Daejeon Became a ‘Fun City’ Thanks to Seongsimdang, but Visitors May Struggle to Find a Place to Stay

Daejeon, once dismissed as a “boring city,” has become a leading food-tourism destination on the strength of Seongsimdang, the bakery famous enough to draw queues of more than two hours. But a new report questions whether the city can maintain that position when visitors have nowhere to stay.

Daejeon City published a strategic environmental impact assessment on Wednesday as part of its eighth tourism development plan. The report identifies a shortage of accommodation over the next five years, noting that the number and quality of lodging facilities are critical to tourism.

Daejeon had previously relied largely on business tourism because it lacked nationally recognized attractions. That pattern has recently changed. Seongsimdang’s reputation has lifted other bakeries in the city, helping establish Daejeon as a culinary destination. Restaurants known for kalguksu, or knife-cut noodle soup, and the popularity of the Hanwha Eagles, the professional baseball team based in the city, have added to its appeal.

The city expects lodging demand to grow from 2.479 million people next year to 2.637 million in 2031. Yet tourist accommodation capacity has steadily contracted, falling from 1,928 rooms in 2021 to 1,601 in 2024. The report identifies a chain of hotel closures in the Yuseong Hot Springs district since 2021 as a major factor.

Its proposed response includes a phased expansion of new tourist accommodation and policy measures to reverse the effects of closures in Yuseong. It also calls for a food-tourism brand centered on Seongsimdang, local bakeries and kalguksu, while recommending further development of modern cultural heritage sites such as the former South Chungcheong provincial government building and the railway company housing village in Soje-dong.