Naju expands its certified dining brand to 49 restaurants

Six new establishments recognized for taste, hygiene and service join the city's flagship food brand

In an era when a satisfying meal can make or break a trip, the city of Naju is expanding its certified dining brand to sharpen its edge in food tourism.

Naju, in South Jeolla Province, announced Wednesday that it had completed its 2026 open call for the "Naju Bapsang" certified restaurant program and selected six new establishments, as part of efforts to foster a healthy local food culture and boost culinary tourism.

Naju Bapsang — built around the values of health, safety and consideration — is the city's flagship food-culture brand, designating restaurants that meet high standards for taste, hygiene, service and reasonable pricing. The program supports the city's goal of attracting 5 million tourists annually and aims to elevate the overall quality of Naju's dining scene.

The city has run the Naju Bapsang designation program since 2023 as a campaign pledge under the eighth directly elected administration. With one previously certified restaurant having closed, the six newly added establishments bring the total to 49 certified venues.

Twenty-three restaurants that had operated continuously in Naju for at least three years entered this year's call. The city evaluated applicants through three rounds — a document review, an on-site assessment and a deliberation committee — scoring each on taste, hygiene, service, price appropriateness and commitment to improving food culture. The six selected restaurants are Naju Ssangchi Minmul Maeuntang, Naju Chamsokjip, Dolbaksa, Samdae Naju Gomtang Wonjojip Noan Branch, Pumjang and Haemiyeon.

Certified restaurants are expected to lead the spread of a healthy and safe food culture by, among other things, participating in the voluntary domestic-kimchi labeling scheme, prioritizing locally sourced ingredients, encouraging shared-dish dining, maintaining hygienic utensil management, reducing food waste and keeping kitchens and restrooms clean.

This year, the city will also require certified restaurants to install entrance ramps and infant chairs as part of a facility-improvement support project, creating a more accessible dining environment for elderly patrons, people with disabilities and families with young children.

Newly certified restaurants will receive a range of support, including an official Naju Bapsang signboard, materials to promote better food-culture practices, training in business management and customer service, inclusion in a dining guide map and SNS promotional coverage.

Going forward, the city plans to strengthen brand promotion centered on the 49 certified restaurants, develop diverse food-tourism content and spread Naju's distinctive culinary identity — all while nurturing the program into a leading food brand that drives local commerce and the push toward 5 million annual visitors.

"I hope the expansion of Naju Bapsang certified restaurants will further spread a healthy and safe food culture throughout our community," Mayor Yun Byeong-tae said. "We will work to develop a flagship food brand that both tourists visiting Naju and all our residents can trust and enjoy, contributing to the vitalization of the local economy and tourism."