[Gyeongju] The 10-Won Bread Queues of Hwangnidan-gil: How Bulguksa’s Pagoda Became a Cheese-Pull Snack

Leaving the Miffy store, we noticed one shop with a queue conspicuously longer than the rest: a 10-won bread stand. Hwangnidan-gil has four or five shops selling the same specialty, and still the lines never die — that tells you something.

A World Heritage Pagoda, Snackified

Sibwon-ppang is a baked snack molded after Korea’s 10-won coin — and the design engraved on that coin is the very Dabotap pagoda we had looked up at in Bulguksa that afternoon. In its birthplace of Gyeongju, this snack completes a neat little loop: see the World Heritage site by day, eat it by evening. We bought ours fresh off the press at a shop called Geumppang Georaeso.

About 3,000 won each. Crack the sweet, custard-scented crust and out stretches a rope of mozzarella, salty against the sugar in just the right proportion — ideal refueling for tired legs. The cheese-pull moment is undeniably photogenic. No mystery about the queues.

The Street Where Trends Are Born

A few doors down, a caricature studio with charming monochrome illustrations was drawing its own crowd. This get-drawn-on-the-spot pastime feels like something that will land in Harajuku before long. Gyeongju’s young street doubles as a trend laboratory.

Notes from the Day

• Sibwon-ppang (10-won bread) is a Gyeongju-born street snack shaped like the Korean 10-won coin — whose design is the Dabotap pagoda of Bulguksa. Inside: stretchy mozzarella.
• We bought ours at Geumppang Georaeso (“the gold bread exchange”). Hwangnidan-gil has 4–5 shops selling it, all with queues.
• Around 3,000–3,500 won apiece as of my visit. Sweet custard-like dough against salty cheese — the balance works.
• The cheese-pull moment is made for photos. Pair it with the street’s popular caricature shops for the full Hwangnidan-gil experience.

The Busan–Gyeongju journey continues — more to come.

Visited in August 2026. Prices and details are as of my visit.