The hoppang was invented by Heo Chang-seong, founder of Samlip Foods. In 1969, during a visit to Japan, he saw steamed buns known as chūkaman, a Japanese variant of the Chinese
baozi, being sold on the street and was inspired. He had been searching for a product to boost sales during the bakery industry's slow winter season. After experimenting with recipes, the hoppang was introduced to the Korean market in 1971. == Etymology ==