Korea′s Coffee Culture 커피전문점을 벗어난 커피문화

• published: 20 Nov 2015
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Most of us need a daily cup of joe to kick off every morning， and sometimes an extra cup helps us to get us through the day， especially after lunchtime. Coffee is also a popular choice when it comes to social gatherings and business meetings. As such， for most Koreans， drinking coffee has become an important part of everyday life. Oh Soo－young tells us more about the coffee culture in Korea. “There are roughly 20－thousand coffee shops in Korea. Walk down the street and you′re spoilt for choice... with coffee shops to your left and right.″ And the sheer number of coffee establishments reflects the high demand that this beverage has in Korea. According to the health ministry， Koreans drink over 12 cups of coffee a week on average. ″I drink about three to four cups a day.″ ″I drink four to five.″ Euromonitor International says Koreans′ yearly consumption of coffee comes sixth in the world after the likes of U.S.， Brazil， and Germany. In fact， the country′s annual coffee bean imports are expected to reach a historic high this year. ″As supply of coffee exceeds demand， the dominance over consumption and sales have shifted. So consumers either seek out cheap coffee shops or specialized cafes... so Korea′s coffee market is shifting to meet these changes.″ With ever－increasing thirst for coffee， customers are flocking to small but cheaper coffee brands. ″You can get an entire liter of your daily brew for around one dollar. That′s far less than you′d pay for a much smaller cup in one of the big coffee franchises.″ In the past several years， the low－cost coffee market has been rapidly growing. And this low－cost coffee chain opened 300 new stores across the country in the last eight months. ″Each store serves around a thousand customers a day. Our top－selling stores see around 15－hundred to two－thousand customers.″ As low－cost coffee shops are smaller in size than your usual coffee franchise shop， various operation costs can be saved... which lowers beverage prices. And you can barely taste the difference in the main product. ″It tastes just about the same as ones from big coffee chains so I might as well get the coffee that′s cheaper with faster service.″ ″I can′t really distinguish cheap and expensive coffee. So I′m just getting the cheapest.″ With the number of coffee lovers on the rise， more and more people are trying out different and unconventional flavors. ″In the past， people mostly enjoyed black coffee or lattes. But now， more and more people are seeking out premium coffee beans， otherwise known as specialty coffee.″ It takes longer to brew than a regular cup of black coffee， but people are increasingly choosing to savor distinctive flavors that can only be tasted in independent cafes. ″Each cup of coffee is made just for you. With your own pick of beans which come in premium quality sourced from all over the worl