Park Ji-min, 23, carries out most of her daily tasks at cafes.

The senior college student works on her assignments, reads books and watches movies on her laptop at the cafes, which are located right in front of her house. 

“Even though I’m far from a coffee enthusiast, I drink at least three cups of coffee every day so I can stay in a cafe,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

Park is one of many Korean students who frequent cafes not only to quench their thirst but also to study. The current fad even led to a new term “ka-gong-zok,” which refers to those who bring books or laptops to study in cafes.

Yoon Ji-young, a 23-year-old graduate school student, also prefers to study in cafes. “I need to take extra care of the noise I make, such as typing on a keyboard, turning book pages and drinking beverages, when I’m in the library,” Yoon said. “I do not have to worry about such things when I visit a cafe.”

According to a survey by the local part-time job site Albamon, respondents cited feeling more comfortable in cafes than libraries as the main reason for visiting them. They also said cafes’ ambient sounds helped them concentrate.

To meet such demand, cafes are putting more effort into creating study-friendly zones. Starbucks, for instance, offers tables fitted with power sockets for charging laptops, while Hollys coffee franchise, which also provides power outlets, features a library concept in some of its stores.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, another franchise, started to provide Wi-Fi service and power plugs last year, which led to an increased sales.

Some establishments go further to stay ahead. One example is Like a Lab, a cafe in Sinchon -- a college district in Seoul -- which has emerged as one of the favorite places to prepare for exams among some 80 study cafes located close to Yonsei, Sogang and Ewha Womans University.

“I’ve put years into creating the best place (for customers) to concentrate on studying,” Kwon Eun-hee said. The owner of the cafe in her early 30s decided to open the study cafe because her sister, who was then attending a graduate school, could not find a decent place to study.

“Most of the cafes she went to were either too distracting or too expensive. The quality of the coffee and food were also not good enough,” Kwon said.

If customers buy a cup of coffee at Like a Lab, they can stay up to three hours for free. The average price of its beverages is 5,000 won ($4), which is similar to other franchise cafes nearby. But the atmosphere is far more academic.

The overall light in the cafe is kept low, while the store lets each customer manage their preferences by using desk lights. 

The background music lists are carefully selected. It even runs a silence zone. The made-to-order tables are big enough to accommodate reading materials, a laptop, pens and a cup of coffee. Customers can borrow blankets, pairs of slippers, chargers and even laptops from the cafe. For customers who find their long hair distracts them from their studies, the store provides hair bands.

“I do not consider the cost I pay for the coffee as a waste of money,” Park Ji-min said. She ordered a cup of iced latte as usual and added another bonus stamp on her free coffee coupon, before heading toward a study table.

By Park Ju-young(jupark@heraldcorp.com)