Starbucks ‘study squatters’ spark criticism for private dividers

A photo posted by Sungshin Women’s University professor Seo Kyung-duk on Monday shows a Starbucks customer using a personal divider at a shared table. Captured from Seo's social media

A recent incident involving a “kagongjok" (a person who studies at cafes, especially those that take up space for long periods) at a Starbucks in Korea has drawn public backlash and sparked debate about etiquette in shared spaces.

On Monday, Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University, addressed the issue on social media, criticizing a customer who set up personal dividers on a communal Starbucks table before leaving the space unattended for hours. The customer also left study equipment behind, including a keyboard, headset and tablet.

“These kinds of inconsiderate cafe users are becoming a serious social issue,” Seo said, noting that even foreign visitors are surprised by such behavior.

Seo included a widely circulated photo originally posted by another social media user. The image showed a Starbucks table surrounded by dividers, along with study gadgets left behind — yet the user who set them up was nowhere to be seen for three hours, according to the post.

“They always leave their things to hold the spot, but they’re never actually there,” the post read. Another commenter noted that the only visible purchase was a banana, criticizing those who occupy cafe seats all day after buying the cheapest item available. The photo included a banana peel from a fruit believed to be purchased from Starbucks for 1,500 won ($1.10).

A photo of a “nuisance cafe studier” at Starbucks sparks debate on Threads. Captured from Threads

Seo also shared his own experience with what he described as a “nuisance cafe studier.” While speaking with a foreign guest at a Starbucks recently, he noticed someone sleeping behind a makeshift divider at the next table. “The foreigner was confused,” Seo recalled. “They asked how someone could claim public space for themselves like that in a cafe.”

With peak travel season approaching in July and August, Seo expressed concern that foreign visitors might encounter more of these behaviors. “I hope this type of inconsiderate cafe behavior comes to an end,” he said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.