Page 40 - #45 English

Cover Story
Write: Seonhee “Sunny”, Yoon
Photo: Youngmin, Lee

30 Years of Gukje Market for

Korea’s Espresso (1985-2014)

“The Story of Our Sour lives During Those Days”

The “Gukje” Market has recently gained a lot of attention in South Korea. It is about the story of a
breadwinner who has devoted his entire life just to make living for his family without fulfilling his childhood
dream from the Korean War in 1950 to the present. The “Gukje Market” reflects well the social aspects at
the time. On that account, it has brought tears to many fathers of South Korea. This is probably because
this movie aroused sympathy among them. When this movie is nearing the end, the main character of
the movie quietly stands up in the living room where his family members gather joyfully and enters his
room. Then, he sits at the center of his room and embraces the portrait picture of his father and starts
crying as murmuring to his father that he has lived a great life. This scene allows us to feel how heavy the
burden of the main character was as he has endured it over a long time. Of course, it is not that the rules
and persistence that the main character has followed as the breadwinner of a family have gained respect
and consent from all the family members. Nonetheless, the affection and time that he has poured for his
family will not be changed.
Korea’s coffee, particularly the story of Korea’s espresso, welcomes the era of espresso with a sense
of duty just like the role of the aforementioned breadwinner.

1920 to 1980
The Japanese-style brewed coffee and the coffee
shop culture were introduced during the Japanese colonial
era (after 1920) and the Korean War (after 1950). In
addition, the US military introduced instant coffee in
South Korea. Such coffees have been popularized only
among a few people as a prestigious habit rather than
general public for about 60 years until the mid 1980s.
Enjoying coffee made out of siphon or flannel drip
depending on the type or style of coffee shop and drinking
a cup of instant coffee with sugar or cream has become
the culture that could only be enjoyed by a small number
of people such as upper class, celebrities and authors as
a special hideout or favorite refreshment. Thus, Korea’s
coffee market has evolved mainly with hand-made coffee.
However, it encountered the new phase with the 1985
Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Mid-to-late 1980s
The South Korean government recommended the
food and beverage departments of the hotels and large
restaurants to build modern-style coffee shops for the
1985 Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
However, those hotels and large restaurants did not have

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