Namhansanseong café for solo laptop work and Bora Bora Lemonade: Sum

I'm always hunting for cafés to work from, so I combined that with a Namhansanseong drive and stopped by Sum 〰️

How do you get to Sum near Namhansanseong?

Sum is a bakery café at 108-11 Ojeon-gil, Namhansanseong-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, near Ojeon-ri by Namhansanseong. There are so many cafés around Namhansanseong that I agonized over which one to pick before settling on Sum.

It really felt like heading deeper into the mountains, so the drive there already felt like a trip. Driving around Namhansanseong always puts me in a good mood 🍃 Even with the navigation on, the road just kept winding through the mountains and I started wondering if there was really a café out here — haha, kind of scary. The road is narrow so it might be a bit tricky for new drivers.

Sum's opening hours and reservations

• Weekdays 10:00 - 20:30 / Weekends 10:00 - 21:30
• Last order: weekdays 20:00, weekends 21:00
• 🍃 Hours shift seasonally.
• 🚙 Parking available 👶🏻 Baby chairs available
• Reservations possible

Is there enough parking at Sum?

There's parking right in front of Sum, and there's another parking area just below it too!

I went on a weekday so it was pretty empty, but apparently on weekends it fills up completely and there's even a wait.

What I ordered at Sum: Bora Bora Lemonade, mammoth bread and yakgwa butter bar

Walking in, the bakery case was right there on display! Bread smell wafting through the air 🥖🍰

I ordered the bestseller Bora Bora Lemonade along with a mammoth bread and a yakgwa (honey cookie) butter bar. I love the color purple, so ....~....💜 I packed the breads to go and just drank the lemonade while I worked. Gorgeous color and it tasted great too!

The packed-up photo

Inside and outside Sum: the mood of the café

The angular exterior has a ribbon on the door that's just so cute. A little red ribbon accent 🎁

The moment I opened the door, the faint smell of freshly baked bread drifted out! Being a bakery café, the interior felt cozy, and with such big windows the green scenery poured in — so easy on the eyes 🍀

The space itself felt calm and warm. Every seat has a different window view, so wherever you sit there's some scenery to enjoy. Baby chairs are ready and the self-service bar is neatly arranged!

Sum's two buildings: main hall and annex

Namhansanseong's Sum has two separate spaces in total —

This is the first floor of the main building, and the windows are so huge it feels wonderfully airy!

Being a weekday, there weren't many people, so I could spend my time at ease. Getting away from the city into a quiet space like this felt like real healing 🍃

There are second-floor seats too, with high ceilings. So refreshing. Cross the sky bridge and you reach the annex!

The Jajak Stay space on the annex's second floor, across the way

There was no one else in this space, so I stayed a while and had my drink.

Annex music room, terrace and rooftop at Sum

Head down the stairs and you reach the annex's first floor, where there's a projector setup and a music listening room. Seems like a nice spot to sit quietly and enjoy some music.

There's also plenty of outdoor terrace seating.

And there's a rooftop too!! This was so good. Once you get up there, the beautiful weather spreads out in front of you and the breeze drifts by — instantly puts you in a great mood!🍃

After resting a bit at the café, I got back on the road for more driving 🚗 If you're looking for a nearby drive destination from Seoul on a nice day, how about a Namhansanseong drive? I'd definitely recommend stopping by Sum along the way 〰️