{"id":9491,"date":"2026-10-17T16:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T16:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9491"},"modified":"2026-10-17T16:00:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T16:00:18","slug":"tradition-isnt-everything-foreign-nationals-say-cafes-are-most-korean-places-of-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=9491","title":{"rendered":"Tradition isn’t everything: Foreign nationals say cafes are most Korean places of all"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Gaeseong<\/picture>
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Gaeseong juak and coffee are served at Hoyanghorim cafe in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not long ago, I asked Conrad, a British participant on a food tour, what he considered the most quintessentially British food. I expected him to name the famous fish and chips or a full English breakfast spread. But without hesitation, he answered, \u201ccurry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing my puzzled expression, he smiled and explained. While Britain has its traditional signature dishes, curry is one of the foods Britons eat most frequently today.<\/p>\n

That got me wondering: What food or food culture best represents Korea today? When I posed the same question to Conrad, his unexpected answer was \u201ccoffee and cafe culture.\u201d The other participants on the tour nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n

When I take foreign visitors on food tours, I often hear the same questions: \u201cWhy are there so many cafes in Korea?\u201d and \u201cWhy are cafes still so crowded late in the afternoon?\u201d I could explain that Koreans simply love coffee. But a look at Seoul’s cafes suggests there is more to it than that. Cafes line nearly every alley, stay lit late into the night and draw long queues outside popular spots on weekends. This is less a matter of coffee consumption than a cultural phenomenon.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, what catches foreign nationals’ attention is not coffee itself, but the cafe as a space. In Korea, a cafe is more than a place to grab a drink. People meet friends, hold meetings, study, read books and work on their laptops there. Some spend time alone, while others talk with friends for hours.<\/p>\n

\"Momos<\/picture>
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Momos Coffee Roastery & Coffee Bar in Yeongdo, Busan, is known for its harbor views and aromatic coffee. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The distinctive features of Korean cafe culture do not end there. Cafes are also a form of tourist attraction for Koreans themselves. Just as travelers seek out famous landmarks, many people make trips to discover new cafes. On weekends, they head to forest cafes on the outskirts of Seoul, visit cafes converted from traditional hanok houses or seek out spaces that combine bookstores or galleries with coffee shops. <\/p>\n

Recently, cafes reimagining traditional herbal medicine shops and those housed in renovated old breweries have also gained popularity. Some travelers even seek out famous cafes before visiting local attractions. They believe cafes offer a window into a neighborhood’s atmosphere, tastes and way of life.<\/p>\n

People are willing to travel and invest their time not simply for a cup of coffee, but for the experience a particular space offers. Each cafe creates its own atmosphere and story through distinctive interiors, lighting and music. In Korea, cafes have thus evolved beyond places that sell beverages into destinations and experiences in their own right.<\/p>\n

Come to think of it, this, too, is distinctly Korean. Korea is not a major coffee-producing country, and most of its coffee beans are imported. Yet the reason foreigners are drawn to Korean cafe culture goes beyond the taste of the coffee.<\/p>\n

Korea excels at quickly embracing cultures from abroad and reinterpreting them in its own way. Coffee is no exception. While the beans are imported, the spaces, service, desserts and overall experience are reinvented in a Korean style. In a sense, Korea imported coffee but created its own cafe culture.<\/p>\n

Perhaps that is why foreign nationals identify cafes as places where they can best understand Korea. At royal palaces, they encounter the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty era; at traditional markets, they catch a glimpse of everyday Korean life and customs. But in cafes, they can see how Koreans today work, relax, socialize, consume and spend their time.<\/p>\n

When we think of what represents Korea, we tend to picture kimchi, hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and royal palaces. These are undoubtedly important parts of Korean culture. But the Korea foreigners encounter is not necessarily a country defined only by its past. The Korea of today may be more vividly revealed in its cafes.<\/p>\n

\"Mulheureudeut,<\/picture>
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Mulheureudeut, a cafe in Gwangju \/ Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

K-pop and Korean dramas can be experienced abroad. But the everyday lives of Koreans unfolding in cafes can only truly be experienced by visiting Korea. <\/p>\n

\u201cCafes are more interesting than royal palaces because you can see how Koreans live their everyday lives. Cafes in Seongsu, Cheongdam and Ikseon-dong have different atmospheres and attract different kinds of people, so it’s fun just to look around,” said Sarah, a visitor from Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

If tangible cultural heritage reveals Korea’s past, cafes reveal its present. Tourism is not just about looking at the past; it is also about understanding the present. Someday, when people look back on Korea in the 2020s, they may remember the time they spent in cafes, alongside royal palaces and hanbok, as one of the defining scenes of the country.<\/p>\n

This column by O’ngo Food Communications CEO Choi Ji-a was originally published by the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, and translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Gaeseong juak and coffee are served at Hoyanghorim cafe in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho Not long ago, I asked Conrad, a British participant on a food tour, what he considered the most quintessentially British food. I expected him to name the famous fish and chips or a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t