Evolution of 'manhwa' cafe
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Visitors read “manhwa” or comic books at a manhwa cafe in Hongdae area in Seoul on March 13. Equipped by thousands of manhwa collections and barista-styled espresso drink counter with a cozy and charming interior, manhwa cafes emerge in crowded areas of the city. / Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
Chung Jin-hyun, a 33-year-old Seoulite, loves to read “manhwa” or comic books.
The business woman, who likes to read free online comics, said she now often visits “manhwa cafes” in Hongdae to meet her friends.
“With coffee and sweet shortcake, we enjoy reading comic books and feeling cozy in the comfortable seats there,” she said.
Chung added that this is a big change from the typical image of manhwa cafes she previously had.
“When I was young, I thought manhwa cafes were places for middle-aged men as the cafes I sometimes visited were filled with cigarette smoke and mildew smell from old comic books.”
“But, things have changed a lot since then. Now the cafés are occupied mainly by females,” she added.
Like Chung, many Koreans who love to read comic books but could not afford to buy them used to visit manhwa cafes. The country’s manhwa publishing industry transformed when free online comics gained popularity in the 2000s.
In seeking to regain “lost customers,” who were reluctant to visit due to their outdated atmosphere, the cafes have since transformed themselves into “peculiar and charming” places.
One of the easiest to locate is Cafe De Comics.
The comic book cafe franchise, which is based in Seoul’s most crowded areas including Hongdae, the Konkuk University area, and Sinchon -- another bustling university town near Hongdae -- is a popular destination for manhwa fans and cat lovers.
It is not odd to find readers reading comic books there while several cats loiter inside the cafe.
“Our comic book cafe opened three years ago in a bid to attract customers who like both reading comic books and playing with cats,” said a member of staff at the cafe’s franchise in Hongdae.
“I have noticed that about 90 percent of our customers are couples. They just come here and read books, hang out with cats, drink cups of coffee and snack for hours,” she added.
Manhwa cafes in the Seoul area charge their customers 2,400 won ($2.1) to 3,000 won ($2.7) per hour for using the space.
After paying the fee, visitors are free to read thousands of manhwa collections. The barista-styled espresso drink counter also enables them to order their favorite drinks.
“We acknowledge that previous manhwa cafes had limitations in attracting different age groups,” the staff said. “We attempted to change that by allowing cats in the cafe and being equipped with many kinds of snacks and coffee, plus providing space with fresh air,” the staff said.
“We are not the only one to go through these kinds of changes, which have made it possible for people who love to read manhwa to visit more often.”