Coffee and Culture: South Korea
This week, we are speaking with GeunHa Park, the 2014 Korean Barista Champion, and the current co-founder of Fritz Coffee Company in Seoul, South Korea. He has worked in coffee for the past 14 years as a barista and more recently as a green bean buyer. We spoke to him about his background in coffee, and a unique coffee culture in South Korea.
Tell us about your first time drinking coffee.
I think I was 20 years old when I had my first cup of coffee. A new coffee shop called “Green to Brown” opened near my house and I went without knowing much about coffee. Prior to this, I studied music in college and was a guitarist — I had nothing to do with coffee neither did I have much interest in it. I ordered a shot of espresso with a curiosity. I remember it being one of the bitterest drinks that I have ever had. I couldn’t really drink it. It was almost like drinking Hanyak — a Korean traditional medicine extracted from herbs, and it has a resemblance to black coffee. This was also the day that I learned that coffee had to be “roasted” before it could be consumed.
Any unique coffee culture in South Korea?
I think one way that Korean coffee culture is different from the Western culture is that people drink coffee until late at night. As a result, most coffee shops stay open until 10 or 11pm at night. I would not say that it is because Koreans love coffee exceptionally. It is more because they seek a space whether it is for a meeting or studies. Coffee is associated more with the space, and the atmosphere rather than as a drink alone. For this reason, coffeeshops with extravagant and unique interior designs are commonplace in South Korea.
When drinking at home, specialty coffee is still in the process of gaining its popularity. A more common way that Koreans have been drinking coffee is through a coffee-stick. It is a pre-measured and pre-packaged coffee in a little plastic bag. You can simply add water to it to get sweetened and milky cup of coffee due to the sugar and milk already added in the package. It is not the highest quality coffee, but has been the most affordable way for people to drink coffee until recently.
Do you think Korean consumers are aware of supply chain discrepancies? And how involved and active are Korean coffee shops, and green bean buyers in addressing these issues?
Fortunately, I have recently seen more and more consumers in South Korea interested in understanding where their food and drinks come from. Nevertheless, just like the specialty coffee scene within Korean market, it is also among a very limited crowd. A large part of the consumer base in South Korea is still not aware of the supply chain nor the discrepancies within it.
Additionally, the coffee industry in South Korea is dominated by a few large corporates that offer lower-quality but cheaper coffee and coffee-related products. This has threatened smaller coffee shops and roasters for the past few years, limiting our own ability to address these issues even if we want to. Perhaps, it is a cyclical phenomenon: there’s a low consumer awareness, and buyers are not able or willing to take bold actions, and again, consumers do not have a way to learn about the supply chain. Despite the limitations, we are trying our best to raise awareness among consumers about what goes on in the origin by sharing our experiences in the origin, etc. We hope that soon, the coffee industry will be able to address these issues more collectively.
What is your favorite way of drinking coffee?
I love my coffee black.
Coffee & Culture is a series unpacking coffee traditions around the world, while learning from the stories of connoisseurs. We recognize the danger of a single story, and will try to stay away from describing a culture based on these stories. If you enjoy these stories, feel free to subscribe to our newsletter for more!
