Why Does Korea Have So Many Coffee Shops?
Updated: 4 days ago
From ₩2,000 Americanos to cozy neighborhood cafés and enormous bakery cafés, South Korea seems to have a coffee shop for just about every occasion.
One thing that still surprises me about living in Korea is the sheer number of coffee shops. You can walk down an ordinary neighborhood street, pass several cafés within a few minutes, turn a corner, and somehow find another three. Sometimes they're practically next door to each other, selling what appears to be the exact same iced Americano, and I genuinely wonder how there are enough customers to keep all of them in business.
And yet, another one always seems to open.
You've probably seen those photos circulating on social media showing an entire row of Korean coffee shops. Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee, Paik's Coffee—sometimes all right next to one another. The photos are funny because the competition looks almost ridiculous, but if you live in Korea, they're not particularly surprising. I've even seen long lines outside Mega Coffee when there are other inexpensive coffee shops nearby. Apparently, even when it comes to a ₩2,000 Americano, people have their favorites.
Having spent most of my adult life in Los Angeles, I'm certainly no stranger to coffee culture. But what stands out to me in Korea isn't just the number of coffee shops. It's the variety. There are affordable franchises for a quick caffeine fix, cozy independently owned cafés where someone has clearly put thought into every detail, and enormous bakery cafés where people settle in for an entire afternoon.
Some people are there for the coffee. Others are there for everything that comes with it.
Korea Really Does Have an Extraordinary Number of Coffee Shops
And it's not just my imagination. South Korea had 95,337 operating cafés in the first quarter of 2025, according to National Tax Service figures reported by Yonhap News Agency. That's a remarkable number for a country of roughly 51 million people, although it was actually a slight decline from the previous year.
Even relatively quiet residential neighborhoods can have several cafés within walking distance. There are also unmanned cafés, or 무인카페, where you can buy coffee from an automated machine without a barista. There are a few in my neighborhood, which somehow makes Korea's coffee shop situation feel even more excessive.
Apparently, there's a coffee shop for every occasion, including the occasions when you'd rather not talk to another human being.
Why Coffee Shops Are Part of Everyday Life in Korea
In the United States, I was used to seeing people grab coffee on their way to work, but in Korea, coffee seems to find its way into almost every part of the day. There's morning coffee, coffee after lunch, and coffee simply because you're walking past a café and suddenly decide you want one.
One thing I've noticed is how common it is to go somewhere for coffee immediately after finishing a meal at a restaurant. Even after spending an hour eating and talking, someone will suggest finding a café, and everyone seems perfectly happy to continue the conversation somewhere else. The restaurant is for eating, and the café is where you sit and talk afterward, sometimes for longer than you spent eating in the first place.
I've also come to appreciate how cafés function almost like rest stops. When you're spending the day walking around or taking public transportation, sometimes you just want somewhere comfortable to sit for a while. In Los Angeles, having a car often meant having somewhere to retreat to between destinations. In Korea, a café can serve a similar purpose. You get a drink, rest your feet, and figure out where you're going next.
On weekends, I've noticed couples settling into large bakery cafés with their drinks and desserts, watching shows together on a phone or tablet. It's funny because they're essentially doing something they could do at home, except they've decided to do it somewhere with better pastries and a change of scenery.
Students bring textbooks and laptops, friends catch up, and people spend afternoons working or reading alone. Korea even has a word for people who study in cafés: 카공족 (kagongjok), a combination of café, gongbu (studying), and jok (a group of people).
Coffee shops have become somewhere to spend time, not just somewhere to buy coffee.
And Then There's Korea's Iced Americano Obsession
Sometimes I wonder whether people in Korea drink coffee more often than water.
I'm exaggerating, obviously, but only a little. Everywhere I look, someone seems to be carrying an iced Americano. People drink them on their way to work, after lunch, while walking around, and even when it's freezing outside.
Korea has a popular expression for people who refuse to give up their iced drinks: 얼죽아 (eoljuga), short for 얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노, meaning something along the lines of “iced Americano even if I freeze to death.”
I appreciate the commitment, although I personally think there comes a point when hot coffee starts sounding pretty reasonable.
From Cheap Coffee Chains to Korea's Beautiful Bakery Cafés
One of my favorite things about Korea's café scene is how many different experiences you can have depending on where you go and how much you want to spend.
If all you need is a quick caffeine fix, budget chains like Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee, and Paik's Coffee make it easy to grab a large drink without spending much. But inexpensive coffee isn't always great coffee. I've had Americanos from budget cafés that tasted noticeably watered down, although everyone seems to have their own opinion about which chain makes the best one.
A 2026 Korea Consumer Agency survey found that price was the biggest factor in choosing a budget coffee chain, followed by coffee taste and convenient locations. That makes sense, although I suspect habit plays a role, too. Otherwise, why would someone wait in a long line when another coffee shop is practically next door?
But Korea's café culture goes far beyond inexpensive takeaway coffee.
Independently owned cafés often put a surprising amount of thought into their interiors. Some are small and cozy, with warm lighting and comfortable seating, while others have carefully chosen furniture or a particular aesthetic that makes the space feel completely different from the café down the street.
And then there are the desserts.
One thing I appreciate about Korean cafés is that there's usually something more interesting to order alongside your coffee than the typical bagel and cream cheese. Cakes, cookies, scones, and beautifully presented desserts are a big part of the experience, especially at independent cafés and larger bakery cafés.
Personally, I'm happiest with a good scone served with butter and jam. Give me that, a comfortable seat, and a decent cup of coffee, and I can understand why people end up staying longer than they originally planned.
Some bakery cafés take things even further, with enormous spaces, elaborate interiors, and enough pastries to make choosing just one feel unnecessarily difficult. In places like Seongsu, visiting a particular café can be the entire reason for an outing.
At that point, the coffee is almost secondary.
But Can Korea Really Support This Many Coffee Shops?
As much as I enjoy having so many choices, I do wonder how all these businesses manage to survive.
When several coffee shops on the same street are selling similar drinks, competition must be difficult. And there are signs that the market may be reaching its limit. National Tax Service figures showed a year-over-year decline in operating cafés in early 2025, the first such decrease since its records began in 2018.
Customers benefit from having more choices, but café owners have to give people a reason to choose their shop over the one next door. Some compete on price, others on convenience, and others on the experience of being there.
I don't know how many more coffee shops Korea actually needs, but I can understand why people keep going to them.
Sometimes all you really want is somewhere comfortable to sit, a decent cup of coffee, and a good scone with butter and jam.
Preferably with an iced Americano.
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