling burdened. The sweet or spicy smells wafting from every corner of the alley naturally and automatically draw you in, and the pleasure of walking around with a piece of food in hand like bungeoppang, tteokbokki, and hotteok creates special memories that can only be experienced in Myeongdong, which called as a street food paradise.
Navigating the challenges: The future of Korean street food
Street food, once beloved for their affordability and accessibility, is gradually disappearing. The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and rising prices have led many merchants to abandon their businesses. Ingredient costs, gas prices, and other expenses have increased, making this food less affordable—bungeoppang, for example, now costs 1,000 won for two pieces instead of three. Additionally, convenience stores and specialty shops now offer ready- to-eat versions of popular street food like tteokbokki and fish cakes, reducing demand for traditional vendors. Legal and regulatory hurdles add to the problem, as vendors without permits face crackdowns from local governments. Since the 2010s, a street vendor licensing system has been tested to balance regulation with livelihood protection, but inconsistent implementation has limited its success. In Seoul, efforts are ongoing to reconcile the rights of vendors with pedestrian safety, but the dispute continues.
Another challenge is the reliance on cash payments, which inconveniences consumers who prefer cards or mobile payments. In February, Seoul’s Jung-gu Office introduced a plan to expand credit card payment systems among street vendors, but only seven out of 39 vendors in Myeongdong adopted it due to financial struggles. As a result, consumers have seen little change, highlighting the difficulty of modernizing the street food market. For now, carrying cash remains the most practical option when enjoying Korean street food.
Korean street food has value beyond just food. They are precious elements that contain the daily lives, memories, and cultural sentiments of Koreans. However, they are gradually disappearing due to economic changes, shifting consumption patterns, and institutional issues. Nevertheless, street food still offers a special charm to many people. The warm scent of bungeoppang, the spiciness of tteokbokki, and the sweetness of hotteok always exist in the memories of Koreans. To preserve this street food culture, merchants, local governments, and consumers must cooperate. If you happen to come across a street vendor while walking down the street and grab a warm snack, The Dongguk Post hopes you will think about the emotions, culture, and stories of Koreans contained in it, beyond just the taste.