CreatripTeam

At the APEC summit in Gyeongju, Korean regional desserts—dubbed “K-desserts”—were served to world leaders and delegates. Gyeongju’s Hwangnam-ppang (a traditional red bean-filled bun with a distinctive comb-pattern), Cheonan’s walnut cookie (hodu-gwaja), Daejeon’s fried soboro (a crunchy, deep-fried sweet bun), Cheongju’s Jikji-inspired barley-and-wheat bread with red bean and walnuts (Jikji-bbang), and Jeonju’s handmade choco-pies were placed on official tables throughout the meeting. This “loconomy” (Local+economy) trend highlights how local specialties are being reimagined for modern tastes and marketed as regional signature products—similar to McDonald’s past Korea-themed menu items. The selection of these snacks for high-profile events demonstrates that preserving regional identity and tradition can boost global recognition of Korean food culture.