World · East Asia & Pacific · 3 hrs ago
Gwangmyeong pastry seller pauses business after online fame brings crowds
A Gwangmyeong fish-shaped pastry seller has paused business after becoming an online sensation.
Photos of the young seller spread on social media, with many people saying he resembles South Korean actor Cha Eun-woo.
The attention brought long queues, with some customers waiting up to two hours at the stall.
The seller said he also has other work and that the workload and physical strain became too much.
He also said a local government employee had visited, but the reason for the visit was not made clear.
The seller has not said when he might reopen.
A young pastry seller in Gwangmyeong, South Korea, has temporarily stopped operating after online attention brought large crowds to his stall.
The seller became known online as “Bungeunwoo,” a nickname combining fish-shaped pastry and actor Cha Eun-woo.
Visitors reportedly waited one to two hours to buy pastries and see the seller.
He said he was already working other jobs and that the extra work had become physically exhausting.
The seller also said a district office employee had visited, but the specific purpose of the visit was not made clear.
He did not say when he might reopen.
- Who
- A young fish-shaped pastry seller in Gwangmyeong, identified only as A in one report.
- What
- He temporarily suspended business after crowds arrived following online attention.
- When
- He announced the pause on October 18, 2026.
- Where
- A street stall in Cheolsan-dong, Gwangmyeong, South Korea.
- Why
- He cited heavy crowds and physical exhaustion while balancing the stall with other work. A district office employee had also visited.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Photos and accounts of the seller spread on online communities and social media.
A district office employee visited the stall, according to the seller’s notice.
The seller announced that he would temporarily suspend business.
- Location
- Cheolsan-dong, Gwangmyeong, South Korea
- Wait times
- Reportedly 1–2 hours
- Announcement date
- October 18, 2026
- Work hours
- The seller said he was working more than 10 hours a day
- Nickname
- Bungeunwoo,” combining fish-shaped pastry and Cha Eun-woo
3 sources
What people are saying
The people who were there at opening will know, but a district office employee came the day before and we talked about various things.
I was already running the fish-shaped pastry stall in addition to other work, and the physical exhaustion is too great; I am working more than 10 hours every day.
I never imagined so many people would come over the past two days.
For these reasons, business will be temporarily suspended, and we will unfortunately have to close for the weekend.