Oh là là! Paris Baguette sets up shop with PSG

Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette and French football club Paris Saint-Germain are toasting to a new partnership, the companies announced in a joint release shared online Thursday.

Paris Baguette CEO Hur Jin-soo, left, stands with Paris Saint-Germain Chief Revenue Officer Marc Armstrong at Parc des Princes in Paris on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette and French football club Paris Saint-Germain are toasting to a new partnership, the companies announced in a joint release shared online Thursday.

Paris Baguette is the French club’s first Korean partner, according to the announcement, but PSG has long been courting a growing fanbase in Korea.

The Paris-based club is now home to Korean footballer Lee Kang-in, 22, who joined the team from Mallorca earlier this year and has quickly become one of its stars. Lee’s jerseys have reportedly out-sold Kylian Mbappe’s on PSG’s online store — seemingly in large part due to the midfielder’s huge fanbase in Korea.

Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League Group F football match against AC Milan at Parc de Princes in Paris in October. [AFP/YONHAP]

“For more than 35 years, Paris Baguette has consistently innovated and developed their unique know-how around an unconditional love for the globally inspiring city of Paris and the legendary baguette,” Marc Armstrong, PSG’s chief revenue officer, said in the release.

PSG will now sell Paris Baguette's desserts at its Parc des Princes stadium, although fans of the Korean chain may not find their favorite cream buns and sugary garlic bread in the 16th arrondissement. While the chain is sometimes criticized in Korea for being the least authentic patisserie this side of the Champs-Élysées, Paris Baguette serves a different range of products that cater to local tastes at its 500 stores overseas.

Now, that familiar Paris Baguette whiff of butter and sweet bread is set to make its way to PSG’s Parc des Princes as the stadium starts selling its desserts.

The Korean bakery chain, owned by SPC Group, also said it’s planning a wide spread of marketing stunts in Korea and abroad this month, including merch and ticket giveaways.

BY MARY YANG AND JIM BULLEY [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]