Society & Culture
My name is Logan Leeder. Welcome to Korea Passages--where we explore the culture and history of Korea, one topic at a time. This is our first episode. I hope you enjoy. Koreans are in love with coffee. Its essential role in Korean society influences the way people meet with friends, do business, and spend their leisure time. Today on Korea Passages we look at Korea’s unique culture surrounding coffee. While Koreans don’t consume as much coffee as Europeans or North Americans, they seem to enjoy spending time in cafes far more. There are around 50,000 cafes in South Korea--in contrast to the US with only 24,000. That’s ten times the cafes per person! If you've been here, this comes as no surprise. Walking down any street of a major city in South Korea, you would be hard-pressed to not come across multiple cafes. There are so many, I sometimes wonder how all these cafes can turn a profit. But evenings when I look inside cafes, they're often full of customers enjoying themselves. So, what makes coffee so popular in Korea? Cafes are primarily meeting places in Korea, where it’s not as common to invite someone to your home. People prefer to meet in neutral spaces. Cafes provide a casual comfortable place to stop and have a talk with friends or do some business. I’ll start by telling you about my experience as someone who didn’t know much about coffee. Coming to Korea, having so many nearby cafes was exciting. I, like most of us from the west, enjoy a cup of coffee soon after getting up. And I’m a morning person, so naturally, I wanted to get out of the house early on weekends and have some coffee. But I was let down. Independent cafes weren’t open till eleven. Turns out morning coffee isn’t as big a thing in Korea. People prefer to have their coffee after lunch or dinner. Because of this, I’ve gotten pretty good at brewing coffee at home. But if I really want to go out and get coffee in the morning, many cafe chains do open early. There are a ton of chains! Ediya, Twosome Place, Cafe Bene, The Liter, Pascucci, Paek Dabang, and Holly’s Coffee are just a couple off the top of my head. And of course, they have a lot of brands from overseas like Starbucks, Coffee Bean, and more recently Blue Bottle. Definitely no shortage of chains, but as a coffee snob in training, I prefer independent cafes. After living in my city, Jeonju, for ten years, I’ve come across some great cafes. And there are more and more good cafes popping up every year even in a country town like mine. Now let’s change gears, and find out how this all came about. History The history of coffee in Korea starts a hundred years ago with King Gojong. Seoul 1895, a Pro-Japan militia attacks a palace where the Queen is currently residing, allowing Japanese agents in. They assault the chambermaids until the Queen reveals herself. Then they brutally murder her. Unsafe in his palaces, King Gojong seeks refuge at the Russian legation. For the first time, King Gojong is in a European environment, completely different from his palaces. During his stay, European diplomats introduce him to many new things, but the one that will impact him most is coffee. When Gojong believes the perpetrators of the assassination have been dealt with or have fled the kingdom, he returns to his Palaces, bringing with him some new customs. Unfortunately, he and his family weren’t out of harm’s way. On the night of September 11th, 1897 the now Emperor Gojong and his son were enjoying some evening coffee, as had become a part of their daily routine. After the Emperor had taken a couple sips, the Crown Prince begins to complain of feeling sick. His cup was already two thirds empty. The Prince began vomiting. He is now violently ill. A servant is ordered to drink the remaining coffee. Soon afterward the servant collapses. The coffee was poisoned. The Crown Prince survives but is impotent. He never sires an heir and the dynasty dies with him. Despite these unfortunate events. Coffee now had a foothold in the country. And by the 1920’s several coffee shops or Dabang as they were called had been established. People of high status, well-cultured individuals like famous artists, politicians, and intellectuals visited these coffee shops. During the Korean War American soldiers introduced instant coffee to Korea. Soon afterward a Korean Company began producing instant coffee. The drink that was once only reserved for elites was now available to the general public. In post-war Korea, Dabang went through many changes. Serving coffee was no longer their primary function. Decore became colorful. They started playing popular music. And their clientele now included women and young people. Dabang were popular throughout the ’80s, but in the ’90s Koreans craved something more refined. As incomes rose so did the number of cafes. And thirty years later we find ourselves here, in the present day with 50,000 cafes! Unique Points Such an abundance of cafés entails a wide variety of types. Here are some varieties of cafes you aren’t likely to find anywhere else. If all you care about is size, cafés like The Liter offer a liter of coffee for only 1000 won. (About 91 cents U.S.) There are also themed cafes made specifically for customers to take pictures to post on social media. These cafes have artistic decor that make you appear to be in a far off country, unique backgrounds with optical illusions, or live animals like cats or birds. There are also Garden Cafes on the edges of cities, that give urban dwellers a wide-open space to enjoy their coffee and desserts among well-manicured gardens. There really is no limit to the kinds of cafes one can find in Korea. I, personally, prefer to experience the art of coffee, so I seek out places renowned for good tasting coffee. Coffee Libre While researching for this article, I repeatedly came across a cafe and roaster in Seoul called Coffee Libre. Rave reviews, a bunch of four and five-star ratings, and a little luchador as their mascot roped me in. I wanted to find out more. So I ordered some beans and dove deeper into what the cafe is all about. Coffee Libre doesn’t just sell coffee. They’re dedicated to good coffee at every step of the process. The founder, PIL HOON SEU, emphasizes quality over short-term profits. Seu was attracted to coffee while in graduate school. It was at this time his obsession began. For twelve years since, the question of how to make coffee taste better has been central to his life. Seu is the first Q-certified roaster in Korea. Basically, he’s a sommelier of coffee. Coffee Libre opened eight years ago and, despite its popularity, Seu has chosen to only open four cafes to maintain high standards. Seu is involved in his coffee from farm to cup--personally seeing that everything is handled in a way that produces the best coffee possible. When asked what makes good coffee, Seu answers, “terroir first and everything after that is human effort.” He even owns a coffee farm in Nicaragua and travels to the locations he sources his coffee from. I have to say, all that effort has indeed created a very delicious cup of coffee! They sell both single-origin and their own blends. What I’m drinking here is a blend called “bad blood”. They do ship their beans internationally, so if you’re interested look them up. Conclusion Like many hospitality industries nowadays, Korean cafes are struggling, but the demand for high-quality coffee at home is on the rise. In the coming years, third-wave coffee trends, like specialty beans and special attention to every cup, will continue to spread throughout the country, meaning better coffee in more places. I hope you enjoyed exploring the culture and history of coffee in Korea. Join me next time as we explore more subjects on Korea Passages. Coffee Libre - https://coffeelibre.kr/