Why Koreans Love Cafés
Understanding South Korea’s Iced Americano and Café Culture
Walk through almost any neighborhood in South Korea, and you will find cafés everywhere.
They appear near office buildings, universities, subway stations, apartment complexes, tourist attractions, hospitals, and even quiet residential streets. Some are large international chains, while others are small independent coffee shops, dessert cafés, traditional hanok cafés, bakery cafés, study cafés, or highly creative themed spaces.
In Korea, coffee is more than a morning drink. A café can be a meeting room, a study space, a temporary office, a date destination, a place to rest, or simply somewhere to spend time alone.
And among all the drinks available, one beverage has become an unmistakable symbol of modern Korean life:
the iced Americano.
Coffee Has Become Part of Everyday Korean Life
South Korea was traditionally associated more with tea than coffee. However, coffee gradually became popular during the twentieth century, first through instant coffee and sweet coffee mixes.
For many years, Korean offices commonly served small packets of instant coffee containing coffee, sugar, and powdered creamer. These convenient coffee mixes remain familiar to many Koreans, especially older generations.
As the country’s economy developed and international café brands entered the market, people became more interested in espresso-based drinks, freshly roasted beans, café interiors, and specialty coffee.
Today, Korea has a highly developed coffee market. According to a 2025 USDA market report, annual coffee consumption in South Korea reached approximately 416 cups per person in 2024, the highest reported rate among Asian countries. The report also noted continued growth in café visits and home-brewing culture.
For many Koreans, buying coffee is now as ordinary as purchasing a bottle of water or stopping at a convenience store.
What Is an “A-A”?
When Koreans order coffee, you may hear someone say:
“A-A, please.”
A-A, written in Korean as 아아, is an abbreviation of aiseu amerikano, the Korean pronunciation of “iced Americano.”
An iced Americano is usually made by combining espresso shots, cold water, and ice. It contains no milk or sugar unless the customer adds them.
The Korean abbreviations are:
아아 — A-A: Iced Americano
뜨아 — Tteu-A: Hot Americano
The abbreviation “A-A” is widely understood and frequently used in casual conversation, text messages, offices, and group coffee orders.
A coworker might ask:
“Would you like an A-A?”
A student may text a friend:
“Let’s get an A-A before class.”
The drink has become so common that ordering one can feel almost automatic.
“Eoljuk-A”: Iced Americano Even in Winter
One of the most surprising parts of Korean coffee culture is that many people continue drinking iced Americanos during the coldest months of winter.
Korean winters can be extremely cold. Temperatures may fall below freezing, yet it is still common to see people walking outside in heavy coats while holding cups filled with ice.
This habit has created a popular Korean expression:
얼죽아 — Eoljuk-A
It is an abbreviation of:
얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노
The phrase can be translated humorously as:
“Iced Americano, even if I freeze to death.”
The expression does not literally mean that someone would risk their life for coffee. It is a playful way of saying:
“No matter how cold it gets, I will still choose an iced Americano.”
The phrase became so culturally recognizable that Korean and international media have reported on the country’s winter iced-coffee habit. Korea.net, the official website of the Republic of Korea, has also introduced Eoljuk-A as a Korean expression reflecting the popularity of iced Americano throughout the year.
The behavior is supported by actual sales patterns. Starbucks Korea reported that about 70 percent of its beverage sales in 2024 were iced drinks, and iced beverages reportedly remained the majority even during November.
Why Do Koreans Prefer Iced Americano?
There is no single reason. Its popularity comes from a combination of taste, convenience, lifestyle, price, and social habits.
1. It Is Simple and Refreshing
An iced Americano has a clean and relatively light taste. It is less creamy than a latte and less sweet than flavored coffee drinks.
Because Korean meals can include spicy, salty, grilled, or strongly seasoned foods, some people enjoy drinking a cold, unsweetened coffee afterward.
It can feel refreshing without being heavy.
2. It Is Easy to Drink Quickly
Korean daily life can move at a fast pace. Office workers, students, commuters, and businesspeople often purchase coffee to carry with them.
An iced Americano can be consumed immediately without waiting for it to cool. This makes it convenient for people leaving a café, driving, walking to work, or moving between appointments.
The drink has sometimes been connected to Korea’s ppalli-ppalli, or “hurry-hurry,” culture because it offers a quick and efficient caffeine break.
3. It Usually Contains No Sugar
Many people want caffeine but do not want a sweet drink.
An iced Americano normally contains only espresso, water, and ice. It therefore feels like a simple everyday choice compared with drinks containing syrup, whipped cream, milk, or large amounts of sugar.
4. It Is Often One of the Most Affordable Menu Items
At many Korean cafés, the Americano is among the least expensive espresso-based drinks.
Low-cost coffee chains have also expanded across the country, offering large iced Americanos at competitive prices. This makes the drink accessible to students and people who purchase coffee several times a week—or even several times a day.
5. It Has Become a Habit
For many Koreans, iced Americano is no longer a seasonal drink.
It is simply their regular coffee.
Once someone becomes accustomed to the cold temperature, light taste, and large volume, hot coffee may feel less refreshing, even during winter.
A Café Is More Than a Place to Drink Coffee
In Korea, people often visit cafés for reasons that have little to do with coffee itself.
The drink may be the entrance fee, but the real purpose is often the space.
Meeting Friends
Korean restaurants may expect customers to leave after finishing their meals. Cafés provide a comfortable second destination where friends can continue talking.
A common social routine is:
Eat lunch or dinner.
Move to a nearby café.
Order coffee or dessert.
Talk for another hour or two.
This is why cafés are often crowded after lunch and dinner.
Dating
Cafés are among the most popular date locations in Korea.
They are public, comfortable, relatively affordable, and easy to find. Couples may visit cafés before or after dinner, or travel specifically to a famous café with a beautiful interior, garden, rooftop, ocean view, or mountain setting.
Studying
Students frequently use cafés to read, complete assignments, prepare for exams, or work on group projects.
This practice is sometimes connected with the Korean term:
카공족 — Kagongjok
The word combines:
카페 — Café
공부 — Study
족 — Group or tribe
It refers to people who study or work for long periods in cafés.
Many cafés provide:
Free Wi-Fi
Electrical outlets
Large tables
Comfortable seating
Restrooms
Air conditioning and heating
A relatively quiet atmosphere
As working and studying in cafés became more common, some customers even began bringing large monitors or office equipment. In 2025, Starbucks Korea introduced restrictions against bringing items such as desktop computers, printers, power strips, and desk partitions into its stores.
Working Remotely
Freelancers, remote workers, salespeople, and small-business owners also use cafés as temporary offices.
A person may answer emails, edit videos, prepare documents, hold an informal meeting, or work between appointments.
Rather than returning home or renting an office, they can buy a drink and use a convenient workspace for a few hours.
Spending Time Alone
Korean cafés are also comfortable places for solo customers.
It is normal to see someone alone:
Reading a book
Watching a video
Writing in a notebook
Using a laptop
Listening to music
Resting between appointments
Simply looking out the window
Being alone in a Korean café generally does not feel unusual or uncomfortable.
Korea’s Creative Café Designs
Competition among Korean cafés is intense. Serving acceptable coffee is often not enough.
Many cafés try to distinguish themselves through architecture, interior design, desserts, scenery, or a memorable theme.
Hanok Cafés
A hanok café is located inside or inspired by a traditional Korean house.
These cafés may feature:
Wooden beams
Tiled roofs
Courtyards
Traditional furniture
Korean gardens
Floor seating
Traditional tea and desserts
They allow visitors to enjoy modern coffee in a traditional Korean environment.
Bakery Cafés
Large bakery cafés are especially popular outside major city centers.
They may occupy several floors and offer:
Fresh bread
Cakes
Pastries
Sandwiches
Brunch dishes
Large indoor seating areas
Gardens or rooftop terraces
Some bakery cafés function almost like tourist destinations.
View Cafés
Koreans often travel to cafés because of the scenery.
Popular locations include cafés overlooking:
The ocean
Rivers
Mountains
Rice fields
City skylines
Historic neighborhoods
Cherry blossoms
Autumn foliage
The trip to the café may be part of a weekend drive or day trip.
Themed Cafés
Korea is known for cafés built around specific themes, such as:
Books and libraries
Art galleries
Music and vinyl records
Traditional crafts
Animation characters
Board games
Plants and flowers
Photography
Camping
Industrial architecture
Some are designed mainly to offer a unique experience and attractive photo opportunities.
Cafés and Social Media
Korean café culture is closely connected to Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, blogs, and map-review platforms.
Before visiting, customers often search for:
Popular menu items
Interior photographs
Parking availability
Window seats
Rooftop views
Seasonal decorations
Signature desserts
Nearby attractions
A beautiful drink or dessert may be photographed before anyone tastes it.
This has encouraged cafés to pay attention not only to flavor but also to presentation. Drinks may be served in distinctive glasses, while cakes and pastries are carefully decorated for photographs.
Some cafés become famous almost overnight after appearing in a viral post or short-form video.
Coffee and Dessert Go Together
A Korean café visit often includes more than coffee.
Popular café foods and desserts include:
Croissants
Salt bread
Cream-filled bread
Castella cake
Cheesecake
Tiramisu
Macarons
Waffles
Bingsu
Korean rice cakes
Sweet potato desserts
Matcha desserts
Seasonal fruit cakes
Some cafés become known for a single signature dessert rather than their coffee.
Customers may wait in line for a particular cake, bread, or pastry that has become popular online.
Ordering Coffee in Korea
Ordering at a Korean café is usually straightforward, even for visitors who do not speak Korean.
Many cafés use self-service kiosks with menu photographs and multiple language options.
A typical ordering process is:
Select a drink.
Choose hot or iced.
Select the size.
Add an extra espresso shot, syrup, milk, or another option.
Pay by card or mobile payment.
Wait for the order number or name to be called.
Collect the drink at the pickup counter.
Some useful expressions include:
아이스 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요.
Aiseu amerikano han jan juseyo.
“One iced Americano, please.”매장에서 마실게요.
Maejangeseo masilgeyo.
“I’ll drink it here.”가지고 갈게요.
Gajigo galgeyo.
“I’ll take it to go.”샷 추가해 주세요.
Syat chugahae juseyo.
“Please add an extra shot.”
Most cafés accept credit cards, and cashless payment is extremely common.
Café Etiquette in Korea
Korean café etiquette is generally relaxed, but visitors should remember a few basic customs.
Order at Least One Item
Each person is generally expected to order a drink or menu item, particularly in small cafés.
Return the Tray
Many cafés are self-service. Customers are expected to return cups, trays, and trash to a designated return station before leaving.
Avoid Excessive Noise
Conversation is normal, but loud phone calls, video playback, or disruptive behavior may bother other customers.
Do Not Occupy Too Much Space
Using a laptop is usually acceptable, but spreading personal belongings across several seats can be considered inconsiderate, especially when the café is busy.
Check the Time Limit
Some popular cafés, study cafés, or small establishments may limit seating time during busy hours.
Be Careful With Outside Food
Most cafés do not allow customers to bring outside food or drinks unless permission is given.
Unmanned and 24-Hour Cafés
Another interesting development is the growth of unmanned cafés.
These cafés may operate with:
Self-service kiosks
Automated coffee machines
Security cameras
Digital door systems
Robot baristas
Some remain open 24 hours a day.
Customers enter, select a drink, pay at a machine, and collect it without interacting with an employee.
Unstaffed businesses, including coffee shops, have expanded in South Korea as operators respond to higher labor costs and staffing shortages. Reuters reported in July 2026 that 24-hour unmanned coffee shops and robot-operated café concepts were increasingly visible in the country.
Is Every Korean a Coffee Expert?
Not necessarily.
Some Koreans are deeply interested in coffee beans, roasting styles, brewing methods, and specialty cafés. Others simply want an inexpensive source of caffeine.
Korean coffee culture includes both extremes:
Carefully hand-brewed specialty coffee
Large, inexpensive iced Americanos
Convenience-store coffee
Instant coffee mixes
Premium hotel cafés
Small neighborhood shops
Home espresso machines and capsules
This variety is one reason café culture has become so deeply integrated into everyday life.
There is a café for almost every budget, taste, purpose, and mood.
Why Korean Café Culture Is Special
Korean café culture is not unique simply because the country has many coffee shops.
What makes it special is the wide variety of roles cafés play in daily life.
A café can be:
A place to meet friends
A quiet study room
A temporary office
A dating destination
A tourist attraction
A photography location
A dessert shop
A place to enjoy architecture and scenery
A comfortable space to be alone
The iced Americano represents this modern lifestyle perfectly.
It is simple, fast, affordable, portable, and available almost everywhere. It suits students rushing to class, office workers beginning the day, friends meeting after lunch, and travelers resting between destinations.
Even in the middle of winter, the sound of ice moving inside a clear plastic cup is part of everyday Korean city life.
Final Thoughts
To understand modern Korea, visit a Korean café.
Watch students studying beside the window, office workers carrying iced Americanos, friends sharing a cake, couples taking photographs, and solo customers quietly working on laptops.
Then order an A-A for yourself.
You may find it strange to drink iced coffee while wearing a winter coat. But after spending enough time in Korea, you may begin to understand the meaning of Eoljuk-A:
No matter how cold the weather becomes, it is always a good time for an iced Americano.
Korean café culture shows how a simple drink can become part of a country’s language, work habits, social life, design culture, and everyday identity.
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