The Overcaffeinated Mirage of Seoul's Cafe Boom

South Korea loves coffee—maybe a little too much. In this episode, we dive into Seoul’s hyper-crowded café scene, where iced Americanos are practically a national drink and new coffee shops pop up on every corner. But behind the aesthetic interiors and Instagram buzz lies a tougher truth: razor-thin margins, brutal hours, and a market so saturated that thousands of cafés close as quickly as they open. We explore why so many people chase the dream of owning a café, how trend-driven customers make survival a constant race to reinvent, and why experts warn that the business is far less romantic than it looks. In a country where cafés are cultural anchors, what does it really take to keep the doors open?https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/03/world/asia/south-korea-coffee-shops.html