When you ask a Chinese person to indicate the ultimate symbol for the Chinese culture, he or she will most probably mention tea. Despite centuries of Chinese cultural influences, the tea culture is hardly noticeable in Korea.
Seoul probably has the highest Starbucks-density in the world. On top of that it’s a highly competitive market with other international players like Coffee Bean, Gloria Jean, Paris Baguette, Tous les Jours and a countless number of local coffee bars. One thing’s for sure; Koreans love drinking coffee!
The strong bond with their American allies, -that introduced the beverage after WOII to Korea- have undoubtedly influenced the coffee consumption. Also, the many young Koreans that have studied overseas in the last 20 years have gotten into the habit of meeting and studying online at Starbucks.
The desire for coffee can also be attributed to the fact that Koreans work long hours and generally manage an extreme workload. In order to maintain their endless loyalty towards the company and the group they require an intake of many cups of coffee…
The only exception to the rule are Korean retirees that calmly drink their daily mug of coffee and enjoy their, well earned, retirement at their favorite coffee shop.
