Famous YouTuber 'ShukaWorld' operator Shuka (real name Jeon Seok-jae, 46) has opened a pop-up store selling salt bread for 990 won each, reigniting the so-called 'breadflation' controversy. Until now, salt bread has been sold in the market for 3,000 to 4,000 won each, drawing criticism for being more expensive than abroad.
◇Consumers say 'salt bread is in the 1,000 won range abroad,' while business owners argue 'ingredient costs alone exceed 1,000 won.'
ShukaWorld opened its pop-up store 'ETF Bakery' in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 30th of last month. Salt bread and bagels were sold for 990 won, while sliced bread cost 1,990 won, ciabatta was priced at 3,490 won, and peach cake was sold for 18,900 won.
'The salt bread costs less than 1,000 won,' drew crowds of citizens. Although it was a weekday, lines began forming at 9 a.m. that morning, and around 10 a.m., 58 teams were waiting. The store opened at 11 a.m., and all the displayed bread was sold within 1 hour and 20 minutes. The store baked and displayed bread again at 4 p.m.
Customers visiting Shuka's bakery commented that 'the domestic bread prices are too expensive.' Yoon Mo (24) said, 'Other countries must also have high rents, yet they say a piece of salt bread is around 1,000 won.' A bakery inside a department store in Shinjuku, the center of Tokyo, sells salt bread for 120 yen (1,136 won) each.
However, among business owners, there were remarks that 'ShukaWorld made it seem like other bakeries are selling at high prices.' In an online forum used by self-employed individuals, an individual referred to as A said, 'Customers are making complaints about prices they never voiced before, saying "the salt bread is too expensive,"' and added, 'We use expensive French butter and organic flour in all our breads, and we cook the red beans for over three hours every morning. The ingredient cost for salt bread alone exceeds 1,000 won.'
Another individual B noted, 'Shuka is a major YouTuber so promotion is easy, and it's a one-time pop-up store, making it possible to sell at low prices, but we shouldn't talk as if all self-employed bakeries are engaging in price gouging.'
In response, Shuka said during a YouTube broadcast on the night of the 31st of last month, 'I thought people would like it if I made cheap bread, but that wasn't the case. I'm sorry.' He stated, 'I have never criticized the self-employed,' and emphasized, 'I was trying to talk about the structural issues related to bread prices.'
◇Controversies such as 'noise marketing' and 'promotion of specific companies' have also emerged.
There are also analyses suggesting that ShukaWorld's '990 won salt bread' is 'noise marketing.' A baker named Go (41) working at a local bakery in Gangnam said, 'If you don't use butter and use cheap ingredients for salt bread, you can lower the price to 1,000 won each,' adding, 'Even bakeries located in subway stations charge about 1,000 won for one piece of bread, so it seems like ShukaWorld's price of 990 won for salt bread is noise marketing.'
Indeed, inside the Seongsu Station on Line 2 of the subway, there are bakeries selling items like soboro bread and red bean bread for 1,000 to 1,500 won each. However, they use Malaysian margarine instead of butter and milk sourced from Poland, not locally.
Additionally, there has been controversy over whether ShukaWorld's '990 won salt bread' is promoting a specific company. ShukaWorld partnered with Yoo Jeong-su, the representative of 'Glow Seoul,' to create the bread. This pop-up store by ShukaWorld was also held at 'Glow Seongsu,' operated by Glow Seoul.
Glow Seoul operates restaurants like Saradaeng Dining (Thai cuisine), Oncheon House (shabu-shabu), Cheongsudang (bakery), Soha Salt Farm (salt bread), and Well House (pot rice) in Ikseon-dong and Yeonnam-dong in Seoul, as well as in Soje-dong, Daejeon, and Hwanglidang-gil, Gyeongju.
Glow Seoul is reportedly planning to go public in the stock market by the end of this year or early next year. Last year's revenue was 63.3 billion won, with a net income of 4.8 billion won. Shuka noted, 'I do not own any stock in Glow Seoul, nor am I related to it,' adding, 'I don't even know if they are going public.'