Bakery pickup before the train at Gwangju Songjeong: Ssukseu Choco Pie

On my last trip to Gwangju, I stopped by Gaengsonyeon in 1913 Songjeong Station Market — and noticed there were all kinds of shops tucked into that market.

This time I wanted to take my time exploring, so I set aside a little extra time before my train and got to the market early. While I was trying to figure out what souvenir to bring back to Seoul, I heard Ssukseu Choco Pie was famous, so I went to check it out myself. Right at the entrance there's a bench with an adorable green bear cub object on it — it really catches your eye.

Where is Ssukseu Choco Pie, and what are its hours?

• Address: 27 Songjeong-ro 8beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–18:30, Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00
• Parking: 1913 Songjeong Station parking tower (supported)

The green photo spot in the 1913 Songjeong Station Market alley

Step inside Ssukseu Choco Pie and there's a poster giving a witty retelling of the Dangun myth's mugwort story — so that's why the bear is the mascot..? haha. Below the poster is a tasting corner right in the store, so you can try flavors you're curious about before buying, which I loved. The red walls set against green interior details really stand out and make you wonder what kind of place this is.

What choco pie flavors can you pick and mix at Ssukseu Choco Pie?

Ssukseu Choco Pie doesn't stop at its signature choco pie — they also carry scones, cookies, cheesecake, and even mugwort milk tea, making this a well-known bakery near Gwangju Songjeong Station among bread lovers. Everyone walking around the street had one of those green boxes in hand.

They say they skip artificial additives like colorants, preservatives, emulsifiers and shortening, using good ingredients grown right here in Korea — so the whole family can enjoy it worry-free, and it also makes a great gift! We picked up the 6-piece gift set. In hindsight I wished I'd also tried the milk tea... haha.

What comes in the 24,800 won 6-piece gift set?

• Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort 🌿
• Sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi (pounded rice cake) 🍡
• Sea-breeze mugwort red bean 🫘
• Jeju Udo peanut 🥜
• Nonsan strawberry 🍓
• Gwangju real chocolate 🍫

Storage is refrigerated by default, good for up to 8 days. Frozen storage lasts up to a month — thaw naturally at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating, and the chewy, moist outer shell blends beautifully with the cool handmade cream. You know eating them as soon as possible always tastes best, rather than leaving them in the fridge or freezer the whole time..

Unboxing the cream-packed premium choco pies

Choosing the gift set meant everything was packed neatly and elegantly in a deep green box.

Each pie is individually sealed, so I didn't have to worry about them getting crushed on the way home after the trip.

The enclosed note explained that for a deeper, richer flavor they fill in more cream than usual, so some might smear onto the packaging. Honestly, that kind of mess I'll always be thankful for.. 💚

How do the sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi and whole red bean taste?

The best-selling menu item is the sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi. Picking it up, it actually felt heavy thanks to cream packed in without a single gap. Cut it in half and you can see the rice cake tucked inside, which gets your mouth watering the moment you see it. On the first bite, the nutty aroma of injeolmi (rice cake coated in roasted bean powder) and the distinct slightly bitter note of sea-breeze mugwort come through together with the fluffy cream, and the chewy rice cake isn't overly sweet.

The sea-breeze mugwort red bean isn't very sweet and has a rich mugwort aroma. We love red bean and enjoy the texture of the bean paste, so the combination of mugwort, cream and red bean worked really well for us. That said, if you're not a fan of red bean or don't like chewing through bean paste, you might want to skip this one. 🍃

This is the peanut-flavored choco pie. It uses Udo peanuts, and the cream is studded with peanut bits too, so every bite was full of nutty flavor.

The Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort has the strongest mugwort aroma of them all. There's a reason the original is the steady favorite — it's the most basic pie, focused purely on the cream and mugwort.

I'm not actually a huge chocolate person, but.. is there anyone who can resist a choco pie with fresh cream studded with chocolate chips? 🍫 The Belgian chocolate and sweet cream finish clean, without being overly sweet.

Ranking all 6 Ssukseu Choco Pie flavors, just for fun

The Nonsan strawberry disappeared while I wasn't looking so I never got to try it, but apparently it's packed with real domestic strawberry jam, making for a very upscale-tasting choco pie, haha. Here's our just-for-fun ranking of the choco pies: number one, unsurprisingly, was the sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi. There's clearly a reason it's the best-seller. 🍡 Depending on your taste, adults might lean toward the sea-breeze mugwort red bean, while kids will probably love the Gwangju real chocolate. With this much variety and fun in tasting them all, I think it'd make a great souvenir gift to remember a Gwangju trip by.

Free tasting corner, receipt review gift and a Seoul branch on the way

Beyond the tasting corner, the store is also running an ongoing event where writing a Naver receipt review gets you a free 'mugwort cookie sampler' (3 pieces) — so be sure to grab that if you visit! It only requires buying one item to take part, so there's no real barrier. N Pay is accepted too, so pay with Naver Pay and rack up some Naver points while you're at it. 🕶️

As the signature bakery of Songjeong Station, the accessibility from the station itself is excellent — come out Exit 1, cross the crosswalk, and it's right in the middle of the market! Picking some up right before boarding the train out of Gwangju is pretty much perfect.

I also heard they recently opened a new branch at Gwangjang Market in Seoul, so if you're on the hunt for good eats or bakeries there, I'd recommend checking out Ssukseu Bakery.