Culture Talk

Hanok cafés in Seoul: lovely, or just a backdrop for photos?

I work as a barista in a café near Ikseon-dong, which is full of little hanok, the traditional Korean houses with tiled roofs and courtyards. Many have been turned into cafés, bakeries and shops in the last ten years or so.

I love working in one. The wooden beams, the courtyard in the rain. But I also know older residents who moved out, and some visitors only come for one photo and leave without even ordering.

I think it's better than the houses being demolished. Is it? For people who have visited, did it feel like real Seoul, or like a set?