"Ordering a 3000-Won Coffee and Staying for at Least 3 Hours" Impact of Online Lectures... Local Cafes in Distress

Extension of University Online Classes Due to COVID-19 Impact... Some Students Gather at Cafes
Cafe Owners: "Business Is Hard Enough, 'Kagongjok' Make It Even Tougher"
Students: "What Can We Do When Public Facilities Like Libraries Are Closed?"

Last month on the 17th, as major universities in Seoul implemented online lectures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), students gathered at cafes. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-joo] #Kim (42, female), who runs a small cafe in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, has recently been struggling due to college students attending online lectures at her cafe. She installed Wi-Fi and power outlets for the convenience of customers but feels it has backfired. Kim said, "There were always students who brought laptops to study, but recently their numbers have surged so much that we can't accommodate other customers," adding, "The cafe has fewer than 30 seats in total, but having one person sit at each four-person table to study seems excessive," expressing her frustration.

#Lee (27, male), a senior at university, goes to a cafe near his home to attend online lectures. At home, the Wi-Fi connection is poor, and public facilities where he could use a laptop have closed due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Lee said, "I look for cafes because there is no suitable place to study, but many students flock to cafes, making it hard to get a seat at once," adding, "By the afternoon, it's almost impossible to find a seat in neighborhood cafes."

As universities extend online lectures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the number of people studying in cafes, known as 'Kagongjok' (cafe study tribe), is increasing. Some students turn to cafes because they cannot create a suitable study environment at home or because public facilities like schools and libraries are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Consequently, self-employed cafe owners in neighborhoods complain that this affects their sales.

On the 12th, a post was uploaded on an online community stating that business was being disrupted due to students studying for long hours at a cafe. Photo by Online Community Capture

On the 12th, a post titled "Tired of people studying in cafes..." was uploaded on an online community. The author, who revealed they run a cafe, complained that 'Kagongjok' disrupt their business.

The author lamented, "With the shift to online lectures due to COVID-19, the number of Kagongjok has increased uncontrollably," adding, "Even with time and seat limits, they ignore the rules. It's hard to ask them to leave."

He said, "Some students leave their belongings to reserve seats, go eat, come back, invite friends, and just chat without ordering," revealing, "It's already hard to run a business, and customers who come to chat leave because there are no seats."

He continued, "There are many well-behaved Kagongjok, but some complain about loud singing or the noise of the blender used for smoothies," explaining, "I've even given side glances to noisy tables and had to wake up students who fell asleep with their heads down."

Netizens who saw the post criticized 'Kagongjok' with comments like, "As a customer, seeing someone alone occupy a good seat for a long time is annoying," "I don't understand why they go to regular cafes instead of study cafes," and "In cafes with many students studying, it's true that chatting is also done cautiously."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, students are equally frustrated. Due to the nature of online lectures, a stable internet connection and an environment conducive to long study hours are necessary, but with schools and libraries closed, they have no choice but to go to cafes.

University student Kang (21, female) said, "The internet connection at home is poor, so I have no choice but to study at a cafe. There are study cafes, but I prefer regular cafes because the keyboard noise bothers me when doing assignments on a laptop, and cafes have a freer atmosphere."

Also, Lee (27, male) said, "Libraries are closed, and seminar rooms and labs on campus are all locked, so it seems people are flocking to cafes," adding, "It's excessive to scold students for studying in cafes when facilities they could use have been removed."

He pointed out, "There were many Kagongjok even before COVID-19," and said, "But criticizing all students because many have nowhere else to go due to online lectures is incomprehensible."

Meanwhile, the government extended the high-intensity social distancing period by two weeks until the 19th. Globally, COVID-19 infections and deaths continue to rise, and due to insufficient information on transmission routes, infectivity, and immunity, the extension was deemed unavoidable. Accordingly, universities in various regions have also decided to extend the online lecture period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.