Old Man Coffee? The Joys and Sorrows of Coffee Mix That Created the 'Bonghwa Miracle'

Two Miners Rescued After 221 Hours Survive by Drinking Coffee Mix
From 'Ajae Coffee' to 'Bonghwa Miracle Coffee' Reappraised
Instant Coffee Introduced by US Troops in 1945 is the Original Coffee Mix
During 1997 Financial Crisis, Coffee Mix Gains Popularity Among Executives as Female Coffee Runners Decline

Two workers who were trapped in a zinc mine collapse in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, were rescued at 11:03 p.m. on the 4th, after 10 days. The photo shows the survivors being supported as they walk out. Photo by the National Fire Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "We endured by drinking coffee mix." This was said by two miners trapped in the zinc mine in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, who were miraculously rescued around 11 p.m. on the 4th, ten days after the accident. They were trapped underground at a depth of 190 meters when about 900 tons of soil (estimated by the company) collapsed while working at the No. 1 vertical shaft of the zinc mining site in Jaesan-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, around 6 p.m. on the 26th of last month.

A related official from the Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters met with reporters in front of the emergency room at Andong Hospital, where the rescued workers were receiving treatment, early that morning and explained, "The trapped individuals said they ate the coffee mix they had like a meal." Among citizens, opinions poured in suggesting that sufficient water and the high-calorie coffee mix might have helped alleviate their hunger.

It is known that a 12g packet of Maxim Mocha Gold contains about 50 kcal. Experts analyzed that the combined effect of sugar and caffeine likely boosted the miners' energy and helped their survival. The attending physician even said, "They are expected to be discharged within a few days at the earliest."

For those trapped in a shaft where they could not see even an inch ahead, the coffee mix was a ray of light. During the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse disaster, the 18-year-old girl rescued after 13 days first sought canned coffee with the taste of coffee mix. At this point, coffee mix can be considered not just a simple preference food but an emergency ration in disaster situations.

On the 6th, coffee mix was displayed at a large supermarket in downtown Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

◆ Old-fashioned ‘Ajae Coffee’? Even the MZ Generation Shows Interest

In fact, coffee mix is also famously known as 'Ajae coffee' (middle-aged man’s coffee). For example, male employees in their 40s and 50s often say, "Instead of drinking coffee that costs nearly half the price of a meal at a restaurant, wouldn’t it be better to drink the coffee mix the company gives out for free?"

Among the MZ generation, the rebuttal is, "It’s not just about drinking coffee, but also about spending time with friends together at a cafe." They emphasize not only drinking coffee but also sharing cafe culture with acquaintances.

Thus, coffee mix was considered outdated or old-fashioned, and was regarded as the exclusive domain of middle-aged men. However, as the so-called 'heroes of the Bonghwa miracle' emerged, interest among young people is growing.

The origin of coffee mix is instant coffee. It was introduced to Korea in earnest after liberation in 1945 along with the U.S. military. At that time, with the constant threat of war, the U.S. military soothed extreme tension and fatigue with coffee.

Of course, the story that King Gojong admired coffee when he fled to the Russian legation during the 'Agwanmangmyeong' (recently historians suggest using 'mangmyeong' meaning exile rather than 'pacheon' meaning flight) in 1896 is already well known. But in terms of coffee popularization, the role of the U.S. military distributing free coffee to Koreans was significant.

Coffee that took root in Korean society was mostly consumed in coffee houses. According to 'King Gojong Goes to Starbucks: The Social History of Coffee and Coffee Houses. Inmul and Sasangsa 2009,' the number of coffee houses in Seoul was only about 100 before the Korean War, but increased to about 800 in 1959 and about 5,000 in 1969. Considering Korea’s population and economic level at the time, the coffee industry grew rapidly.

In the 1970s, the 'soluble coffee era' began, intensifying competition in the instant coffee market. 'Soluble coffee' means coffee that dissolves in water. It is a term used to distinguish coffee mix products, which combine coffee, creamer, and sugar, from instant coffee products in glass jars.

Looking at the rivalry among coffee companies at the time, in the early 1990s, Swiss Nestl?, which launched 'Taster’s Choice,' and Dongseo Food, which had a technical partnership with American General Foods and produced 'Maxwell House' coffee domestically for the first time, formed a duopoly.

Then, in 1976, Dongseo Food developed the world’s first single-serving packet coffee mix, and Korean consumers’ preference began to shift toward coffee mix. With the introduction of coffee vending machines in 1978 and stick-type packets with adjustable sugar amounts in 1987, the era of coffee mix began.

Still image from the movie 'Samjin Group English TOEIC Class.' Set in the late 1990s, the actors in this film are shown doing what is commonly called 'coffee errands.' Photo by Naver Movies

◆ The Paradox of IMF Restructuring … The Golden Age of Coffee Mix

"Miss Kim, one cup of coffee here~" Some attribute the huge popularity of coffee mix to the 1997 foreign exchange crisis. Due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, companies underwent large-scale workforce restructuring, and so-called 'Miss Kims' (female employees) were the first to be laid off.

As a result, company executives who used to send female employees to fetch coffee had to make their own coffee, and coffee mix, which could make coffee in one second, became their savior. Along with the social atmosphere of national recovery efforts like the 'Gold Collection Campaign,' coffee mix provided the energy to endure increased labor intensity and frequent overtime. This is why coffee mix is found in almost every company pantry today. It is a kind of paradox of the IMF.

As in a certain commercial slogan, there were even cases of people caught stealing large amounts of coffee mix. In 2013, an employee of a food company was booked on theft charges for stealing coffee mix from the company warehouse and reselling it. At the time, some criticized the company’s response as excessive, saying "Isn’t coffee mix free?" but public opinion shifted when it was revealed that the stolen amount was worth 34 million won.

Riding on the popularity of coffee mix, which anyone can easily consume immediately, the related market size once exceeded 1 trillion won. However, with the rapid growth of the ground coffee market, the market size, which reached 851.2 billion won in 2018, decreased to 798.1 billion won in 2019, 746.2 billion won in 2020, and 709.6 billion won last year. This reflects the joys and sorrows of coffee mix, which emerged in Korean society as an emergency ration during war and crises.

With coffee mix playing a significant role in the miners’ dramatic survival, some netizens argue that the rescued miners should be used as advertising models for coffee mix.

Furthermore, some suggest that riding the meme (a humorous phrase or image reposted online) trend, an event should be held to rename the product 'Bonghwa Coffee Mix.' Having established itself as a national favorite through countless coffee houses since liberation, then falling into the category of 'Ajae coffee,' coffee mix is attracting interest from the MZ generation again, raising expectations for a new heyday.

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