Truly All about Korea

  Everything a foreigner needs to know about South Korea’s most talked-about cafe phenomenon What Is Kagongjok? (카공족) If you’ve ever walked into a Starbucks in Seoul and wondered why half the tables are occupied by people with laptops, textbooks, and elaborate desk setups instead of people simply sipping coffee and chatting — you’ve just encountered the kagongjok (카공족) . The word itself is a clever Korean portmanteau: “ka” (카) comes from café (카페) , and “gongjok” (공족) is derived from gongbu (공부) , meaning “to study.” Put them together, and you get a term that literally describes “people who study at cafés.” These are not just casual coffee drinkers who happen to have a book open. True kagongjok are individuals — mostly students, exam-preppers, remote workers, and freelancers — who plant themselves at a café table for hours on end, sometimes an entire day , armed with laptops, tablets, noise-canceling headphones, and occasionally even multi-port power strips, external keyboard...

  If you’ve ever visited South Korea — or even just scrolled through travel photos of Seoul at night — you’ve probably noticed something unusual: glowing red crosses dotting the skyline like a constellation that never fades. They’re on rooftops, at street corners, tucked between convenience stores and apartment buildings. It’s striking, even a little surreal. And one question inevitably follows: Why on earth are there so many churches in South Korea? Let’s dig deep into the history, culture, psychology, and sociology behind one of the most fascinating religious phenomena in the modern world. The Numbers Are Staggering — And They’re Real: Before diving into the “why,” let’s first understand just how extraordinary the scale really is. According to official South Korean government statistics, as of 2012 there were over 77,000 Protestant churches in the country alone — more than three times the number of convenience stores at the time. To put that in an international context, Sou...

Everything you need to know before your first trip — from free toilets to Korean bathroom phrases Why Korea’s Restroom Culture Will Surprise You: If you’re traveling to South Korea for the first time, one of the most unexpectedly pleasant surprises you’ll encounter has nothing to do with K-pop, street food, or palaces — it’s the public restrooms. Compared to many countries around the world, especially those in Western Europe, South Korea offers something remarkably rare: clean, well-maintained, and completely free public toilets almost everywhere you go. Whether you’re rushing through a busy subway station in Seoul, strolling through a riverside park, or browsing a traditional market, a clean restroom is never more than a few minutes away. This guide is here to walk you through everything a foreign visitor needs to know about using restrooms comfortably and confidently in Korea. Europe Charges You to Pee — Korea Does Not: If you’ve ever traveled through Europe, you already know ...